Glaucoma secondary to drugs, bilateral, stage unspecified

This code signifies elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and optic nerve damage affecting both eyes, directly resulting from the use of a medication. This form of glaucoma is an adverse effect of drug therapy, rather than a primary or congenital condition. The specific stage of the glaucoma (e.g., mild, moderate, severe) has not been determined or documented.

Apply this code when documentation clearly states bilateral glaucoma caused by a systemic or topical drug, and the stage of the disease is not specified. This is appropriate for cases where a causal link between medication use and the development of glaucoma has been established by the physician. Supporting documentation should include the drug implicated and the bilateral nature of the condition.

• Always sequence the drug causing the adverse effect (T36-T50 with a 5th or 6th character of 5) after the glaucoma code.
• Do not use this code if the glaucoma is unilateral; instead, select a laterality-specific code (e.g., H40.61X0 or H40.62X0).
• If the stage of glaucoma is known and documented, select a more specific code from the H40.63 series (e.g., H40.63X1 for mild stage).