How to use eye drops
A step-by-step method, what to do if you miss a dose, how long bottles last and aids which make drops easier.
Before you start
Wash your hands. Check the label for the name of the drop, the eye, and how often. If you use more than one type of drop, leave at least five minutes between them so the first drop is not washed out by the second. Take contact lenses out unless the label says you can keep them in.
Step by step
- Tilt your head back, or lie down.
- Pull your lower lid gently down with one finger to make a small pocket.
- Hold the bottle above the eye without letting the tip touch your eye, lashes or fingers.
- Look up and squeeze one drop into the pocket.
- Close your eye gently for one to two minutes. Do not blink hard or squeeze your eye shut.
- Press lightly on the inner corner of the eye, next to your nose, for a minute. This stops the drop draining into your nose and throat and reduces side effects from drops such as glaucoma treatments.
- Wipe away any extra liquid with a clean tissue.
If drops are hard to manage
Many people find aiming the bottle difficult, especially with arthritis or reduced sight. Ask your pharmacist or clinic about a compliance aid, a small plastic device which holds the bottle and guides the drop in. Some drops come in single-use vials which are easier to squeeze. If you keep missing, say so at your next appointment. The team would rather change the method than have you stop.
Missed doses and storage
If you miss a dose, use the next one at the usual time. Do not use two doses at once. Most bottles should be thrown away four weeks after opening, even if liquid is left, because they are no longer sterile. Write the opening date on the bottle. Keep drops at the temperature the label says, and never share a bottle with anyone.
Ointments and gels
Ointments go into the same lower-lid pocket in a thin line. They blur your sight for a while, so most people use them at bedtime. If you use both drops and ointment, use the drops first.
Get advice if
Your eye becomes red, painful or itchy after a drop, your sight changes, or the drops are for glaucoma and you cannot keep up with them. Stopping glaucoma drops lets the pressure rise again, so talk to the clinic rather than stopping on your own.
Sources
Checked 4 October 2026. Official pages change, so follow the NHS page for the current position.
Educational information, not medical advice. Not yet clinically reviewed. Your own eye-care team's advice comes first.