Antibiotic eye drops and ointment · Written by the Sandwell Pharmacy Group team, based on NHS and BNF guidance · Updated August 2026
Also sold asOptrex Infected Eye, Golden Eye
Type of medicineAntibiotic (eye)
Available asEye drops, eye ointment
How you get itPharmacy and prescription
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.
When it is appropriate
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.
How to use it
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.
Who should not use it without seeing someone
Babies under two
Anyone who wears contact lenses — leave lenses out and get the eye checked
Anyone with glaucoma, dry eye syndrome or recent eye surgery or injury
Anyone using other eye drops
Anyone with a history of blood disorders, or who has had a reaction to chloramphenicol before
Pregnant or breastfeeding women, without advice
Red eye symptoms that need urgent assessment
Do not use drops and wait if there is any change in vision, real pain rather than grittiness, marked sensitivity to light, redness in a ring around the coloured part of the eye, a red eye after injury, or a red eye in a baby under 28 days old. Those need same-day assessment by a GP, optician or NHS 111.
Also seek advice if there is no improvement after 48 hours of treatment, or if the eye worsens at any point.
Always read the label. This page is general information, not advice for your situation. Doses, warnings and interactions differ between products and between people. Check the leaflet inside your medicine, and ask our pharmacist if anything is unclear — that conversation is free and takes two minutes.
Questions about Chloramphenicol eye drops?
1 Lyng Lane, West Bromwich B70 7RW · opening hours vary by branch
Do I need antibiotic eye drops for conjunctivitis?
Often not. Most bacterial conjunctivitis clears within a week without treatment, and viral or allergic conjunctivitis does not respond to antibiotics at all.
How long do I use chloramphenicol drops for?
Five days in total, continuing for the full course even once the eye looks normal. Discard the bottle five days after opening.
Can I wear contact lenses while using the drops?
No. Leave lenses out, and get a red eye checked properly if you are a lens wearer, as infections behave differently.
When is a red eye urgent?
Any change in vision, genuine pain, marked light sensitivity, redness ringing the iris, injury, or a red eye in a newborn all need same-day assessment.
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