Where did Michelle S get her pink eye treatment info?

Question

Saw a post that said you don't need a doctor to treat pink eye...just walk into any pharmacy and get Neosporin Eye Drops?? Thanks, Michelle, been fielding questions lately by customers who read this asking where are the Neosporin Eye Drops. FYI, you need a prescription for them - they are NOT over the counter. Mis-information is as ignorant as what you accused others of being for thinking they need a doctor for pink eye. Well....you do need a prescription to properly treat it and unless you can write out your own prescriptions, I suggest you consult a physician.

Answer 1

Wow...chill...she was probably trying to help. Maybe in some place they are OTC.

Answer 2

I couldn't find any clue on the WWW that suggested Neosporin was available over-the-counter as an eye drop, so Michelle's source of information remains a mystery.

In the UK there IS an eye drop antibiotic available without prescription (URL), and I'm not that happy about it.

There's lot of things a pink eye can be, even though many cases will be simple bacterial conjunctivitis.

I saw someone recently who had had red eye for some time, and been through three lots of antibiotics from their doctor. After examination, I removed two in-growing eyelashes.

Then there's the dry eyes, the blepharitis, the allergies, the persistent foreign bodies... Oh, and eliminate the anterior uveitis, exposure keratitis and herpes simplex possibilities as well.

No person is well placed to safely self-diagnose a pink eye.

(UK optometrist)

Answer 3

This is part of the problem with this question/answer business and everyone needs to know that the answers they rely on may or may not be correct.
ALOT of people giving advice THINK they know the correct answer and those answers that ARE correct are most usually overlooked.
Anything that is of the infection nature ALWAYS requires a prescription no matter where the infection is.
Infection is a growth of bacteria/germs and it must be determined what bacteria/germ is present so the correct antibiotic can be prescribed and ONLY a Dr can determine that either by the present symptoms or appearance of the infection.
Often times cultures of the infection need to be taken and this has to be handled through a competent lab.
Thank Goodness,pink eye infection is pretty common and pretty easy to diagnose but as you have found out, it DOES take a prescription.
I hope that you were not taken too far out of your way to get that prescription and that by now you have cleared up your pink eye.
I have answered numerous questions on pink eye and how to treat it and I am sorry that you were not aware of my answers during your time of need as I know how MISERABLE pink eye can be.

Answer 4

Well, you have to blame the people who ask for the product as well. Why do they feel that someone they don't even know is right just because they know how to post an answer on the web. Its fine to listen to the advice you get but no one says you actually have to take it. With health questions, one ultimately needs to direct their questions to their doctor. So, true Michelle S may have given incorrect information but it is the asker's fault as well.