Vuity drops are designed to address presbyopia so users can see things up close without those glasses displayed on a rack at the drugstore. The research that led to Vuity’s FDA approval in October looked promising: A statistically significant percentage of users gained three lines on an up-close reading chart, without losing distance vision, according to clinical trials on 750 patients between ages 40 and 55.
How do Vuity eyedrops for presbyopia work?
Vuity works primarily by shrinking your pupil to the optimal size it needs to be to focus on things that are close. You put them in once a day and they kick in after 15 minutes; the strongest effects last up to six hours, and then start to fade. What Vuity does is shrink the pupils leading to a greater depth of focus.
What kind of person is Vuity for?
Vuity works, to some degree, for anyone with presbyopia, but it works better for people who don’t yet need readers. If you wear a higher power reader, you might not be able to read as small print as someone with a lesser power reader. For example, someone who normally wears 1.00 magnification readers might be able to pop in some drops and 15 minutes later read the dosage instructions on a bottle of medicine. How many hours you find Vuity helpful also depends on your vision to begin with. If you’re 47 or 48 and wear 1.50 readers, you may get six great hours of acceptable near vision. Over the next four or so hours, the effect fades, but you may still see well in front of a computer without glasses.
Can anyone use Vuity?
There are very few contraindications. We are cautious about prescribing it to people with a high degree of being near sighted. The reason? The active ingredient, pilocarpine, is one of a class of drugs called miotics, which pose some risk of retinal detachment. You also want to be careful using Vuity if you drive at night, because it can take longer than usual for your pupil to expand enough to let light in. The drop is preventing the pupil from dilating, so when you go from light to dark, you may not be able to see as well. You can use Vuity with contacts (just wait 10 minutes before putting them in) and if you have to toggle between glasses for reading and glasses for distance, these drops can make your life easier.
How long does Vuity last?
Vuity lasts up to six hours and then begins to gradually fade, but what that means to you depends on how well it works for you to begin with.
What’s the price of Vuity and where can I buy it?
You need to see your eye doctor for a prescription and you can pick it up wherever you get your other meds, although since it’s so new they may need to order it. It costs around $75 for a 30-day supply using the GoodRx app, which helps you find discounts, but how much it costs depends on where you buy it. Some have paid as much as $105. Vuity is not covered by insurance.
What are the side effects of Vuity?
Vuity’s side effects could include a minor headache, a slight burning when you first put the drops in, and eye redness but for most people these go away once you’ve used it for about a week. It also makes light a bit dimmer, so driving at night if you’ve recently put the drops in can be problematic. Talk to your doctor about other side effects.
They bottom line: Vuity worked as advertised but if you do a lot of intensive reading, it may not be the answer to everything.