I’ve been prescribed a dry eye drug.

Now what?

MyDryEyeRx offers information, insights and community wisdom about trying dry eye drugs.

My copay is too high.

Troubleshooting insurance coverage for dry eye drugs

Find out WHY the cost is so high.

Sticker shock is a common complaint in the dry eye patient community, regardless of insurance type. Among other reasons, most dry eye drugs are new and have no generics.

If you have been quoted an impossibly high price for a dry eye drug, don’t give up too quickly. It may not be your “real” copay. See the whole picture.

Six insurance factors that determine what you pay at the pharmacy

  • A formulary is a list of prescription drugs that are covered by a health insurance plan.

    Formularies often have at least three drug tiers. These tiers include generics and brand-name drugs, each typically separated into “preferred” and “non-preferred” categories based on their cost. There may be additional tiers such as specialty drugs.

    Most dry eye drugs are in a high brand name drug tier because they are new and patent-protected(1). One has generics available (since 2022) but the generics are also still expensive, so they may be on the highest generic tier in your insurer’s formulary.

    If your drug is not on your insurer’s formulary, you still have options:

    • Your doctor can prescribe a similar drug (if there is one) that is on your insurer’s formulary.

    • You or your provider can request a formulary exception. Your provider will need to submit a supporting statement indicating that the drug prescribed is medically necessary.

    • If the request is denied, there should also be an appeal process that you can pursue with your doctor’s support.

    Click here for more information on Medicare exceptions, appeals and grievances.

    If your drug IS on your insurer’s formulary but is non-preferred or higher tier (meaning the cost to you is higher):

    • You can request a tiering exception in order to have the drug covered at a lower out-of-pocket cost.

    For all exception requests, contact your insurer to find out the specific process, documentation needs and deadlines, as well as any appeal process.

    (1) Of the eight FDA-approved dry eye drugs (as of 11/2025), seven were approved in 2016 or later and are patent protected. The next dry eye drug to become available as a generic will likely not be until 2030 or later.

  • Your “best case” copay looks like this:

    Your plan should state the copay amount (e.g. $5.00, $45.00, etc) or the coinsurance percentage (e.g. 50%) for each drug tier.

    There may be some additional factors that affect final cost - for example, it may be more expensive if you purchase from an out of network provider, or there may be a small discount for using mail-order.

    We call this a “best case” copay because it may be subject to deductible requirements or other eligibility requirements (see below).

  • Step therapy is a procedural requirement that insurance companies commonly use to save money. It means that when there is more than one drug available for the same condition, they may require you to try less expensive medications or generics before they will cover a more expensive medication.

    Step therapy is common for dry eye drugs because there are now 8 FDA-approved prescription drugs for Dry Eye Disease (as of Nov. 2025) and only one of them has generic options,

    Check your plan or contact your insurer to learn about any step therapy requirements for dry eye disease.

    Having to complete step therapy is not necessarily a bad thing if it leads to giving a different but potentially helpful drug a fair trial.

    However it is also possible to file an exception request (with your doctor’s support), for example, if there is a compelling reason to not use the step therapy drug. You can request an expedited decision. There will also be an appeal process if this request is denied.

  • Prior authorization is a common procedural requirement used by insurers to save money. It requires the doctor to obtain approval from the insurer before they will provide coverage for the medication.

    How it works:

    • The pharmacist or your doctor may contact the insurance company to provide information explaining why the medication is needed.

    • Standard requests take 1-3 days to be processed.

    • Denials can be appealed.

    Prior authorization results may be unpredictable and may cause delays and confusion. For example, if the insurer’s specific requirements are not known, the doctor’s request may be rejected and have to be resubmitted. Even prescriptions that were initially authorized may trigger new authorization requirements when you refill the prescription.

    If you are quoted full price for a drug, it may be because of a prior authorization failure. Don’t give up - talk to your pharmacist and reach out to your eye care provider if necessary.

  • If your insurance plan has a deductible that applies to prescription drugs, you will be required to pay the full cost of each drug until you meet the deductible. Your deductible might apply only to certain drug tiers.

    Your insurance plan may have a separate deductible specifically for prescription drugs (usually not very high), or a single combined deductible for both healthcare services and drugs.

  • An out-of-pocket maximum is a limit on how much you can be required to pay for drugs in a calendar year.

    This is an important consideration in looking at the big picture of your total potential cost for a drug in the year, and also for considering the timing of when to start a new dry eye drug, in general and in relation to other healthcare costs you expect to incur.

