Under new regulations introduced in 2004, optometrists now have access to a wider range of eye drugs for diagnosing and treating eye diseases.
All optometrists can now sell or supply certain eye medicines to their patients. Alternatively they may give you a written order for you to obtain the medicine via a pharmacy. These drugs include anti-bacterial eye drops for treating conjunctivitis (‘red eye’). Optometrists may also sell or supply you with selected medicines previously only available from pharmacies, provided this is in the course of their professional practice. Examples of these drugs are certain anti-allergy drugs and ocular lubricants.
In addition, optometrists who undertake extra training now have access to an additional list of drugs allowing them to manage a wider range of eye conditions.
Eye conditions identified as those optometrists are most likely to encounter and manage in the community are: infective conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids), dry eye and superficial eye injuries.
The new regulations also introduced a system called ‘supplementary prescribing’, for various health professionals, including optometrists. Under this system, you are assessed first by a GP or eye specialist (ophthalmologist) who then agrees an individual management plan with your optometrist. The optometrist can issue repeat prescriptions for eye drugs and may adjust the dose, although you would undergo regular reviews by the GP or specialist. Optometrists undertaking this work require a higher level of training.