Before and after ICL surgery, patients need to use eye drops. Many patients ask questions about the storage of eye drops, so this time, I would like to talk about how to store eye drops.

If the eye drops are stored incorrectly, they can become less effective or contaminated.

Here are the general methods of storing eye drops.

1. ① If there are instructions, follow the instructions.
   For example, ‘store at room temperature’, ‘store it away from direct sunlight’, ’chilled storage’, ‘2～8℃ storage’.
   Even if there is no instruction, avoid direct sunlight and keep the eye drops in a cool place as much as possible.
2. ② Keep the cap firmly and keep the eye drop clean after using it.
3. ③ When storing the eye drops in a first aid box, do not store them with the unsealed compress.
   The aromatic ingredients (menthol, etc.) contained in the compress may penetrate the eye drops container and dissolve into the eye drops, which may stain the eyes.
4. ④ Store the eye drops out of reach of infants and children to prevent accidental ingestion.

By the way, do you know what “room temperature” is?
According to the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (a standard for pharmaceuticals ) issued by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the room temperature is set at 1～30℃。
Therefore, for example, it is best to avoid leaving eye drops in the car because it is about 60℃ in the car in summer.

We often get the question: Is it better to not put the eye drops in the refrigerator?
The temperature in the refrigerator is usually around 5℃, so there is no problem with the temperature. However, be careful as the temperature is low near the freezer or chilled room and the eye drops may freeze.

To avoid quality degradation when using eye drops and maximize the effectiveness, it is important to follow the instructions and store the eye drops correctly.