Insurance plans vary greatly. The information above focuses on policies and practices that are common to most insurers, and may not account for every possibility. Please contact your insurer for details.

Is your copay too high?

Check items 1-6 for issues that you can address.

The table above can help you determine where you stand in relation to your “best case” copay and what it might take to get there. Is step therapy required before the prescribed drug will be covered? Have you met your deductible? Or could you call the pharmacist or insurer to troubleshoot a failed prior authorization?

Unfortunately, for some individuals, either the drug isn’t covered at all, or the “best case” copay is not affordable. If that describes your situation, keep reading.

Is your copay still too high?

Check for manufacturer support.

Drug manufacturers offer programs that include:

  • copay cards (sorry, not available for Medicare patients)

  • cashpay prices and “buydowns” (often available for the first fill only, however)

  • income-based patient assistance programs

Learn more about manufacturer support

Is your copay still too high?

Talk to your eye care provider about alternatives.

If you have determined that you cannot pay your share of the dry eye drug that your provider has prescribed, it’s time to go back and discuss other treatment options. This might mean considering other dry eye drugs or other treatment types, both of which may require some more homework on your part about insurance coverage.

If the main reason your provider prescribed a dry eye drug was for symptomatic relief rather than clinical concerns, you can also look to self-care options and perhaps do a deeper dive to find more effective over-the-counter treatments. See the Self Care section and Product Guide in the Dry Eye Zone Patient Guidebook.

Do you have exceptional circumstances? (And plenty of motivation?)

Fight for better coverage, change plans, or change insurers

Exceptions and appeals

If your eye care provider believes you should be using a specific drug, yet despite best efforts the copay is too high, you can request policy exceptions from your insurer, such as. a tier exception or a step therapy exception. If your doctor’s prior authorization request was refused, or your exception request was refused, you can appeal. All these things take doctor time, which is at a premium, so you may need to be the one taking the initiative and even finding resources to make the process more efficient for your provider. Contact your insurer about the requirements. Some drug manufacturers have helpful forms that can save your doctor time.

Is it time to consider a new plan or new insurer?

If this is your first experience with a disease that requires new and costly drugs for ongoing treatment, this may be a new need that does not align with your current insurance. Some dry eye patients do change their plan or their insurer in order to improve their access to needed treatments.

The importance of self-advocacy

You are your own best advocate.

Make the investment to understand your insurance policy. It’s the most important first step towards ensuring you get the best possible coverage for your dry eye drug(s).

Work your way through the six questions above, and contact people on the following list when you have questions.

People who can help

  • Your pharmacist may play an important role in helping you understand insurance terms and policies, and in troubleshooting coverage issues. However, their specialized knowledge about dry eye drug coverage issues may vary.

    In the dry eye drug world, online pharmacies (BlinkRx, PhilRx) may be more knowledgeable and helpful in some cases.

  • Here are some things you may need to contact your insurance company for:

    • To learn which dry eye drugs are on their formulary, and if so, which tier they are in;

    • To learn how much coverage and co-pays apply to the applicable drug tier;

    • To learn your plan’s deductible policy, how it affects prescription drug payments, and whether you have met your deductible;

    • To troubleshoot delays or information gaps in prior authorization approvals or step therapy requirements;

    • To obtain forms and instructions for submitting exception requests or appealing decisions.

  • Drug manufacturers are motivated to help you navigate barriers to accessing products, to the extent allowed by law.

    The manufacturer of the drug you have been prescribed may be able to provide some or all of the following:

    • General information on insurance coverage (including Medicare Part D) for their drug

    • Online pharmacy information relevant to their drug

    • Copay cards to reduce your out of pocket cost

    • Information on cashpay programs

    • Information on any income-based patient assistance programs

  • While your eye care provider is generally not your primary point of contact about insurance matters, you may need their assistance in scenarios such as the following:

    • Prior authorization: Your eye care provider or their staff will have to provide information to the insurer. The process may be initiated either by the pharmacist or your provider.

    • Exception requests and appeals: If you request an exception to any insurance policies or decisions, such as formulary exceptions or step therapy exceptions, you will need your doctor’s help.

    • More treatment options: If after exploring all options for reducing your out of pocket cost, you determine that you cannot afford the treatment your doctor prescribed, you will need their advice on other treatment options.

    Insurance barriers impose significant administrative burdens on doctors, to the point where it is reportedly contributing to physician burnout and affecting patient care.

    This is one of the reasons why it is important for us to do our homework and use all available resources to educate ourselves about insurance requirements.

