Ocupress

Ocupress is a prescription eye medication used for treating high eye pressure and open angle glaucoma. It works to lower eye pressure by decreasing the amount of fluid produced by the eye. The medicine comes in the form of an eye drop that is generally applied to the affected eye twice a day. Potential side effects include watery eyes, temporary eye irritation, and eye redness.

Ocupress Drug Information

What Is Ocupress?

Ocupress^® (carteolol hydrochloride) is a prescription eye drop. It is approved to treat chronic open angle glaucoma and high eye pressure (ocular hypertension).

(Click Ocupress Uses for more information, including possible off-label uses.)

Who Makes This Medication?

Brand-name Ocupress is manufactured by CIBA Vision Sterile Mfg. for Novartis Ophthalmics. Generic versions are made by a few different manufacturers.

How Does Ocupress Work?

Ocupress belongs to a group of drugs called beta-adrenergic blocking agents (known as beta blockers, for short). As the name implies, these medications block beta receptors in the body. Beta receptors are located in a number of places within the body, including the eyes. Ocupress lowers the eye pressure by decreasing the amount of fluid produced by the eye (known as aqueous humor).

When and How to Take It

General considerations include the following:

This medication comes in the form of an eye drop. It is applied to the affected eye(s) twice daily.
Soft contact lenses can absorb the preservative in these eye drops. In order to avoid this problem, you must remove your lenses before using Ocupress and wait at least 15 minutes before reinserting them.
In order to prevent contamination of the drops, do not touch the tip of the dropper to any surface, including the surface of the eye or the skin.
For the medication to work properly, it must be taken as directed.

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