NOTICE: This Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) is intended for persons living in Australia.
MINIMS® AMETHOCAINE (TETRACAINE) EYE DROPS
Tetracaine (Amethocaine) hydrochloride
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops.
It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have benefits and risks. Your doctor has weighed the risks of your using Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about this medicine, ask your doctor.
Keep this leaflet in a safe place.
You may need to read it again.
What Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops is used for
Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops belongs to a group of medicines called local anaesthetics.
It is used to numb or block the feeling of pain in your eye(s) during short term medical procedures.These procedures may include, measuring the pressure in your eye, inserting contact lenses, removing foreign bodies from your eye(s) and other minor operations on your eye(s).
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed to you.
Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason.
Before you are given Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops
When you must not be given it
Do not use Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops if you have an allergy to:
Any medicine containing tetracaine
Any other local anaesthetic
Any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
Shortness of breath
Wheezing or difficulty breathing
Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
Rash, itching or hives on the skin
Do not use this medicine if you are being treated with a group of medicines called sulphonamides.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal.
This medicine has been developed for use in the eye only.It should not be swallowed or injected.
This medicine should not be given to premature babies.
If you are not sure whether you should be given this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Before you are given it
Tell your doctor if you have had an allergy to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
Your doctor will discuss the risks
and benefits involved.
and benefits involved.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you start using Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops may interfere with each other.These include a group of medicines called sulphonamides.
These medicines may be affected by Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to use different medicines.
Your doctor will advise you and decide whether or not to give you Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops.
How Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops is given
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor carefully.
They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
How much to use
Your doctor will put the correct number of drops of Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops into your eye(s) before starting the procedure on your eye(s).Your doctor will not give you a prescription for your own use.This medicine has been specifically developed for use by your doctor to numb the feeling in your eye(s) while he/she is attending to your eye(s), and not for long-term use.
The usual dose is one drop into your eye(s) before starting the procedure on your eye(s).The number of times your doctor will put drops in your eye(s) will depend on the type and length of the procedure to be performed.
Local anaesthetic drops can damage the surface of the eye if they are used too much or too often.
If you are wearing contact lenses, you will be asked to remove them before putting in the eye drops.You may put your contact lenses back
into your eye after the numbness has worn off or when you doctor tells you to.
into your eye after the numbness has worn off or when you doctor tells you to.
Your eye(s) may remain numb for up to one hour after the last drop is put in.
Do not touch or rub your eye while your eye is numb.
You may scratch the surface of the eye and damage it.Your doctor will put a patch over your eye after finishing the procedure to protect your eye and stop you from touching it.
If you use too much (overdose)
The doctor giving you Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops will be experienced in its use, so it is unlikely that you will be given an overdose.
If too many drops have accidentally been put into your eye(s), immediately rinse your eye(s) with plenty of warm water or saline and continue rinsing for 15 minutes.A further examination should be performed if irritation, pain or swelling continue beyond 15 minutes.
Accidental swallowing of the solution is unlikely to cause any bad side effects due to the low content of tetracaine.If you think that you or anyone else may have swallowed any or all of the contents of the container of Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops, immediately telephone your doctor or Poisons Information Centre (Australia 13 11 26, New Zealand 0800 764 766) for advice.
After being given Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops
Things you must do
Protect your eyes from dust.
You should protect your anesthetised eye from dust particles, which could cause infections.
Things you must not do
Do not touch or rub your eye while your eye is numb.
You may scratch the surface of the eye and damage it.Your doctor will put a patch over your eye after finishing the procedure to protect your eye and stop you from touching it.
Things to be careful of
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops affects you.
Keep the patch that your doctor puts on your eye until normal feeling returns.Sufficient time should be allowed to regain clear vision before driving or operating hazardous machinery.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you do not feel well while you are using Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops.
This medicine helps most people to numb the eye, but it may have unwanted effects in a few people.All medicines can have side effects.Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not.You may need medical attention if you get some of the side effects.
Do not be alarmed by the following lists of side effects.
You may not experience any of them.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
Stinging or burning sensation.
Prolonged blurred vision, watery eyes.
The above list includes the more common side effects of your medicine.They are usually mild and short lived.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients.Tell your doctor if you notice any other effects.
After using Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops
Storage
Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops will be stored by your doctor in a refrigerator (2-8°C). The eye drops should not be frozen or exposed to strong light.
Discard each single dose unit and any remaining solution in it immediately after use. Do not save unused contents.
Product description
What it looks like
Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops come in single dose units containing 0.5mL of a clear, colourless solution.
Each carton contains 20 single dose units.
Ingredients
Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops contains 0.5%w/v or 1.0%w/v of tetracaine (amethocaine) hydrochloride as the active ingredient.
They also contain:
Water – Purified
Hydrochloric acid
The eye drops do not contain any preservatives.
Manufacturer/Supplier
In Australia, Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops is supplied by:
Bausch & Lomb (Australia) Pty Ltd
Chatswood, NSW 2067
Phone: 1800 251 150
Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops 0.5%
AUST R 32252
Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops 1%
AUST R 32254
In New Zealand, Minims Amethocaine Eye Drops is supplied by:
Bausch & Lomb (NZ) Ltd
c/- Bell Gully
Auckland Vero Centre
48 Shortland Street
Auckland 1140
New Zealand
Toll free number: 0508375394
Date of preparation
This leaflet was prepared in
April 2020.
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