Ryjunea Low-Dose Atropine for Myopia: Now Available at The Eye Centre

Atropine is a pharmaceutical eye drop that has been used in ophthalmology for decades. However, extensive global research has recently proven that when formulated at a specific, very low concentration, Atropine eye drops are incredibly effective at slowing the progression of childhood myopia.

In November 2025, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) officially licensed low-dose Atropine specifically for myopia management in the UK, marketed under the trade name Ryjunea. This regulatory milestone was strongly supported by the landmark CHAMP-UK trial, which definitively found that low-dose Atropine successfully and safely slows myopia progression specifically in UK children.

Applied as a single drop of Ryjunea in each eye before bedtime, low-dose Atropine works by relaxing the focusing mechanisms of the eye and altering the biochemical signals that cause the eyeball to stretch and elongate.

While the MHRA has approved this treatment, the College of Optometrists has confirmed that Ryjunea low-dose Atropine for myopia management is not currently available on the NHS. It can only be accessed via a private prescription.

Furthermore, because Ryjunea is a prescription-only medication, it cannot be prescribed by a standard high-street optician.

This is where choosing an Independent Prescribing (IP) Optometrist becomes vital for your child’s care. As an IP-qualified specialist, I hold the advanced medical credentials required to directly write private prescriptions for these newly licensed Ryjunea drops. This ensures your child receives immediate access to the latest medical interventions right here in our Croydon practice.

Ryjunea is a game-changer, but it is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution. At The Eye Centre, we use Atropine in addition to our existing, clinically proven myopia management treatments.

Depending on your child’s specific prescription, lifestyle, and rate of progression, we may recommend using Ryjunea drops:

• As a standalone treatment, paired with no spectacles or standard single-vision glasses for daytime wear.

• As a combination therapy, used alongside specialist interventions like MiYOSMART/MiYOSMART IQ or Imperium spectacle lenses, MiSight soft daily lenses, or EyeDream MC Ortho-K lenses for a compounded, maximum-efficacy approach.

The primary goal of Ryjunea Atropine therapy is to stop the eyeball from physically stretching out of proportion. Standard eye tests—which simply check if the prescription has changed—are not accurate enough to monitor this medical treatment.

To guarantee the eye drops are working, we utilise our state-of-the-art Topcon Myah diagnostic instrument. As a mandatory part of our myopia management programme, we take pinpoint-accurate axial length measurements every 3 months.

By continuously tracking the physical growth of the eye to a fraction of a millimetre, we can confirm the treatment’s success or proactively adjust your child’s clinical plan to ensure their vision remains protected. We also routinely perform Optomap Ultra-Widefield Imaging to monitor the delicate peripheral retina, ensuring absolute peace of mind.