Families For Life | A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Instill Eye Drops

​​​A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Instill Eye Drops

Instilling eye drops for patient

A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Instill Eye Drops

Instilling eye drops for yourself

A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Instill Eye Drops 

Important information

  • Before using the eye drops, read the label on the bottle carefully.
  • Record the date opened on the eye drop bottle. Throw it away immediately once contaminated or after reaching its in-use shelf life as recommended by the manufacturer.
  • If you need to apply eye drops and ointment together, you should apply the eye drops first before applying the ointment. Wait for 5 minutes before applying another eye drop or ointment.
  • Some eye drops or ointments may cause temporary blurring of vision.
    • If you experience blurred vision, you should avoid driving or doing things in places with poor lighting.

For contact lens wearers

  • Remove your contact lens before each application of medication.
  • If you are using hard lens, you can put them on directly after applying the eye drops.
  • If you are using soft lens, you can put them on 30 minutes after applying the eye drops. Otherwise, your lens may be damaged by the preservatives present in the eye drops.
  • If you need to apply eye drops twice a day, it is recommended that you apply them once in the morning before you put on your lens, and at the end of the day after you remove your lens.

Disclaimers

If you take more than the recommended dose, please seek medical advice immediately. The information provided on this page does not replace information from your healthcare professional. Please consult your healthcare professional for more information.

This article is jointly developed by members of the National Medication Information workgroup. The workgroup consists of cluster partners (National Healthcare Group, National University Health System and SingHealth), community pharmacies (Guardian, Unity and Watsons) and Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore.

Contributed by:
Health Hub
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