Chloramphenicol is the antibiotic used for bacterial conjunctivitis. It sits behind the pharmacy counter rather than on the shelf for good reason — most red eyes do not need it, and a few red eyes need something rather more urgent than eye drops.
Acute bacterial conjunctivitis — typically thick yellow-green discharge and eyelids stuck together after sleep, often starting in one eye and spreading to the other.
It is available from pharmacies for adults and children aged two and over. Around six in ten cases of bacterial conjunctivitis settle within a week without any treatment at all, so drops shorten things rather than being essential for most healthy adults.
It does nothing for viral or allergic conjunctivitis, which together account for a large share of red eyes.
Drops: one drop into the affected eye every two hours for the first 48 hours, then every four hours, for a total of five days. Keep going for the full five days even once the eye looks normal.
Ointment: applied three to four times daily, or at night alongside daytime drops. It blurs vision briefly.
Wash your hands before and after. Do not let the dropper tip touch the eye or anything else. Discard the bottle five days after opening, and never share it or keep leftovers for next time.
Most drops need refrigerating — check your specific product.
Also seek advice if there is no improvement after 48 hours of treatment, or if the eye worsens at any point.
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