A 34-year-old woman asks to purchase chloramphenicol eye drops for her 15-month-old baby with a sticky eye. According to licensing restrictions, what is the most appropriate action?

A 34-year-old woman asks to purchase chloramphenicol eye drops for her 15-month-old baby with a sticky eye. According to licensing restrictions, what is the most appropriate action?

• A. Sell OTC chloramphenicol eye drops to the parent
• B. Refer the patient to a prescriber as OTC chloramphenicol is not licensed under 2 years
• C. Advise using a different antibiotic eye drop available OTC
• D. Recommend home remedies and no pharmacist intervention

Answer: (B)

The key idea is recognizing licensing and age restrictions for medicines. Chloramphenicol eye drops are not licensed for OTC sale to children under two years old. A 15-month-old falls into this category, so dispensing the product without a prescription would breach licensing rules and could put the infant at risk. The safest and most appropriate action is to refer the parent to a prescriber who can assess the eye condition and determine whether an age-appropriate prescription is needed or whether another management plan is suitable. This approach also avoids delaying appropriate treatment or relying on an option that isn’t licensed for the baby’s age. Home remedies or advising an alternative OTC antibiotic isn’t appropriate here because there may be no OTC antibiotic approved for under-2s, and the licensing restriction must be respected to protect the patient.

The key idea is recognizing licensing and age restrictions for medicines. Chloramphenicol eye drops are not licensed for OTC sale to children under two years old. A 15-month-old falls into this category, so dispensing the product without a prescription would breach licensing rules and could put the infant at risk. The safest and most appropriate action is to refer the parent to a prescriber who can assess the eye condition and determine whether an age-appropriate prescription is needed or whether another management plan is suitable. This approach also avoids delaying appropriate treatment or relying on an option that isn’t licensed for the baby’s age. Home remedies or advising an alternative OTC antibiotic isn’t appropriate here because there may be no OTC antibiotic approved for under-2s, and the licensing restriction must be respected to protect the patient.