Decades of habituation do not make regulatory policy and should be challenged. In a recent editorial in Ophthalmology titled, “Waste No More,” Wiley A. Chambers, MD, challenges existing institutional policies that require topical ophthalmic medications (eyedrops) to be discarded before the expiration date listed on the bottle.

We see Chambers as a fellow champion for reduced medical waste and increased access to medicine for taking a strong and common sense stance.

As a practicing ophthalmologist for more than 30 years, he argues, “Currently, some institutions have instituted policies and rules that require discarding ophthalmic drug products after a single use, despite the packaging being a multiple-dose container. These policies often lack a scientific basis and contribute to drug shortages that make it difficult for some physicians to obtain these products. I would like to suggest that it is past time to question these internal rules or policies.”

The full version of this editorial originally appeared in Ophthalmology Times. To read the rest of this editorial, visit their website at this link.