Eye drops and eye ointment

• Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly 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.
• Hold 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. This is where your eyelid meets your nose. Do this for 1 to 2 minutes. This will give the drop time to be absorbed into your eye, instead of draining into your nose.

• Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly first.
• Open the tube and pull your lower eyelid gently down with your forefinger to form a pocket.
• 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.
• Gently close your eye for about 30 seconds to a minute.

• Do not touch your eye with the dropper or tube tip.
• Discard all drops, solutions and ointments one month after opening. This is 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 5 minutes apart. If you are using both drops and eye ointment in the same eye, always use the drops first and wait 5 minutes before applying the ointment.
• Do not use eye drops while you are 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 is best to avoid wearing contact lenses during your treatment. This is because the drops can damage your lenses. Check with your pharmacist or optometrist.

Some eye drops need to be kept in the fridge. Some 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.

All eye drops have an expiry date on the package. Up until this date, you are safe to open the eye drops and use them. However, once you open the eye drops, you need to follow further usage instructions on the package. These will explain when to discard the bottle after opening.

There are 2 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.