Key Takeaways at a Glance
- 100% Biocompatible: Created from your own purified blood serum, eliminating allergic risks and stinging.
- Biological Healing: Rich in Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), Vitamin A, Fibronectin, and Albumin that artificial tears cannot mimic.
- Sterile Compounding: Prepared in Ricker Pharmacy's USP <797> cleanroom to ensure absolute sterility and optimal concentration.
The Limits of Conventional Artificial Tears
Millions of Americans suffer from chronic Dry Eye Disease (DED), experiencing persistent gritty sensations, burning, blurred vision, and light sensitivity. For many patients, over-the-counter lubricating eye drops only offer temporary, superficial moisture.
Commercial artificial tears lack essential biochemical components found in natural human tears. Furthermore, frequent use of preservative-laden eye drops can cause corneal toxicity, leading to epithelial damage and worsened ocular inflammation over time.
What Are Autologous Serum Eye Drops (ASED)?
Autologous Serum Eye Drops (ASED) are custom-formulated ophthalmic drops made directly from a patient’s own blood serum. Because blood serum and natural tears share nearly identical biochemical properties, pH, and osmolarity, ASED represents the closest biological substitute to healthy tears.
Biological Growth Factors: How Serum Heals the Eye
Human serum contains a potent mixture of biologically active elements essential for ocular surface maintenance and epithelial cell regeneration:
How Ricker Pharmacy Prepares Your Serum Drops
- Convenient Blood Draw: A simple blood sample is drawn from the patient via our streamlined on-site or partnered lab protocol.
- Clotting & Centrifugation: The blood is allowed to clot naturally before being spun in a medical-grade centrifuge to cleanly isolate the clear serum from red blood cells.
- Sterile Dilution: In our certified ISO Class 5 laminar airflow hood, our pharmacists dilute the serum (commonly 20%, 30%, 40%, or 50% concentration) with sterile, preservative-free saline.
- Unit Packaging & Freezing: The solution is divided into UV-shielded amber dropper vials and frozen immediately to preserve growth factor stability for up to 6 months.
At Ricker Pharmacy, the preparation of autologous serum drops is carried out with meticulous adherence to sterile compounding standards:
"When conventional therapies fail, autologous serum drops offer patients real, physiological recovery. Because the medication is derived entirely from their own body, tolerance is virtually 100%."
— TJ Patel, RPh, Senior Pharmacist at Ricker Pharmacy
Who Is an Ideal Candidate for ASED?
Ophthalmologists and corneal specialists frequently prescribe Autologous Serum Eye Drops for patients with:
- Severe Dry Eye Syndrome (Aqueous-Deficient or Evaporative) resistant to artificial tears and punctal plugs.
- Sjögren’s Syndrome & Autoimmune Ocular Disease causing chronic severe tear deficiency.
- Persistent Epithelial Defects (PED) and recurrent corneal erosions.
- Neurotrophic Keratopathy with impaired corneal sensation.
- Post-LASIK or Post-Corneal Transplant delayed healing.
