A nurse is planning to administer an ophthalmic medication to a client. Which of the following actions will minimize systemic absorption of the medication?

A. Apply light pressure to the inner canthus just after instilling the eye drops: Applying gentle pressure to the nasolacrimal duct (punctal occlusion) prevents the medication from draining into the nasopharynx, reducing systemic absorption. This technique limits the drug’s entry into the bloodstream while maximizing local therapeutic effect in the eye. B. Wipe the eye from the inner to the outer canthus with a sterile saline-moistened cotton ball: Wiping the eye from inner to outer canthus helps remove discharge and prevent contamination of the conjunctival sac, but it does not reduce systemic absorption of ophthalmic medications. C. Administer the medication drops directly into the lower conjunctival sac of each eye: Placing drops in the lower conjunctival sac is standard technique for ocular administration, ensuring proper drug delivery. However, this alone does not prevent systemic absorption through the nasolacrimal duct. D. Wait 5 min after instillation before instilling the drops in the other eye: Allowing time between eye drops prevents dilution or washout between medications in different eyes, but it does not affect systemic absorption from the nasolacrimal duct.