PTCE: The Basics of Medications - Ears, Eyes, Nose, and Throat Agents

Medications in this category treat a variety of conditions and are sometimes referred to as medications pertaining to the senses. Use the table below to help you recognize common stems used by the USAN Council.

Tip:
A pharmacy technician should pay attention to the package quantity input in the pharmacy computer when transcribing the script. Most pharmacy systems ask for the total package size (e.g., 1 g or 5 mL), not the number of units (e.g., 1 box or 1 bottle). Make sure to check with the pharmacist before proceeding.

Table: USAN Stems for Ears, Eyes, Nose, and Throat Agents

Ears, eyes, nose, and throat agents are used to treat a variety of disease states and symptoms (see table).

Varying formulations within routes are also available. Proper selection is based on the condition treated.

Ophthalmic (eye) and otic (ear) formulations include drops and ointments. Medications for these routes may have anti-infective properties like ciprofloxacin (Ciloxan), may act as histamine blockers like oloptadine (Pataday, Patanol), or may be used to decrease ocular pressure like brimonidine (Alphagan P). Treatment may last a few days for conditions like redness or ear pain. In contrast, infections may require a 7–10 day course of therapy.

Patients who have chronic conditions, including glaucoma, must continue medications long term. Medications for the nose are used to treat allergy symptoms or nasal congestion. These medications may be taken long term, seasonally, or for a few days. Oxymetazoline (Afrin, Vicks Sinex) is an alpha-adrenergic agonist used to produce vasoconstriction in the nasal arteries, therefore, increasing airflow and reducing nasal congestion. These agents should not be used for more than 3–5 days because of the possibility of causing rebound congestion. Medications for the throat have anesthetic properties used as needed to treat pain in the oral mucosa and throat.

Table: Ears, Eyes, Nose, and Throat Agents