TYPES OF OPHTHALMIC PRODUCTS

ADMINISTRATION
The instillation of eye drops remains one of the less precise, yet one of the more
accepted, means of topical drug delivery. The method of administration is cumbersome at
best, particularly for the elderly, patents with poor vision who have difficulty seining without
eyeglasses and patients with other physical handicaps. Pershaps surprisingly, most patients
become quite adept at routine instillation.
The pharmacist should advice each patient to keep the following points in mind to
aid in the instillation oeyedrops or ointments.
HOW TO USE EYEDROPS
1.

Wash hands.

2.

With one hand, gently pull lower eyelid down.

3.

If dropper is separate, squeeze rubber bulb once while dropper is in bottle to

bring liquied into dropper.

4.

Holding dropper above eye, drop medicine inside lower lid while lookin up do
not touch dropper to eye or fingers.

5.

Release lower lid. Try to keep eye open and not blink for at least 30 seconds.

6.

If dropper is separate,

If dropper is separate, always hold it with tip down

Never touch dropper to any suface

Never rinse dropper.

When dropper is at top of botlle, avoid contaminting cap when removed.

When dropper is a permanent fixtuire on the bottle ie when supplied by a

pharmacetical manufacture to the pharmacist, the same rules apply to avoid
contamination.

Never use eye drops that have changed color.

If you have more than one bottle of the same kind of drop, open ony one bottle at
a time.

If you are using more than one kind of drop at the same time, wait several
minutes before use of other drops.

It may be helpful in use of the medicine to practice use by positioning yourself in

front of a mirror.

After istillation of drops. do not close eye tightly and try not to blink more often
than usual, at this removes the medicine for the place on the eye where it will be
effective.

HOW TO USE OPHTHALMIC OINTMENTS

1.

Wash hand

2.

Remove cap from tube.

3.

With one hand, gently pull lower eyelid down.

4.

While looking up squeeze a small amount of ointment about to inch) inside

lower lid. Be careful not to touch tip of tube to eye, eyelid fingers etc.

5.

Close eye gently nd roll eyeball in all directions while eye is closed temporary
blurring may occur.

6.

The closed eyelid may be rubbed very gently by a

7.

Replace cap on tube

Take care to avoid contamination cap when removed

When opening ointment tube for the first time, squeeze out the first inch of
ointment and discard as it may be too dry.

Never touch tip of tube of any surface

If you have more than one tube of the same ointment, open only one at a
time.

If you are using more than one kind of ointment at the same time, wait about
10 min before use of another ointment.

To improve flow of ointment holds tube in hand several minutes to warm

before use.

It may be helpful in sue of the ointment to practice use by positioning

yourself in front of a mirror.

STERILIZATION PROCEDURES :
Those procedure suited best for the extemporaneous preparation of ophthalmic
soultuion are.
1.

Solutions in final container

a. Place the filtered solution in containers that have been washed and rinsed
with distilled water.
b. Seal dropper bottles with regular screw caps. The dropper assembly should be
stapled into a paper envelope.
c. Sterilizer 20 min at 15 psi (1210)
d. Do not assemble until ready to use.
2.

DROPPER BOTTLES
a. Wash container thoroughly and rinse with distilled water.
b. Loosen caps and place bottles in autoclave.
c. Autoclave 15 min at 15 psi (1210)
d. Partially Cool autoclave
e. Remove bottles from autoclave and secure caps
f. Store sterilized bottles in a clean, dustproof. cabinet

3.

GLASSWARE AND EQUIPMENT

a. Wrap adapters (containing filter) syringes, class ware, spatulas etc. in
autoclave paper and secure with masking tape.
b. Place articles in autoclave and sterilizer in the manner described in section 2
above
c. Store in separate cabinet until ready in use.

4.

MICROBIOLOGICAL FILTEATION
a. All equipment and glassware as well as stock solutions should e sterile. The
prescription should be dispensed in a sterile container
b. Unwrap sterile syringe and draw prepared solution into syringe.
c. Unwrap Sterile adapter containing bacterial filter and attach to syring these
are available as single filtration presterilized, disposable units and should be
used when ever possible.
d. Force solution throught filter directly into sterile container
e. By employing and automatic filling outfil more than one container of the
same prescription can be prepared.
f. Cap container immediately.

The procedure outlined above should be carried out in a clean area eqipped with
ulteraviolet lighting and preferable in a laminar flow hood.
Laminar flow Principals
A laminar flow work area is a particularly convenient means of preparing
sterile, particulate free solutions, laminar flow is defined as air flow in which the
total body of air moves with uniform velocity along parallel lines with a minimum of
eddies. Laminar flows minimizes the possbility of airborne microbial contamination
by provding air free of viable particles and free of practically all inert particulates.
Laminar flow units are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and in two board
categories, horizontal and vertical laminar flow. It would be noted that laminar flow
per se is not a guarantee of