  • If your health insurance is provided by your employer, their HR staff may be able to offer assistance and support with understanding the policy and troubleshooting treatment access.

I‘m not insured.

Navigating dry eye drugs without prescription drug coverage

Ideas & tips if you are uninsured

  • This is a “maybe; worth investigating”.

    Currently, only one dry eye drug has generic options. This will probably not change until at least 2030. Even the existing generic options are still so new that they are relatively expensive.

    It is also important to be aware that not all generics are equal. Differences in inactive ingredients may lead to some being better tolerated than others.

    If you have been prescribed a dry eye drug that you cannot afford, you can ask your provider if a dry eye drug available as generic could be helpful, even if it’s not their first choice. If so, as about their experience with the generics versus the brand name.

  • Many manufacturers have a cash price for uninsured patients.

    Click here for more information.

    You can also ask your pharmacist, however, be aware that companies with online pharmacy partnerships may have better options that your pharmacist may not know.

    Be aware that some cashpay or “buydown” options may only apply to the first fill.

  • Some manufacturers have income-based assistance programs to provide low-cost or no-cost medications.

    Click here for more information.

  • If you are uninsured and cannot afford a prescribed treatment, it’s time to talk with your doctor about treatment alternatives.

    Most doctors are understanding of the need for treatments to be affordable and may be able to offer alternatives, even if they aren’t their first choice for you.

    If your doctor has prescribed or recommended a treatment that you cannot afford, do not hesitate to explain your constraints and request other options.

  • Dry eye drugs are designed to help with both the clinical signs (what your doctor sees) and the symptoms (how your eyes feel and look and how that affects your life).

    For addressing clinical signs of disease, you need your doctor’s guidance and may need some kind of therapy, even if it isn’t the drug they originally prescribed.

    But for symptom management needs, there are many self-care steps you can take at little or no cost to improve your comfort and quality of life.

    Explore the Dry Eye Zone Patient Guidebook’s section on Self Care, and the Product Guide.

I haven’t started my Rx yet because….

Navigating information gaps and worries

Common hesitations:

  • Some of us find it difficult to try new treatments. You may feel skeptical about your “best case” potential with a treatment for any number of reasons, including:

    • your past experiences with other treatments,

    • social media comments,

    • anxiety or depression resulting from persistent unrelieved symptoms, or even

    • (for the scientifically minded) the clinical trial results for the specific drug

    The potential usefulness of a dry eye drug for you is a complicated matter, for sure, but you can’t make progress without trying things.

    Scroll down to “What’s a fair trial?” to learn new skills for trying new dry eye treatments..

  • Are you worried about side effects?

    This is a reasonable question. For most of us, the primary reason we’re seeking treatment is that we want our eyes to feel better. So, it is not intuitive to us that a dry eye treatment might make our eyes feel worse, even if briefly. Yet, for drugs that are meant to increase tear production, side effects including some form of “ocular discomfort” are not uncommon.

    All dry eye drugs have potential side effects that were reported in their original clinical trials. It’s important to be aware of the potential, but it’s also important to remember that only some patients experience these things. Don’t assume you will.

    A simple way to access objective information about a drug’s potential side effects is to look the drug up on DailyMed.

    • Check the “Contraindications” section for warnings about who should not use the drug.

    • Under “Adverse Reactions”, there is information from the original clinical trials; depending how long the drug has been on the market, there may also be additional information on adverse reactions people have experienced since it became commercially available.

    Talk with your eye doctor about your concerns if at all possible, even if it means waiting till the next appointment. They have probably prescribed this drug to many patients and will be able to share their observations of how common the side effects are amongst their patients.

    Avoid depending on social media for information about drug side effects. No one else’s experience can predict what your experience will be. Some prescription eye drops have developed a reputation for unpleasant side effects, but the reality is that no side effects are universal.

  • Most dry eye drugs are used for months or years (not days or weeks)

    With the exception of corticosteroids, dry eye drugs are designed to be used continuously, not just for a short course, because they are there to help support tear production or help compensate for the lack of it in some way.

    But… horses before carts: You will only keep using it if it works, right?

    There is no point contemplating the distant future before you even know whether a drug will work for you and whether you will tolerate it sufficiently.

    Once you have figured that out, you will always still have choices.

    If your doctor is seeing improved corneal surface health, and/or if you are experiencing improved symptoms, you may choose to use it long term. If otherwise, you may not. These are future conversations to have with your provider.

    Were you told “forever”?

    If so, try not to take it to heart.

