BHUBANESWAR: With a sudden spurt in conjunctivitis cases following initial monsoon showers, the twin city of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack is facing an acute shortage of antibiotic eye drops. Usually, anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory eye drops are prescribed to patients infected with conjunctivitis. However, unable to meet the demand for such medications, the chemists in the two cities are turning patients away.
Sources said, there is shortage of both antibiotic and steroid eye drops in retail shops. The drops that are in short supply include compositions like moxifloxacin, ofloxacin, gatifloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin and ciprofloxacin besides Ocupol DX, which is a combination of two antibiotics (chloramphenicol, polymyxin B) and a steroid (dexamethasone).
Chemists said there has been a sudden spike in the number of conjunctivitis cases, which were not seen in such scale during the last two years of Covid-19 pandemic. “Whatever stock we had is finished and there is no supply from the stockists. We have placed the order, but do not know when the eye drops will be available,” said Abinash Senapati, a chemist at Ashok Nagar in Bhubaneswar.
A drug distributor said despite there being at least 10 brands of eye drops, companies are unable to meet the sudden demand. There is also a shortage of steroid eye drops, as many patients are being prescribed the drops for faster recovery. “The spread of the infection in some of the localities is to such extent that one in every fourth person coming to our outlet is asking for an eye drop. We have been running out of stock for last two days. Our other counter at Badambadi is also facing a similar situation,” said Soumya Ranjan Nayak, a chemist at Dolamundai square, Cuttack.
Not only antibiotic and steroid eye drops, chloromycetin applicap, an antibiotic that fights bacteria, is also in short supply. As the rise in cases has caused a sudden shortage of eye drops, ophthalmologists have cautioned unnecessary use of such medication might cause more harm in the long-term. They also warned against the use of steroid drops as it causes severe damage to the cornea.
“Antibiotic eye drops take time to work, but they do not harm the eye. Steroid eye-drops can cause severe cornea damage if used without doctor’s advice. There is also a risk of antibiotic resistance later if antibiotic drops are used unnecessarily,” warned Dr Sujit Mohapatra, an ophthalmologist. Drugs control authorities said they are not aware of the shortage of the eye drops. “We have not been informed about the shortage. We will look into it,” said assistant drugs controller Dharmadev Puhan.