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Topical ocular anaesthetic

Proxymetacaine 0.5% Eye Drops (Minims Proxymetacaine)

Brand names: Minims Proxymetacaine

Proxymetacaine eye drops (Minims proxymetacaine) are a single-use topical ophthalmic local anaesthetic used to provide brief corneal and conjunctival anaesthesia for diagnostic and minor procedures.

Dosing — being independently re-sourced

ClinCalc Pro is rebuilding its dose data from primary open sources — the manufacturer SmPC (eMC), the WHO Model Formulary and other official references — under clinician review. This drug's structured dose is not yet published here. Confirm all doses against the product SmPC and your local formulary before prescribing.

Clinical monograph

How it works

Proxymetacaine is an ester local anaesthetic that reversibly blocks sodium channels in ocular surface sensory nerves, abolishing pain transmission for a short period.

Prescribing in practice

  • Topical ocular anaesthetics must never be supplied for repeated or take-home use, as repeated application causes corneal toxicity and can result in severe, sight-threatening keratopathy.
  • Single-use Minims units should be discarded after one application to maintain sterility.
  • The blink reflex is temporarily lost, so the eye must be protected until sensation returns.

Monitoring

Monitoring is clinical; confirm return of corneal sensation and surface integrity after the procedure.

Counselling the patient

  • The eye will feel numb briefly; avoid rubbing or touching it until feeling returns.
  • Protect the eye from injury while it is numb.
  • These drops are for use by clinicians during procedures only, not for treating pain at home.

Evidence & guidelines

Single-use anaesthetic Minims are widely used for ophthalmic assessment, with SPC and MHRA advice cautioning against unsupervised repeated use.

Reference: RCOphth Ophthalmic Trauma Guidelines; Minims Proxymetacaine SPC; Drug verified in RxNorm (NLM); confirm dosing against the manufacturer SPC (eMC). Verify against your local formulary and current prescribing references before prescribing. Monograph status: clinician-reviewed (2026-07-04).

Related

Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.

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