    The “forever” word is a common sticking point for dry eye patients. It may force you to confront, in an unwelcome new way, the question of whether you have a temporary problem or a so-called “chronic” disease. Don’t cross that bridge till you’re ready - just set it to one side.

    Your eye care provider may use the “forever” word to signal that you have a disease requiring long term medical management. But if you’re very symptomatic (uncomfortable!), you might hear that as “I’m going to FEEL like this forever.” That’s not what they usually mean and not generally true. In the dry eye world, disease and symptoms are two different things. Here’s a video that explains more about this.

  • This is a great question to ask before starting a new dry eye drug.

    Most dry eye drugs are intended to be taken continuously, not just for a few weeks, so understanding the cost and your insurance coverage is a key part of ensuring that you will be able to (a) complete a proper trial period, and (b) continue using it if it works and continues to be medically necessary.

    In order to avoid a future letdown, it is advisable to fully understand the costs before starting. Some manufacturer incentives are short-lived. If it is clear that you cannot afford this drug even in a best-case scenario, you may want to discuss alternatives with your doctor.

What’s a fair trial?

Goals, yardsticks, mindset and support

Six steps for trying a new dry eye drug

Following these suggestions can help you feel more confident about the process and the decisions that lie ahead.

  • “Dry Eye Disease” is like a bucket… it contains many diseases, conditions and symptoms. This gets confusing

    One of the most helpful steps you can take for yourself as a DED patient is to stop using the words “dry eye”, and instead, using the following 

    • Ocular Surface Disease - use this for the purely medical aspects (your doctors observations, diagnoses and test results)

    • Ocular Surface Pain  - use this for the symptom side (eye irritation, burning, foreign body sensation, pain, itching, light sensitivity and many more)

    Keeping these two things separate by using the terms OSD and OSP instead of “dry eye” can help you

    • communicate more clearly with your doctor about your needs and priorities for treatment,

    • adopt clearer expectations for new treatments, and

    • feel more confident about your choice to continue or discontinue a treatment.

    Want to learn more?

    WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7DsrbjeuwM

    READ: See pages 19-25 of DEFs Dry Eye Guidebook.

  • There are two completely different kinds of goals for DED treatment.

    First, “clinical” goals (doctor’s yardstick): This means treating Ocular Surface Disease (OSD) to improve and preserve eye health.

    Progress with OSD would mean my ocular surface health has improved, as measured by better test results and clinical findings. My disease is receding or, if chronic, is well managed. My doctor us happy.

    Generally speaking, while I always have a say in my treatment choices, my eye care provider is the one who sets the clinical goals and decides whether I’m achieving those goals.

    Second, “symptom” goals (my yardstick): This means relieving Ocular Surface Pain (OSP) or other symptoms, feeling better and restoring quality of life.

    Progress with OSP means I feel less discomfort, my symptoms have less impact on my life, and I don’t think about my eyes as often. (For some of us, improved vision quality or improved appearance may also be high priority items.)

    I am the expert in my symptoms. I am the only one who can decide what improvement looks like.

    Choosing specific goals for symptom improvement is helpful. When we’re just trying to get “better”, it’s hard sometimes to know if we’re improving. The improvements may be small, and day to day fluctuations may make it hard to detect trends. 

    Here are some examples of goals that might help someone gauge whether they’re making progress.

    • Reduce OSDI score by 10 points

    • Reduce SPEED score by 5 points

    • Reduce Pain Scale score by 3 points

    • Be able to get through a day without thinking about my eyes (if you’re constantly aware of your eyes)

    • Be able to go outside at least once every day (if you’re housebound by symptoms)

    • Be able to use a computer for up to 6 hours a day without pain (if you’re struggling at work)

    • Be able to drive more than 10 miles (if eye discomfort, light sensitivity or blurry vision from dryness are restricting your driving)

    • See a 50% improvement to my eye/eyelid redness.

    • Feel that my vision is satisfactory at least half of the day (if vision quality from dryness is a key complaint)

    What would a win look like for YOU?

  • Here are some suggested questions that might help you and your eye doctor synchronize expectations before you start a new treatment:

    • In a “best case scenario”, what do you hope this treatment will do for me medically?

    • In a “best case scenario”, what do you hope this treatment will do for my symptoms? (Make sure you’ve shared your specific symptoms.)

    • What should I expect in the first two weeks?

    • How long do you feel is a reasonable trial period for this treatment in my case?

    Of course, appointments are often short and it may feel like you don’t have time to ask all your questions. Preparing well before the appointment and sending follow-up questions through the portal may help.

