AAO Colour Codes for Eyedrops

Last updated: October 2026

Since 1983 the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has recommended a uniform colour for the caps and labels of topical eye drugs, to reduce mix-ups. Each drug class has a defined Pantone colour, chosen with the disease treated, the side effects and the harm of an accidental switch in mind. The current policy, last revised in June 2015, has 13 classes. It was developed with the FDA and US industry and is widely followed in the US, but it is voluntary: no FDA regulation requires it, and Indian manufacturers are not bound by it.

Swatches are approximate screen colours of the AAO Pantone shades.

Combination drops have their own colours. Any fixed combination containing a beta-blocker (for example dorzolamide-timolol or latanoprost-timolol) is dark blue, and an adrenergic agonist combination without a beta-blocker (brinzolamide-brimonidine) is light green. Newer drugs such as netarsudil have no AAO class of their own, so check the label.

For bottles, preservatives, unit-dose vials and preservative-free systems such as Novelia, see our eye drop packaging guide.

Why this matters at the bedside

• Patients — especially elderly patients or those with reduced vision or literacy — often identify their drops by cap colour rather than by reading the label, so this system reduces real-world dispensing and self-administration errors
• A critical safety distinction to reinforce in counseling: tan/brown (anti-infective) vs. pink (steroid) — using a steroid on an unrecognized infectious keratitis can cause serious harm, so this pair is worth specifically double-checking with patients
• The system is voluntary, not mandated — generic manufacturers and compounding pharmacies can and do deviate from standard colours due to packaging or supply constraints (e.g., some generic prostaglandins ship with clear or white caps rather than teal). If a refill looks different, always verify the drug name and strength on the label rather than relying on colour alone

Key references: AAO Policy, Color Codes for Topical Ocular Medications.  |  Know Your Drops by Colour, AAO YO Info.

See also the glaucoma medications chart.