Compounded Eye Drops, Made to Your Doctor’s Exact Prescription
Fortified antibiotics, pre-op surgical syringes, and specialty drops compounded for ophthalmology and eye surgery practices.
Key takeaways:
- Watkins compounds custom eye drops to the exact strength and combination your eye doctor prescribes, including formulas you won’t find at a regular pharmacy.
- We make both patient treatments (like serum tears and preservative-free drops) and surgical formulations (fortified antibiotics and pre-op drops used during eye surgery).
- You can’t order these yourself. Your eye doctor or surgeon sends us the prescription, and we compound it individually for you.
- A 503A compounding pharmacy, PCAB accredited, serving Muskegon, Grand Rapids, Holland, Traverse City and the rest of West Michigan.
- Family owned and serving West Michigan patients and physicians for over a century.
What Is Compounded Eye Drop Medication?
Compounded eye drop medications are custom eye treatments prepared by Watkins pharmacists to meet you, or your patients, unique eye care needs. Eyes are delicate which means dosing has to be precise, and some patients need a formula without the preservatives found in mass-produced drops, or a strength that simply isn’t manufactured. Our compounding pharmacy can mix that exact formula, at the exact concentration your prescriber orders. Watkins is a 503A pharmacy, which means every compound we prepare is made for a specific, named patient under an individual prescription, not produced ahead of time and stocked for general sale.
Eye Drops We Compound
For Patients: Drops Your Eye Doctor May Prescribe
These are the compounds most likely to come up if your ophthalmologist or optometrist has mentioned “compounding” to you directly.
- Serum tears (33% or 50%): Made from your own blood serum, serum tears are used for severe dry eye when standard artificial tears aren’t enough. Because they’re made from your blood, these require coordination with a lab before we can compound them, so ask your doctor about timing if this is something you’ve been prescribed.
- Acetylcysteine drops (2% or 10%): Helps break down thick, stringy mucus on the eye’s surface, used for certain corneal conditions and filamentary keratitis.
- Losartan drops, preservative free (0.8mg/ml): A newer, off label use of a medication more commonly known for blood pressure, some eye doctors now prescribe it topically to help reduce corneal scarring after an injury or infection.
- EDTA drops (2% or 3%): Dissolves calcium deposits that build up on the cornea, a condition called band keratopathy.
- Fluorouracil drops (1%): Often prescribed after certain eye surgeries, including glaucoma filtering surgery, to help the treated area heal properly instead of scarring over.
For Surgeons and Eye Care Providers: Surgical and Fortified Formulations
These compounds are prepared for use by a physician or surgical team, not self-administered by a patient at home.
Fortified antibiotic drops: Vancomycin, tobramycin, cefazolin and gentamicin, each compounded at a higher concentration than what’s commercially available. Fortified antibiotics are used for serious eye infections, like bacterial keratitis, that need stronger coverage than a standard prescription strength provides.
| Medication | Available Strengths | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Vancomycin ophthalmic drops | 25mg/ml, 33mg/ml, 50mg/ml | 15 ml |
| Tobramycin ophthalmic drops | 13.6mg/ml | 14 ml |
| Cefazolin ophthalmic drops | 25mg/ml, 50mg/ml | 15 ml |
| Gentamicin ophthalmic drops | 13.6mg/ml | 14 ml |
Single use pre-op syringes: Pre-filled combination syringes used immediately before or during cataract and other anterior segment surgery, bundling numbing medication, pupil dilation, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory coverage into a single preparation.
| Preparation | Contains | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Cyclocaine pre-op syringes | Lidocaine 2% / cyclopentolate 1% / phenylephrine 10% / moxifloxacin 0.5% in BSS | 0.6 ml |
| Cat Gel pre-op syringes | Lidocaine 2% / cyclopentolate 1% / phenylephrine 10% / moxifloxacin 0.5% / ketorolac 0.5% | 0.6 ml |
| Verdier Cat Gel pre-op syringes | Lidocaine 2% / phenylephrine 10% / cyclopentolate 1% / ofloxacin 0.3% / ketorolac 0.5% | 0.6 ml |
| Moxifloxacin / BSS | Moxifloxacin 1mg/ml in balanced salt solution | 0.35 ml |
Why Choose a Compounded Eye Drop from Watkins
Manufactured eye drops are made for the average patient at a standard strength. Compounded drops are made for the patient in front of your doctor, at the strength and combination that patient actually needs. That’s the whole premise of compounding, and it’s why prescribers turn to us for formulas that aren’t sold anywhere else, preservative free options for patients who are sensitive to them, and combination products that cut down on the number of bottles a surgical patient has to manage before a procedure.
Watkins has been family owned and serving West Michigan for over a century, and our pharmacists work directly with your eye doctor’s office to confirm every detail of a compound before it’s prepared. We’re a 503A compounding pharmacy.
How Patients Get a Compounded Eye Drop
If your eye doctor or surgeon has told you that you need a compounded medication, you don’t order it yourself. Your prescriber sends Watkins a written prescription specific to you, and our pharmacists prepare it to those exact specifications.
For Physicians and Eye Care Providers
Every compound requires an individual, written prescription. Download our ophthalmic order form, fill in the patient and prescription details, and fax or email it to our pharmacy team. Our compounding lab works directly with your office on formulation questions, including custom formulas not listed on our standard form.
Serving Eye Doctors and Patients Across West Michigan
Watkins Pharmacy compounds ophthalmic medications for prescribers and patients in Muskegon, Grand Rapids, Holland, Traverse City and the surrounding West Michigan region. Our pharmacy is located at 1391 E Sherman Blvd in Muskegon, across from Mercy Health Partners.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a compounded eye drop, and how is it different from what I'd get at a regular pharmacy?
A compounded eye drop is made individually from raw ingredients to match your prescriber’s exact specifications, rather than being a standard, mass-produced product. This lets your doctor order a specific strength, a preservative free version, or a combination of medications that isn’t available commercially.
Can I order compounded eye drops myself, or do I need a prescription?
You need a prescription. Every compound we prepare is made for a specific patient based on a written order from that patient’s eye doctor or surgeon. We can’t compound or dispense one without that prescription.
What are serum tears, and how do I know if I need them?
Serum tears are drops made from your own blood serum, used for severe dry eye disease that hasn’t responded to standard artificial tears. Your eye doctor would determine if this treatment is appropriate for you and send us the prescription.
Do you offer fortified antibiotic drops for eye surgery or serious infections?
Yes. We compound fortified vancomycin, tobramycin, cefazolin and gentamicin drops at strengths higher than what’s commercially available, along with single use pre-op syringes used before and during cataract and other eye surgeries.
How do eye doctors and surgical centers submit compounding orders?
Download our ophthalmic order form and fax or email it to our pharmacy, or call our lab directly to discuss a custom formula. See the “For Physicians and Eye Care Providers” section above for contact details.