  • If you are going to make the financial and emotional investment in a new treatment at all, give it your all. Plan in advance to continue till your next follow-up appointment, barring unforeseen complications.

    If, ultimately, you feel you have to stop a new treatment before a follow-up appointment due to unpleasant side effects or new concerns, communicate that to your doctor’s office so they can put it in your chart and, if needed, change the follow-up appointment date.

    When follow-up appointment time comes, here are some questions that might help you and your doctor discuss whether to continue a treatment, depending on the circumstances:

    • Medically-speaking, have my eyes improved since I started this treatment?

    • I am experiencing symptom improvement, but not a lot. Based on your experience should I continue anyway? If so, how long?

    • I am not experiencing symptom improvement. Is there any medical reason to continue this treatment anyway?

    • I am experiencing significant side effects (explain). Is there any real argument for continuing?

  • Ideally, you would start only one new treatment at a time and make no other changes to your eye care routine during your trial period. Under these conditions, you and your doctor can be reasonably confident about the effects of the treatment.

    This is not always possible, of course, but there are still steps you can take to help prevent confusion about what is helping.

    If you are starting two or more treatments (prescription drugs or device treatments) and each is designed to be continued or repeated over the long term, make sure to discuss with your doctor how you will determine for each one whether it should be continued.

    Avoid making any significant changes to your ordinary home eye care routine, such as changing over-the-counter lubricants or adding new eyelid care steps or products.

  • Trying new dry eye treatments can be very stressful. The more things you have tried, the harder it may be to believe that something will help, or help enough to be worth it.

    You don’t need to go through this alone. If you do not feel you have adequate personal support for this, DEF is here to help. Join a Zoom Group meeting and share about where you’re at, or reach out to the Dry Eye Helpline.

I’ve started… Now I have new questions.

Troubleshooting the first days and weeks

What if…

  • STINGING, BURNING or IRRITATION

    It should be temporary. It is not uncommon to experience temporary stinging or burning from some dry eye drugs. Not everyone experiences this.

    It may be preventable. You can try using a lubricant eye drop 10-15 minutes beforehand (or per your doctor’s recommendation).

    It may not be consistent, so don’t be too quick to judge. Some people experience this kind of reaction when first starting a drug but find that it disappears over time.

    Prolonged, intense burning (including delayed onset burning) is NOT normal. Report this to your doctor. This is a reasonable cause to discontinue your trial.

    BAD TASTE

    Some people experience a bad taste from certain eye drops because the excess drops drain through the punctums and nasolacrimal duct into your throat. It may not be immediately noticeable.

    Bad taste from eye drops tends to be less noticeable for people who have punctal plugs or cauterized punctums.

    To minimize drainage to the throat, apply your drops then immediately close your eyes and use your fingers to apply light pressure to the inner corners of your eyes for one to two minutes. Ask your doctor to demonstrate this if you are unsure how.

  • If you are experiencing unusual or prolonged redness, swelling, itching, pain or blurry vision, or any systemic effects, stop using it right away and contact your provider.

  • Most dry eye drugs come in single use vials which contain plenty to allow for the occasional miss. However, it is possible for a bottle of drops to run out too soon.

    Try applying a smaller drop.

    Your eye surface can only hold a fraction of an eye drop. The excess drains out. Through practice, you may be able to apply a smaller drop.

    There is also a device (Nanodropper) which can help you with this process. It will increase your cost by about $20 per bottle, and it is not compatible with all dry eye drug bottles, but if it prolongs your time been prescription fills it may be worth it.

  • All single-use vials are intended to be “use it and toss it” due to the contamination risk of keeping open vials. Keeping vials open risks dripping bacteria on your eyes. We recommend patients never keep vials open beyond the first day.

  • When in doubt, follow the instructions on the label. You can also ask your eye care provider or pharmacist.

    Refrigerated eye drops are very soothing, but if a prescription drug manufacturer’s instructions do not include refrigeration, you may want to limit that to over-the-counter eye drops.

  • Taking prescription eye drops can be surprisingly challenging, especially if:

    • You are taking multiple prescription eye medications, such as other dry eye drugs and serum tears

    • You need prescription eye drops for other purposes, such as glaucoma

    • You use over-the-counter eye drops regularly

    • You wear scleral lenses or bandage contact lenses (or any contact lens), since they have to be removed before you can apply drops

    American Academy of Ophthalmology advises waiting 3 to 5 minutes between eye drop applications if you need more than one type.

    There are several reminder apps that let you create an eye drop schedule. This may be helpful to work out what order to take things in and when.

