FDA-label comparison · Updated September 2026

Vuity vs Qlosi vs VIZZ vs Yuvezzi: Presbyopia Eye Drops Compared

Updated September 4, 2026 · Educational content, not medical advice

Four prescription drops are now approved in the U.S. to treat presbyopia. This comparison puts their labels side by side so you can walk into an eye-care appointment knowing what each one does, how long it lasts, and what it costs.

Side by side

Everything in this table comes from each product's current U.S. prescribing information (FDA label), linked in the last row. Percentages are from each product's own trials and should not be compared across products as if they were tested head to head; see the note below the table.

How presbyopia drops work

Presbyopia is the eye's lens stiffening with age until it can no longer round up to focus on near objects. None of these drops changes the lens. All four are miotics: they constrict the pupil, and a smaller pupil admits only the central, well-focused rays of light, so near objects look sharper. It is the same reason squinting or a pinhole helps. The effect is temporary, ends as the pupil returns to normal, and comes with a predictable cost: less light reaches the retina, so dim rooms look dimmer and night driving needs care.

The ingredients differ in how they achieve that. Pilocarpine (Vuity, Qlosi) and carbachol (Yuvezzi) are cholinergic agonists that also make the focusing muscle contract, which is one source of headache and brow ache. Aceclidine (VIZZ) is described by its maker as more pupil-selective, aiming for a small pupil with less effect on the focusing muscle. Yuvezzi adds brimonidine, which helps keep the pupil from re-dilating in dim light and counters redness.

The practical differences

How long they last

VIZZ has the longest labeled duration at about 10 hours from a single once-daily dose. Qlosi reaches about 8 hours with its optional second dose. Yuvezzi's trials measured improvement through 8 hours. Vuity's trials measured effect through hour 6 per dose, and the label allows a second dose 3 to 6 hours later to cover more of the day.

How they are dosed

Yuvezzi is the simplest: one drop, once a day. VIZZ is one drop, then a second drop two minutes later, once a day. Vuity and Qlosi are one drop with an optional second dose later in the day, which is useful if you only need near vision for part of the day, and Qlosi is labeled for as-needed use.

Side effects

Headache and eye irritation on instillation show up across all four. Dim vision is called out most prominently for VIZZ (16% in its trials), and every label warns about reduced vision in low light and caution with night driving. Preservative-free vials (Qlosi, VIZZ, Yuvezzi) may suit people with sensitive or dry eyes better than a preserved multi-dose bottle, though that has not been tested head to head.

Price and coverage

Insurance rarely covers presbyopia drops, so most people pay cash. As of September 2026, reported U.S. cash prices run from roughly $25 to $30 a month for generic pilocarpine 1.25% with a discount card, to about $80 a month for Qlosi or VIZZ through manufacturer or discount programs; Yuvezzi pricing was still settling after its launch. Prices change, and pharmacies vary, so check a current discount-card price and the manufacturer's savings program before deciding.

Availability outside the United States

As of September 2026 none of the four has approval in the European Union or the United Kingdom, and VIZZ was beginning launches in Australia and New Zealand. Availability elsewhere varies by country and can change quickly.

Warnings that apply to all of them

• Blurred or dim vision: problems changing focus between near and far can occur. Do not drive or use machinery if vision is not clear, and take care with night driving and hazardous activities in poor light.
• Retinal tear or detachment: rare cases have been reported with miotics, particularly in people with existing retinal disease. Every label advises a retinal examination before starting. Seek immediate care for sudden flashes of light, floaters, or vision loss.
• Iritis: miotics can worsen inflammation inside the eye; these drops are not recommended when iritis is present.
• Contact lenses: remove them before the drop and wait 10 minutes before putting them back in.
• Other eye drops: space them at least 5 minutes apart.
• Yuvezzi specifically: because of brimonidine, the label advises caution in people with depression, cerebral or coronary insufficiency, Raynaud's phenomenon, orthostatic hypotension, or thromboangiitis obliterans.

The side-effects and warnings guide goes through each label's warning section in more detail.

Who tends to be a good candidate, and who is not

The trials enrolled adults, mostly in their forties and fifties, with early to moderate presbyopia. Pinhole optics help most when the lens still has some focusing ability left, so people with advanced presbyopia or strong reading additions typically get less benefit. Someone who drives at night for a living, has a history of retinal problems, or already struggles in dim light has more reasons to be cautious. None of that is a decision you can make from a website; it is what the eye exam before a prescription is for.

Questions to bring to your eye-care professional

1. Does my retinal, refractive, surgical, inflammatory, or glaucoma history change the risk for me?
2. Given how long I need near vision each day, which dosing pattern fits: one dose, an optional second dose, or as-needed?
3. How will it affect my night driving and low-light work, and can I trial it on a day when that does not matter?
4. Do I wear contact lenses, and how should I time the drop?
5. What would it cost me, and is there a savings program or a generic that makes sense?
6. Which symptoms mean stop the drop, and which mean urgent care?

The appointment discussion guide turns these into a printable checklist.

Drops, glasses, and vision training are different things

Drops and glasses change what reaches the retina. Get Visionary does something narrower and different: it offers guided practice for the visual processing skills reading relies on, such as detecting faint contrast and recognizing crowded letters, informed by perceptual-learning research. It is a wellness app, not a medicine or a medical device. It does not replace drops, glasses, or an eye exam, and it does not change the lens. The two approaches are not in competition, and the drops versus training explainer lays out where each one fits.