Evidence-based understanding of dry eye disease in pharmacy: Overview of the TFOS DEWS II report

Pharmacy is a frequent point of contact for patients with a range of eye conditions. Dry eye is a particularly common condition, with a reported prevalence of between 1 in 20 people and 1 in 3 people[1]. Patients, typically with mild-to-moderate levels of dry eye, will often present to their optometrist or community pharmacist for advice, management and treatment.

A 2016 survey of members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, conducted by The Pharmaceutical Journal, revealed that 57% of community pharmacists (n=227) said that they saw a patient with an eye condition at least once a day; a third said that they saw a patient with a dry eye condition at least once a day; and 80% reported that they saw a patient with a dry eye condition at least once a week[2].

Many patients can be effectively managed through pharmacy without the need for referral to their GP or ophthalmologist. This article aims to provide an overview of the changes to the definitions, diagnosis and treatment of dry eye included in the 2017 report of the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) International Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS)[3], as well as what these changes mean for pharmacists and pharmacy teams.