Proparacaine

Proparacaine (Alcaine, Ak-Taine) is a topical anesthetic drug of the amino ester group. It is indicated for use as an ophthalmic anesthetic, to reduce pain and discomfort during procedures involving the eye. Proparacaine is available as its hydrochloride salt in ophthalmic solutions at a concentration of 0.5%. It is believed the drug exerts an effect on voltage gated sodium channels (as an antagonist) to affect the permeability of neuronal membranes; how this inhibits pain sensations and the exact mechanism of action of proparacaine are, however, unknown.