Image of Sodium hyaluronate eye drop
(Credit: Daewoo Pharm)
In South Korea, eye drops are affordable thanks to health insurance. However, on September 6th, the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service in Korea (HIRA) reported that they are going to limit insurance on sodium hyaluronate eye drops which will lead to price increases of eye drops. Sodium hyaluronate can be categorized as an “ethical drug” depending on the concentration of each product, which requires a doctor’s prescription to purchase.
After the first report from the HIRA, the rumored increase in price was expected to be up to 10 times. To clarify these speculations, on October 17th, the HIRA released a report to address the rumored price increases of sodium hyaluronate eye drops. In the report, it is stated that the exact price will be up 2 to 3 times greater than the insured price.
By limiting the extent of insured medical prices in eye drops, the over excessive usage of sodium hyaluronate will reduce. The final decision of the exact insurance coverage and its implementation date will be announced this coming December.
Dry eye is a common condition that typically occurs when there is a lack of tears or when the components of the tear film are unbalanced. The tear film is made of three layers: a lipid (oil) layer, aqueous (water) layer and a mucin (mucus) layer that keeps the eye’s surface clean. A film of tears spreads over the eye every time we blink. Dry eyes occur when we don’t produce enough tears or when tears evaporate too fast.
Typical symptoms of dry eyes are stinging or burning in the eyes, blurred vision, and redness. Eye drops containing the main ingredients of sodium hyaluronate and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) are the most effective for curing eyes with a lack of moisture. Doctors recommend hyaluronic acid-based eye drops because they not only trap tears but also heal scratches on the surface that form as a result of dry eyes. By monitoring the sodium hyaluronate concentration of each patient’s intake and increasing insured prices, some side effects, such as worsening dryness and eye irritation, that follow after excessive usage can be avoided.
Written by Heewon Yang | Staff Writer
Revised by Madison Sailakkham | Managing Editor