International Journal of Medical, Pharmacy and Drug Research (IJMPD) DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijmpd.8.2 Peer-Reviewed Journal Int. J. Med. Phar. Drug Re., 8(2), 2024 ISSN: 2456-8015 Int. J. Med. Phar. Drug Re., 8(2), 2024 Online Available at: https://www.aipublications.com/ijmpd/ 47 Ophthalmic Ointment & Formulation: A Review Nitish Kumar*, Rajesh Kumar, Meenakshi Malhotra, Ajeet Pal Singh, Amar Pal Singh & Ritu Rani Department of Pharmacy, St. Soldier Institute of Pharmacy, Lidhran campus, Behind,N.I.T (R.E.C.), Jalandhar-Amritsar By Pass, Nh-1, Jalandhar -144011, Punjab, India *Corresponding Author Received: 07 Mar 2024; Received in revised form:21 Apr 2024; Accepted:04 May 2024; Available online: 13 May 2024 ©2024 The Author(s). Published by This is an open access article under the CC BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Abstract— Using ointments as an eye drug delivery system gives topical therapy a significant new aspect. Ointments are a great way to increase ocular contact duration and are generally safe and well- tolerated. Increased contact time results in higher drug levels in the eyes. Experimental evidence, however, suggests that corticosteroid ointments do not enter the eye as deeply as suspension solutions do. This could be related to both the specific steroid component and the drug's binding to the ointment base. Ointments can get contaminated, just like other ophthalmic preparations. It is not recommended to apply ophthalmic ointments to eyes that have open sores. It seems safe and effective to apply ointments to postoperative eyes where wound closure is secure. Keywords— Contamination-entrapment of corneal, drug-base compatibility, duration of drug contact, emulsifiers, ophthalmic ointments, and ocular penetration. I. INTRODUCTION For many years, one of the most significant and extensively advanced fields of pharmaceutical science has been the development of ophthalmic medication forms. Scientists are interested in these drug forms because of the issue of the medication's low bioavailability following application to the eye. The intricate anatomical structure of the eye, the cornea's small absorptive surface and low transparency, the lipophilicity of the corneal epithelium, metabolism, enzymolysis, the drug's bonding with proteins in tear fluid, and defense mechanisms like tear production, blinking, and substance flow through the nasolacrimal duct are some of the other factors that contribute to its cause [1-3].Low conjunctival sac capacity roughly 30 L without blinking [4]—as well as the previously stated defense mechanisms reduce the amount of medicine present in the application site and shorten the time the active component is present in the absorption site. The principal aim of creating ocular drug forms is to attain the necessary drug concentration at the site of absorption and maintain it for a suitable duration, hence leading to a reduction in the frequency of administration [1–5]. One of the first changes made to traditional ophthalmic medicine formulations was the addition of polymers, which allowed the active ingredient to come into longer contact with the ocular surface and increase its bioavailability. The next option to alter the bioavailability of the active ingredients in ophthalmic forms was to add excipients to the formulation, which improved the medication's capacity to enter the eye. Chelation agents were among these excipients inclusion complexes are made up of chelating agents, surfactants, and cyclodextrins in addition to active substances. This improves poorly soluble medicines' permeability, solubility, and bioavailability [1-4]. The more modern drug forms, such as multicompartment carrier systems, inserts, collagen shields, contact lenses, and socalled in situ gels, have been the subject of research in recent years