Since launching in May 2023, the Preservative Freedom Coalition (PFC) has established itself in raising awareness of unmet needs in ocular surface disease (OSD) and supporting eye care professionals (ECPs) in choosing preservative-free topical ophthalmic medications.
Glance President Jackie Garlich, OD, FAAO spoke with Théa’s Mario Nacinovich, vice president of marketing, on the coalition's launch and upcoming initiatives.
Give me the rundown on the founders of this coalition.
Théa Pharma Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of the Europe-based Laboratoires Théa, is serving as the catalyst of PFC, which also includes the following companies and organizations as core founding members:
- The Glaucoma Foundation
- The Intrepid Eye Society
- Dry Eye University
- National Medical Association Ophthalmology Section
- Real World Ophthalmology (RWO)
Watch Théa’s Mario Nacinovich, vice president of marketing, speak with Glance President Jackie Garlich, OD, FAAO, on this.
And what unites members?
According to Théa Pharma President Susan Benton: a common goal.
“The (PFC) is composed of stakeholders from across the industry who share a common goal of improving patient outcomes and ensuring access to safe and effective preservative-free treatment options,” she stated.
Why preservative-free?
Per Théa, prolonged use of preservatives—commonly used in prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) eye drops—can lead to negative effects on the ocular surface and anatomical structures of the eye, potentially leading to immediate acute signs and symptoms.
Gotcha … now talk about these goals.
The coalition is zeroing in on three key areas:
- Awareness
- Targeting patients and ECPs in the healthcare industry on the benefits of preservative-free use.
- Availability
- Identifying and addressing challenges to widely-available distribution and promote fair/equitable access
- Advocacy
- Supporting and promoting policies in favor of a preservative-free dominant market—leading to more favorable regulatory and reimbursement environment
Any upcoming initiatives I should know about?
Funny you should ask … Nacinovich spoke with Dr. Garlich regarding two major developments in the works. Watch below.
Take home.
Nacinovich emphasized the importance for ECPs to base therapeutic treatment recommendations on the specific needs of a patient for their current or long-term conditions (while managing expectations).
“Your patients have a lot of choices. And I think if we could all agree on one thing, we all want to choose to be free when possible from some of those long-standing formulations that we know have a benefit if we shift toward preservative-free treatments,” Nacinovich stated.
Watch Dr. Garlich and Nacinovich “say eye” to preservative-free treatment together.
Lastly … where can I go to join the movement and get the latest updates?
Click here to sign up and learn more.