Colour coding for topical ocular medications.

Colour coding for Ophthalmic Preparations  (US Market)

 Colour coding is the systematic, standard application of a colour system to aid in the classification and identification of drug products. A colour coding system allows people to memorize a colour and match it to its function.

American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) endorsed the uniform use of a colour coding system for the caps and labels of topical ocular medications. The AAO worked with the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry to establish a uniform colour coding system for the caps and labels of all topical ocular medications. Specific Pantone colours were assigned to defined classes of ocular drugs according to the nature of the disease being treated, the product’s side effect profile, and the risk of serious sequelae if a product is inadvertently switched with another. No other topical medications should carry the same colour.

The FDA supports the AAO-recommended uniform colour coding system for the caps and labels of all topical ocular medications. In its Guidance for Industry on Container Closure Systems for Packaging Human Drugs and Biologics, the FDA states: “An applicant [manufacturer] should either follow this system or provide adequate justification for any deviations from the system.”

 

Class	Colour	Pantone Number
Anti-infectives	Tan	467
Anti-inflammatories/steroids	Pink	197
Mydriatics and cycloplegics	Red	1797
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories	Gray	4
Miotics	Dark Green	348
Beta-blockers	Yellow	Yellow C
Beta-blocker combinations	Dark Blue	281
Adrenergic agonists	Purple	2583
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors	Orange	1585
Prostaglandin analogues	Turquoise	326