DR. JOSEPH DELLO RUSSO

According to an article from the July 2008 issue of Ophthalmology Times, Google has launched a new health site www.google.com/health designed to allow for patients to create pesonal online profiles, import medical records, learn more about health issues, search for doctors and hospitals. The Cleveland Clinic is a partner in this venture.

Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Search Product and User Experience at Google, said that “through our health offering patients will be empowered to manage their own records”.

After a health risk warning from Canadian authorities, Sandoz Canada (Quebec) has recalled its prescription timolol eye drop, regulatory agency Health Canada said on its Web site. The agency has warned consumers not to use Sandoz timolol ophthalmic solution in 0.25% and 0.5% strengths, noting some bottles may contain greater quantities of the active ingredient than is represented on the label. According to a local news report, potential adverse events include red eye, eye irritation, inflammation of the eyelids and/or cornea, drooping of the upper eyelid, double vision, dizziness, headache, abnormally slow heartbeat, abnormally low blood pressure, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and cardiac failure. Health Canada will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the recall being implemented by Sandoz, which plans to send a separate notification to doctors regarding the recall. To date, no adverse events have been recorded in Canada in association with Sandoz timolol, according to the news report.

Editor’s note: Timolol has been the most popular drop for glaucoma for about 30 years. This notice does not state whether this alert restricts usage in the US. It will certainly be available again, since a simple adjustment of the concentration would seem easy to correct.