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FDA-approvedPrescription only
Pink Eye Treatment (eye drops as prescribed)
Prescription — antibiotic or antihistamine eye drops, as prescribed
Pink eye is viral, bacterial or allergic, and only one of the three needs an antibiotic. A provider sorts out which yours is from your description and prescribes drops to a local pharmacy if warranted.
FDA-approved antibiotic eye drops and ointments for bacterial conjunctivitis, and antihistamine eye drops for allergic conjunctivitis. Prescribed by a licensed provider only if appropriate for you.
From$99$32 consultation included, not refunded · medication paid at your pharmacy, if prescribed
Choose your plan
One-time
Price
$99for the provider visit — medication paid at your pharmacy, if prescribed
Includes your $32 provider consultation (non-refundable). If your provider decides treatment isn’t appropriate, the rest is refunded automatically.
- Picked up at a local pharmacy you choose. If prescribed, the medication itself is paid for at the pharmacy; the price here covers the provider visit.
- Your provider confirms the dose. If they start you on a lower step, we refund the difference; if they choose a higher one within the same plan, the price you paid stands.
Adding to cart books a provider visit. You pay the shown total; the provider decides; the medication portion comes back automatically if they say no.
Questions
Will I definitely be prescribed this?
No. A consultation does not guarantee a prescription — and with pink eye, most cases are viral or allergic and an antibiotic would do nothing for them. A licensed provider reviews your symptoms and prescribes antibiotic drops only where the picture points to bacteria, antihistamine drops where it points to allergy, and supportive care where it points to a virus. If prescribed, the prescription is sent to a local pharmacy and you pay for the medication there; what you pay here is the consultation, whether or not a prescription follows.
Can I go to work or school?
Viral and bacterial conjunctivitis are contagious while the eye is discharging; bacterial pink eye is usually considered non-contagious after a day of antibiotic drops. Hand-washing and not sharing towels or pillows matter more than the calendar. Allergic conjunctivitis is not contagious at all.
Will the provider prescribe steroid eye drops?
Not through this visit. Steroid drops can worsen a herpes or fungal infection and raise eye pressure, and they belong with an in-person eye examination.
How it works
The conjunctiva is the thin membrane over the white of the eye and the inside of the lids; when it is inflamed its vessels dilate and the eye goes pink. Three different things cause that. Viruses, usually adenovirus, are the most common — a watery, gritty eye, often starting on one side and spreading, often with a cold, which runs its course over a week or two and is untouched by antibiotics. Bacteria produce a thick discharge that mats the lashes shut in the morning. Allergy makes both eyes itch intensely, with watering and swollen lids. Antibiotic drops work only on the second: polymyxin B punches holes in bacterial cell membranes while trimethoprim blocks the folate pathway bacteria need for DNA; erythromycin ointment binds the bacterial ribosome and stops protein synthesis; ofloxacin blocks the enzyme that unwinds bacterial DNA. Antihistamine drops such as olopatadine block the histamine receptors on the conjunctiva and stabilise the mast cells that release histamine, which is why they relieve allergic itch and do nothing for infection. The provider's first job is telling the three apart — from your symptoms and, where you can share one, a photo — because for most pink eye the honest prescription is cool compresses, lubricating drops and time.
The full mechanismA provider may consider it if
- A red eye with thick, sticky discharge that glues the lids shut in the morning — the pattern that suggests bacteria
- Itchy, watery, red eyes on both sides in allergy season
- You want a provider to say honestly whether this needs an antibiotic, and what to do if it does not
It won’t be prescribed if
- Eye pain — not grittiness, pain — sensitivity to light, reduced or blurred vision, or a white spot on the coloured part of the eye — these are signs of the cornea being involved and need same-day in-person eye care; call 911 or go to an emergency department for sudden vision loss
- Contact-lens wearers with a red eye — take the lenses out and be seen in person; an infection under a lens can scar the cornea quickly
- An injury, a chemical splash or something stuck in the eye — emergency care, not a video visit
- Swelling and redness of the skin around the eye with fever, or difficulty moving the eye — cellulitis around the eye is an emergency
- A cold sore or blisters near the eye — herpes in the eye is treated differently and in person
- A known allergy to sulfa drugs, polymyxin, erythromycin, fluoroquinolones or the preservatives in eye drops — a hard stop for that preparation
- Symptoms lasting more than two weeks, or a red eye in someone with glaucoma or recent eye surgery — needs an examination
- Under 18 — online treatment here is for adults; a child's red eye is seen by their paediatrician
These are the same checks your provider runs in the visit. If one applies, they will tell you plainly — and the medication portion of what you paid comes back automatically.
What to expect
After your visit
If prescribed, the prescription is sent to a local pharmacy you choose and you pay for the medication at the counter. What you paid here covers the consultation — including a visit that ends with lubricating drops and compresses rather than a prescription.
Days 1–3
Bacterial conjunctivitis on antibiotic drops usually improves within a couple of days; keep going for the full course. Wash hands after touching the eye, do not share towels, and throw away eye make-up used during the infection.
Days 4–14
Viral pink eye can take one to two weeks and may spread to the other eye before it settles. Worsening pain, light sensitivity or any change in vision at any point means in-person eye care.
Safety
Side effects, before you decide
Antibiotic drops and ointment: brief stinging or burning on instillation, blurred vision for a few minutes with ointment, and occasionally local irritation or an allergic reaction — swelling and worsening redness — that means stop. Ofloxacin can leave a bitter taste. Antihistamine drops: mild stinging, dry eye and headache. Any drop can be contaminated once opened, so the bottle tip must never touch the eye, and drops are discarded after the course.
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. Conjunctivitis Preferred Practice Pattern, 2018. Ophthalmology. 2019;126(1):P94–P169 — differentiation of viral, bacterial and allergic conjunctivitis; antibiotics for bacterial cases; referral criteria
- Azari AA, Barney NP. Conjunctivitis: a systematic review of diagnosis and treatment. JAMA. 2013;310(16):1721–1729
- FDA prescribing information (DailyMed): polymyxin B sulfate and trimethoprim ophthalmic solution; erythromycin ophthalmic ointment; ofloxacin ophthalmic solution; olopatadine ophthalmic solution — indications, warnings, adverse reactions; current labels as of 2026
Complete safety information is provided during your visit and with every prescription. This page is a summary, not a substitute for your provider's advice.
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See whether pink eye treatment (eye drops as prescribed) is right for you.
A licensed provider reviews your visit and decides. You receive medication only if prescribed, and that portion of your payment is refunded automatically if they say no.