Many people do not apply eye drops or ointment correctly and therefore do not receive the full benefit of the treatment. Here is a simple process you can describe to your customers to ensure they are using their treatment correctly:

Eye drops

• Check the product is in date.
• Wash your hands before touching the eye and eye drop bottle.
• Position yourself in front of a mirror sitting or standing.
• If administering to a child sit them on a chair or lie them down.
• Remove the lid from the eye drop bottle and check that the dropper has not been damaged or chipped.
• Tilt your head backwards slightly and then gently pull the lower eyelid down to form a pocket.
• Hold the dropper bottle above the pocket being careful not to touch the eye with the dropper.
• Gently squeeze one drop into the pocket.
• Let go of the eye lid and close their eye for as long as possible (2-3 minutes at least). Tilting the head down towards the floor.
• Gently press on the edge of the eye nearest the nose, where the tear ducts are, for one minute. This stops the drops draining away through the tear ducts and into the throat.
• Gently wipe away any drops that fall onto the cheek and repeat in the other eye if the drops are prescribed for both eyes.
• Repeat the process for subsequent drops.
• Customers who are using two different eye drop products at the same time of day should be advised to wait at least five minutes before putting the second drop into the eye to avoid the first drop being diluted or washed away.

Eye ointment

• Check the product is in date.
• Wash your hands before touching the eye and eye ointment tube.
• Position yourself in front of a mirror sitting or standing.
• If administering to a child sit them on a chair or lie them down.
• Remove the lid from the eye ointment and break the seal if using for the first time. Ensuring that the nozzle is clean before use.
• Tilt your head backwards slightly and then gently pull the lower eyelid down to form a pocket.
• Hold the ointment tube upside down near to the eye, taking care not to touch the eye.
• Gently squeeze the tube to release a thin line of ointment into the eye pocket.
• Let go of the eye lid and close the eye for as long as possible (2-3 minutes at least). Tilting the head down towards the floor.
• Gently wipe away any excess ointment and repeat in the other eye if the ointment is prescribed for both eyes.
• Repeat the process for subsequent applications.

Where more than one ointment is prescribed for use in the same eye, half an hour should be left between using the first ointment and administering the second. Where drops and ointments need to be used in the same eye, the drops should be used first and then the ointment after waiting five minutes.

The following useful tips on using eye drops and ointment should also be provided to your customers:

• Eyes drops and ointments should always be stored in cool dark places.
• Drops and ointments should never be used by another person, to reduce the risk of spreading any infection.
• Whilst all treatments will have a use by date this assumes they are unopened. Once opened they should be used within the time frame stated within the patient information leaflet, typically this is twenty eight days or four weeks. Best practice is to advise your customers to write the date of opening on the label of the bottle.
• Some treatments will cause transient irritation and blurred vision but customers should be advised this is only temporary and that blinking several times should clear it, advise the customer not to rub their eye.
• If symptoms do not improve always seek further advice from the pharmacist, GP or optometrist.
• Do not drive until vision has cleared.
• If a customer has dexterity issues there are devices that are available to help, such as Autodrop or Autosqueeze.
• If a customer finds it difficult administering eye drops they should ask someone to help.
• Treatments containing carbomer must be applied after all other topical drops such as those for infection or glaucoma.