Scottish Medicines Consortium accepts first preservative-free ophthalmic prostaglandin

7 December 2009, Hoddesdon – The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has announced that Saflutan (tafluprost) has been accepted for restricted use within NHS Scotland for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension - as monotherapy (in patients who would benefit from preservative-free eye-drops, who are insufficiently responsive to first-line therapy, or who are intolerant or contraindicated to first-line therapy) or as adjunctive therapy to beta blockers. It is restricted to use in patients who cannot tolerate the currently available prostaglandin preparations due to proven sensitivity to the preservative benzalkonium chloride.