Neomycin Bacitracin Zn Polymyx — Compare Prices at US & Canada Pharmacies

Neomycin-bacitracin zinc-polymyxin B is a prescription-strength "triple antibiotic" ophthalmic ointment — the eye-safe, higher-strength cousin of the over-the-counter triple antibiotic ointments (like Neosporin) people use on skin cuts. Combining three antibiotics with different mechanisms gives it broad coverage against common bacterial eye pathogens — Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus species, and Haemophilus influenzae among them — which is why it's used for superficial bacterial conjunctivitis and minor bacterial infections of the eye and eyelid margin, sold generically or as the brand Neo-Polycin.

Of the three components, neomycin is the one to watch for allergic reactions: contact allergy to neomycin is relatively common, showing up in an estimated 3% of adults tested for contact dermatitis, and a treated eye that's getting more irritated rather than less can be a neomycin allergic reaction rather than the infection failing to respond — worth recognizing before assuming the antibiotic simply isn't working. Because it contains no corticosteroid, unlike some combination eye products, it doesn't share the concerns that come with steroid use on the eye (elevated eye pressure, delayed wound healing, cataract risk with prolonged use).

As with any topical antibiotic, it's meant for a short, defined course; if symptoms don't improve within a few days or the eye becomes more painful, light-sensitive, or vision is affected, that warrants prompt evaluation rather than continued self-treatment, since those findings can point to a deeper or non-bacterial cause the ointment won't fix.