Final answer:
Ophthalmic ointments should not be applied directly onto the center of the eyeball. Instead, they should be applied to the lower eyelid, and then the person should gently close their eyes, allowing the ointment to spread across the surface of the eye.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement "Ophthalmic ointments should be carefully applied across the center of the eyeball" is FALSE. Ophthalmic ointments should not be applied directly onto the center of the eyeball. Instead, they should be applied to the lower eyelid, and then the person should gently close their eyes, allowing the ointment to spread across the surface of the eye.