You are:

Print and Share

Guidance for Optometrist Prescribers

The following guidance has been produced to assist appropriately qualified optometrists in their prescribing practice. The Clinical Management Guidelines may also be of assistance to all optometrists as a useful source of information.
 

College Guidance for Optometrist Prescribers

This Guidance provides advice on the conduct that is expected of optometrist prescribers who are on one of the GOC specialist registers.  If an optometrist deviates from the advice in this document the reason for this should be carefully documented.  If a complaint is made against an optometrist, the General Optical Council’s Fitness to Practise Committee would take account of this document and those to which it makes reference.  The optometrist would be expected to justify any decision to act outside its terms.
 
 
 

Clinical Management Guidelines

The College of Optometrist’s Clinical Management Guidelines (CMGs) provide a reliable source of evidence-based information on the diagnosis and management of 60 eye conditions that present with varying frequency in primary and first-contact care. Whilst they are intended specifically for specialist therapeutic prescribers, it is anticipated that all optometrists will find them a useful source of information. The Clinical Management Guidelines are available here.
 
  

EMedINFO (Medicines Database and Formulary)

 
EMedINFO is a unique electronic medicines information resource, designed to support the safe and effective use of diagnostic and therapeutic drugs.  The product of over 10 years of research and development by Professors John Lawrenson and David Thomson, the database gives instant access to information about most of the pharmaceutical preparations currently available in the UK and serves to raise awareness of ocular adverse reactions to both ophthalmic and systemic medication.


Key features include:

  • Access to information about nearly 3000 drugs
  • The database can be updated over the Internet
  • Searchable by generic name, trade name, manufacturer, classification and side effects
  • Clearly written data sheets for each drug
  • Detailed information about ocular adverse reactions
  • Summary information about general systemic adverse reactions
  • Extended information about the medicines which may be prescribed or supplied by optometrists

The Optometrists' Formulary (updated July 2009) is extracted from the constantly updated Optometrists' Formulary section of EMedINFO and is available free of charge to members.  The Formulary can be found on the Advisory Documents for Members section of this website.

College members who wish to access the extensive Ocular Adverse reactions data on EMedINFO must purchase a license from Thomson Software Solutions.  Further details on EMedINFO may be found on this site.

For optometrists who are not College members information on purchasing eMedInfo can be found at the following site:  support@thomson-software-solutions.com