    If you’re struggling with the practicality of taking all your prescribed eye drops, make sure your provider knows in case they can help by modifying your instructions.

Is it helping? Should I continue?

Navigating complex decisions thoughtfully

Insights from community experiences

  • Setting the bar too high

    Are you looking at every new treatment as a potential “fix”, then deciding “it doesn’t work” if it fails to completely turn things around for you? Sometimes improvement is incremental. Sometimes it is a specific combination of treatments and lifestyle adaptations that get us to our goals. Sometimes we need to modify our goals.

  • Setting the bar too low

    Some of us are on a nonstop treatment merry-go-round. We continue to start new treatments. Anything that does not cause us new side effects gets added to our routine, even if it is not producing measurable benefits. We may need to set a higher bar for continuing a treatment.

  • Giving up too soon

    For some treatments, it is normal for improvement to not be immediate. If your symptoms fluctuate a lot (often the case), small improvements can be hard to detect. Patience and consistency may be very important factors in your success. Partnering well with our doctors and getting personal support can help us reshape expectations of quick relief.

  • Fear of starting

    Have your expectations hit rock bottom? Some of us get so beaten down by persistent symptoms and unsuccessful past treatments that we are afraid to try again. We may fear the letdown factor so much that we no longer try anything new. Remember to consider the possibility that a treatment may be unexpectedly helpful. It happens!

  • Hanging on too long

    People who have been through an exceptionally difficult (and maybe dark) period of uncontrolled symptoms often feel painfully vulnerable to the possibility of ‘relapse’. They may resist stopping a treatment even if there is no evidence that it helps them. Developing a ‘toolkit’ of non-medical symptom management strategies can help reduce this anxiety.

  • The multiple treatments trap

    Starting multiple treatments at the same time - no matter what type of treatments - can make it difficult to determine what is helping. Rather than adding yet another treatment, consider increasing your non-medical symptom relief strategies (such as moisture chamber glasses) till you have completed a full trial period on one treatment.

  • "Binary thinking"

    Have you mentally divided all treatments into two piles - the ones that work and the ones that don’t? The reality is often more nuanced. You may benefit from thinking in terms of whether a treatment will get you 50% closer to your goal, for example.

  • The Facebook group effect

    Social media groups are important to the patient community for connection, support and information. But they can also be echo chambers that create grossly exaggerated impressions for or against particular treatments. Seeing these treatments discussed over and over may create unconscious bias for or against a treatment.

  • Fear of "chronic" disease

    Many people with dry eye disease, depending on their causes and specific diagnoses, may be struggling with the possibility that they have a chronic disease. Wrestling with complex “acceptance” questions may, for a time, interfere with making good medical decisions. As time goes on, you will find it easier to navigate these decisions..

  • That was then, this is now

    Perhaps you have inadvertently dismissed a treatment or even an entire category of treatments based on a single past experience. But timing matters, and context and details matter. Don’t rule out the possibility that your eyes may react differently to a treatment now than they did in the past. Even a drug you once thought “doesn’t work” might have potential in your future.

  • Confounding factors and confusion

    Maybe you are trying a new treatment, or maybe an existing treatment that has worked consistently till now suddenly stops. Remember to step back and look at the big picture. What else might be affecting your eyes? Check pages 24-25 of the Dry Eye Zone Patient Guidebook for ideas about additional puzzle pieces. Keep your PCP and other health care providers in the loop too.

  • The trust factor

    Some of us have been through a lot and seen many providers while continuing to worsen. This can erode our capacity to trust, to settle with a provider and to partner effectively with them on any new treatment. We may need to get back to the basics of building a good relationship with a provider so that they will be better able to help us navigate new treatments.

  • Bias, placebo effect and nocebo effect

    Many things can bias us for or against a treatment. These biases can literally cause us to experience improvement or worsening of symptoms as a result of unconscious beliefs and expectations. The placebo effect can be a good thing - if we feel better, we feel better! On the other hand, persistent negative associations that have a nocebo effect might cause us to miss out on potential treatment benefits.

My Dry Eye Rx: Dry Eye Happy Hour Webinar

Streamed November 11, 2025 with Kaleb Abbott OD, Joseph Allen OD, Laura Periman MD. Moderated by Rebecca Petris.

Thank you, Viatris!

All content on this page was developed by Dry Eye Foundation.

Viatris, Inc. provided a charitable contribution to DEF to enable us to pursue this project. They were not involved in content development. We are truly grateful for their partnership.