Can Eye Drop Medications be Used in the Ear?

Can EYE drop medications be used in the EAR for ear problems like ear infections?

For the most part, absolutely.

For pretty much any EAR drop preparation, there is an equivalent EYE drop preparation which can be used safely in the ear.

Why does this matter?

It's because it may be cheaper for the patient if the EYE drop medication is prescribed rather than the EAR drop medication. Often, it is not unusual for a brand name ear drop medication to be available in generic eye drop form.

NOW... EAR drop medications should NOT be used in the EYE because preservatives used in eye drop preparations are much gentler than those used in ear drops due to the eyeball being much more sensitive compared to the ear. As such, it may burn if ear drops are used in the eye... but not vice-versa.

• Floxin (Ear) equivalent to Ocuflox (Eye)
• Ciprodex (Ear) equivalent to Ciloxan (Eye) without the steroid dexamethasone
• Cipro HC (Ear) equivalent to Ciloxan (Eye) without the steroid hydrocortisone
• Cortisporin (neomycin-polymyxin-hydrocortisone) is available in both eye and ear preparations
• Tobradex (Eye) can be used in the ear and is imprecisely similar to Cortisporin (Eye/Ear).

Generic Singulair Expected in August 2012

Why August 2012? That's when the patent for singulair, an allergy and asthma medication, goes off-patent. Generic versions of singulair should be expected soon after the patent expires.

For those who don't know... generic versions of medications are much cheaper than brand name medications, but contain the same active ingredient. Here's a list of a few brand name medications relevant in the ENT world with generic names in parentheses.

Flonase (fluticasone)
Prilosec (omeprazole)
Prevacid (lansoprazole)
Claritin (loratidine)
Zyrtec (cetirizine)
Benadryl (diphenhydramine)