Proper Use

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

Your doctor will tell you how much of this medicine to use and how often. Do not use more medicine or use it more often than your doctor tells you to. This medicine is not for long-term use.

To use the eye drops:

  • First, wash your hands. Then turn the closed bottle upside down and shake it one time before putting the medicine in your eye. Remove the cap with the bottle still being held upside down.
  • Tilt your head back and pressing your finger gently on the skin just beneath the lower eyelid, pull the lower eyelid away from the eye to form a pouch. Drop the medicine into the pouch and gently close the eye. Do not blink. Keep the eye closed for 1 or 2 minutes to allow the medicine to be absorbed.
  • If you think you did not get the drop of medicine into your eye properly, repeat the directions with another drop.
  • Immediately after using the eye drops, wash your hands to remove any medicine that may be on them.
  • To keep the medicine as germ-free as possible, do not touch the applicator tip to any surface (including the eye). Also, keep the container tightly closed.

To help clear up your eye infection completely, keep using this medicine for the full treatment time, even if your symptoms disappeared and even if you feel better after the first few doses. Your infection may not clear up if you stop using the medicine too soon. Do not miss any doses.

Dosing

The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

  • For ophthalmic dosage form (eye drops):
    • For bacterial conjunctivitis:
      • Adults, teenagers, and children 1 year of age and older—Put one drop in the affected eye(s) two times a day for 2 days, with each dose being at least 8 to 12 hours apart. Then, put one drop in the affected eye(s) once a day for the next 5 days.
      • Children younger than 1 year of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, apply it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule.

Storage

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Store the unopened bottle in the refrigerator. Do not freeze. Once the medicine is opened, you may store it in the refrigerator or in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light for up to 14 days.

Ask your doctor how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use. Throw away any unused medicine after 14 days.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.