tafluprost at a glance
Medicine class
Prostaglandin analogue
Usual uses
Open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension in adults
Form
Preservative-free eye-drop solution in a multidose bottle
Important practical point
Avoid touching the bottle tip to the eye, eyelids, fingers or other surfaces.
Follow-up
Regular eye-pressure, optic-nerve and vision checks help assess whether treatment is working.
What is tafluprost used for?
Licensed uses for the selected product include:
Reducing raised pressure in adults with open-angle glaucoma.
Reducing raised pressure in adults with ocular hypertension.
Use alone when preservative-free drops would be beneficial, or when first-line treatment is unsuitable, not tolerated or insufficiently effective.
Use alongside a beta-blocker eye drop.
How does tafluprost work?
Tafluprost is converted in the eye to tafluprost acid, which activates prostanoid FP receptors. This increases drainage of aqueous humour through the uveoscleral pathway, lowering pressure inside the eye.
tafluprost preparations and strengths
Eye drops
Route: Ophthalmic
Strengths: 15 micrograms/mL
How to take tafluprost
Use only in the eye or eyes specified by the prescriber.
Wash and dry your hands.
Tilt your head back, pull down the lower eyelid and apply the drop into the pocket formed.
Do not let the bottle tip touch the eye, eyelids, fingers or another surface.
Close the eye and gently press its inner corner briefly to reduce drainage into the nose and bloodstream.
Wipe excess solution from the surrounding skin to reduce the risk of skin darkening.
Replace the cap securely. If using other eye medicines, administer them separately as instructed.
Store refrigerated before opening. After opening, keep below 25°C and protect from light.
tafluprost side effects
Common or expected effects
- Eye redness, itching, irritation or pain
- Dry, watery or gritty-feeling eyes
- Blurred vision or reduced visual sharpness
- Sensitivity to light
- Eyelash growth, thickening or discolouration
- Eyelid redness
- Increased iris pigmentation, which may be permanent
- Headache
Get urgent medical advice
- Worsening asthma, shortness of breath or severe breathing difficulty
- Inflammation inside the eye, which may cause pain, redness, light sensitivity or worsening vision
- Macular oedema, which may cause new or worsening central blurred vision
- Rare corneal calcium deposits in people with severely damaged corneas
tafluprost in pregnancy
Tafluprost should be avoided during pregnancy unless it is clearly necessary and no suitable alternative is available. Do not stop glaucoma treatment without specialist review, because uncontrolled disease can permanently damage sight. Contact the prescriber or eye specialist when planning pregnancy or once pregnancy is known.
tafluprost while breastfeeding
It is unknown whether tafluprost or its metabolites enter human milk, and the selected product information advises against use while breastfeeding. The prescriber or eye specialist should review whether another treatment is more appropriate.
tafluprost interactions
Systemic medicine interactions are considered unlikely because blood concentrations after eye administration are very low. Relevant practical considerations include:
Other eye drops or ointments
Administer separately as instructed so one product does not wash another out of the eye.
Beta-blocker eye drops such as timolol
Tafluprost has been used with timolol without evidence of a medicine interaction and is licensed as adjunctive therapy to beta-blockers.
Common questions about tafluprost
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What is tafluprost used for?
It lowers raised pressure inside the eye in adults with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.
How does tafluprost lower eye pressure?
It activates FP receptors and helps aqueous humour drain from the eye through the uveoscleral pathway.
Is tafluprost preservative-free?
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.