Conjunctivitis drops available OTC?

[elphaba91]

A question that I hope an American will be able to give me a straight yes or no answer to. Is there anything available over the counter for conjunctivitis/pink eye in the States, e.g. Chloramphenicol?

It seems my sister has developed conjunctivitis and while we know all the home treatment methods (my mum works in pharmacy), we think she needs some proper treatment but don't know if she'll need to head to the doctor or if she can just go to the pharmacy. It is available OTC with pharmacist approval here, but I suspect it's not over there and it's difficult to find out online without knowing brands.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I have never seen it available OTC here.

 

[DaisyJ]

A question that I hope an American will be able to give me a straight yes or no answer to. Is there anything available over the counter for conjunctivitis/pink eye in the States, e.g. Chloramphenicol?

It seems my sister has developed conjunctivitis and while we know all the home treatment methods (my mum works in pharmacy), we think she needs some proper treatment but don't know if she'll need to head to the doctor or if she can just go to the pharmacy. It is available OTC with pharmacist approval here, but I suspect it's not over there and it's difficult to find out online without knowing brands.

No, she needs to see a dr.

 

[elphaba91]

Thanks for the prompt responses! Thought that would be the case!

 

[Turn the Page]

No antibiotics are available OTC in the US. If she needs some she would need to go to the doctor for a prescription.

 

[Gracie09]

I do not believe anything is available otc. I would suggest she look into going to a minute clinic or other in store clinic so she can just get diagnosed and get what she needs right there.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Only thing available OTC are homeopathic remedies.

I'd just go to a CVS or a Walgreens (pharmacies) with a clinic. They'll look at her eye and she can pick up the script right there.

Walgreens you can make an appointment online-CVS is walk-in only.

 

[MrJT]

Definitely see a Doctor. I thought that I had pink eye, went to the clinic, where I was diagnosed with, and treated for high blood pressure. After I started taking the meds, my eyes cleared up.

 

[nkereina]

Perhaps it depends on the kind, but I had conjunctivitis a few years ago and my doctor told me it's viral and will go away on it's own. She recommended OTC drops that would help alleviate the redness and irritation of it, but it wasn't a cure for it. It was not an antibiotic.

 

[TCRAIG]

Only thing available OTC are homeopathic remedies.

I'd just go to a CVS or a Walgreens (pharmacies) with a clinic. They'll look at her eye and she can pick up the script right there.

Walgreens you can make an appointment online-CVS is walk-in only.

Yup - go to a pharmacy with an inhouse clinic - no need to see a doctor

 

[DaisyJ]

Yup - go to a pharmacy with an inhouse clinic - no need to see a doctor

You have to see a doctor or NP to get a prescription written.

 

[TCRAIG]

You have to see a doctor or NP to get a prescription written.

CVS inhouse MinuteClinic will give you a script for pink eye

 

[elphaba91]

Thanks for all the advice guys! All sorted - she's gone to the doctor and got a script for an eye drop plus some antibiotics.

 

[bcla]

No antibiotics are available OTC in the US. If she needs some she would need to go to the doctor for a prescription.

Topical antibiotics are often OTC. However, even they have issues. I've developed contact dermatitis with every active ingredient in Neosporin. It would have gone away without any medical treatment by simply discontinuing it, but a topical corticosteroid stopped the rash and oozing overnight.

 

[mom2rtk]

Thanks for all the advice guys! All sorted - she's gone to the doctor and got a script for an eye drop plus some antibiotics.

Glad she got in to see someone. I've had pink eye as an adult and it's really quite awful.

 

[BLAZEY]

Polysporin Eye drops are available over the counter. They are for bacterial pink eye ( Conjunctivitis).