There are provided lubricious ophthalmic solutions having a pH of between about 7.0 and about 8.0, consisting essentially of an aqueous solution of from about 0.5-4% by weight of a monographed polyol, borate calculated as the borate equivalent of 20-100% by weight of boric acid relative to said polyol, from about 0.1 to about 1.00% by weight of monographed polysorbate, a monographed preservative and a buffer. Suitably the polyol is polyvinyl alcohol In addition to polyvinyl alcohol (hereinafter PVA) the solution may include other monographed polymers as well as monographed pharmacologically active substances.