dipivefrine dipivefrine dipivefrine (inn) or dipivefrin (usan), trade name propine among others, is a prodrug of epinephrine, and is used to treat open-angle glaucoma. it is available as a 0.1% ophthalmic solution. it is no longer available in the united states. dipivefrineclinical datatrade namespropine, pivalephrineother namesdipivefrinahfs/drugs.cominternational drug namesmedlineplusa686005routes ofadministrationeye dropsatc codes01ea02 (who) legal statuslegal status in general: ℞ (prescription only) identifiers iupac name 2,2-dimethylpropanoate cas number52365-63-6 ypubchem cid3105iuphar/bps7166drugbankdb00449 ychemspider2994 yunii8q1pvl543gkeggd02349 ychebichebi:4646 ychemblchembl1201262 ncomptox dashboard (epa)dtxsid1048544 chemical and physical dataformulac19h29no5molar mass351.443 g·mol−13d model (jsmol)interactive image smiles o=c(oc1cc(ccc1oc(=o)c(c)(c)c)c(o)cnc)c(c)(c)c inchi inchi=1s/c19h29no5/c1-18(2,3)16(22)24-14-9-8-12(13(21)11-20-7)10-15(14)25-17(23)19(4,5)6/h8-10,13,20-21h,11h2,1-7h3 ykey:ocujllgvoudecm-uhfffaoysa-n y ny (what is this?) (verify) contraindications use in narrow-angle glaucoma may be dangerous because it could make the eye susceptible to an attack of angle closure, causing an increase in pressure and pain, and possibly loss of vision. side effects the most common side effects of dipivefrine are burning, stinging and other irritations of the eye. possible, but uncommon, side effects are those of epinephrine: tachycardia (fast heartbeat), hypertension (high blood pressure) and arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat). pharmacology dipivefrine penetrates the cornea and is then hydrolysed to epinephrine by esterase enzymes. it increases outflow of the aqueous humour and also reduces its formation (mediated by its action on α1 and α2 receptors), thus reducing pressure inside the eye. it also increases the conductivity of trabecular filtering cells (a β2 receptor mediated action). it is preferred to epinephrine because it is longer acting, more consistent in its action and better tolerated.