HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury

Eye drops & eye ointment

How to apply eye drops

• Always wash your hands first.
• Open the container and pull your lower eyelid gently down with your forefinger to form a pocket.
• Tilt your head slightly back and look up.
• Holding the bottle between the thumb and forefinger, gently squeeze the recommended number of drops into the lower eyelid pocket.
• Immediately after putting in the eye drops, apply gentle pressure to your tear duct, where your eyelid meets your nose, for one to two minutes. This will give the drop time to be absorbed into your eye, instead of draining into your nose.

How to apply ointment

• Hold the tube between the thumb and forefinger.
• Rest your hand against your nose to position the tip of the ointment tube.
• Apply a small strip of ointment into the lower eyelid pocket.

Points to remember

• Do not touch your eye with the dropper or tube tip.
• Discard all drops, solutions and ointments one month after opening to avoid bacterial contamination (some eye products can only be used for a few days – check the instructions).
• Single-dose lubricant eye drops remain sterile until opened if you use them before the expiry date.
• Use different eye drops at least five minutes apart. If you're using both drops and eye ointment in the same eye, always use the drops first and wait five minutes before applying the ointment.
• Do not use eye drops while you're wearing contact lenses. Remove your contact lenses before use and do not replace them until 15 minutes after using the drops. For some eye drops, it's best to avoid wearing contact lenses during your treatment as the drops can damage your lenses. Check with your pharmacist or optometrist.

How to apply drops or ointment for your child

• Reassure your tamaiti (child) that this may feel a bit uncomfortable, but it will not hurt. Some drops may sting at first, but this quickly goes away.
• You can wrap pēpi (babies) and small tamariki (children) in a blanket to keep them still.
• It's best if your tamaiti is lying down.
• Wash your hands with soap and water.
• Shake the bottle gently.
• Unscrew the cap.
• Older tamariki – Gently lower the eyelid and squeeze the bottle so that one drop falls into the pocket between the eye and eyelid.
• Small tamariki and pēpi – Place the drop into the inner corner of the eye.
• If you think the drop did not go into the eye, you can repeat the process, but do not try this more than twice.
• Do not let the tip of the bottle touch the eye.
• Ask your tamaiti to keep their eye closed for as long as they can – five seconds if possible.
• If your tamaiti needs the drops in both eyes, repeat in the other eye.
• Replace the cap on the bottle.
• Wash your hands with soap and water.

Storing your eye drops

Some eye drops need to be kept in the fridge while others can be kept at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Always keep out of the reach of tamariki. Read the label on your medicine or ask your pharmacist how to store your eye drops. Return any leftover eye drops to your pharmacy who can dispose of them safely.

Expiry dates

All eye drops have an expiry date for use after opening. This is the length of time the eye drops are effective and safe to use. There are two types of eye drops – eye drops with preservatives and preservative-free eye drops. They have different expiry dates. Always check the packet for the expiry date or ask your pharmacist.

Content shared between HealthInfo Canterbury, KidsHealth and Health Navigator NZ as part of a National Health Content Hub collaborative. Last reviewed March 2023.

Sources

Page reference: 1078884

Review key: HIEDO-1078884