One way to help with this problem is to keep the drops in the refrigerator. When the drops are cold, it is easier to tell if they have gotten onto the eye. It is useful to have a friend or relative watch occasionally to make sure that the drops are going where they should. The bottle tip should never physically contact the eye. Not only is there danger of contamination, but contact also stimulated blinking, lid squeezing and reflex tearing, all of which dilute the drug and pump it away from the eye.
Many patients rely on someone else to instill their drops.
Many others take their own drops with difficulty. Severe physical difficulties may be presented by arthritis or a tremor, as in Parkinson's disease. Squeezing too hard on the bottle to expel a drop can lead to an increased hand tremor or a spurt of drops. There are many reasons behind poor compliance. Factors which do appear to correlate include frequently missing appointments, an unstable home or family situation, dissatisfaction with the treatment, and a poor understanding of the disease and its treatment.