Free Smartphone App Helps Patients Manage Eye Medications

Eye care professionals and their patients now have an easy-to-use tool that resolves the serious issue of patients forgetting to take their eye medications: a smartphone application that reminds patients when and how to take their eye drops.

EyeDROPS is the first mobile app designed to allow patients and their caregivers to manage all of their eye medications and to provide reminders to take them. The free EyeDROPS app from HarPas International even allows patients to take a photo of each bottle to avoid confusion when taking more than one kind of eye drop.

“The EyeDROPS app should enhance medication compliance and adherence in any chronic eye condition, but especially in patients with glaucoma,” said Tom Harbin, co-developer and glaucoma specialist. “The single biggest problem—especially with glaucoma—is getting people to take their drops regularly when they have an increasingly complex drop regimen.”

The EyeDROPS app prompts users to enter information about the eye drops they are taking, including dosages and schedules. The app then alerts patients via their phones when it’s time to put in their eye drops. The app keeps a record of medication usage and informs the patient of the next scheduled dosing time.

EyeDROPS can track multiple eye medications. It also demonstrates the correct way to administer eye drops, stressing the need for keeping the eyelids closed and waiting for proper intervals between drops. Patients can also use EyeDROPS to access a dedicated website for information about glaucoma and for links to other health information sites.

The basic EyeDROPS app is free and currently available for Android and iPhone users.

A premium version is planned for both Android and iPhone devices that, for a nominal charge, will offer additional features.

The EyeDROPS app is available for Android phones through Google Play, and for the Apple iPhone through the App Store.