Kathy Oxtoby asks what optometrists need to know about antimicrobial resistance.
Once antibiotics were seen as a cure-all. Now, says England’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Professor Dame Sally Davies, there is the potential for a “post-antibiotic apocalypse”, and leading health experts say growing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a threat “bigger than cancer”.
Optometrists are certainly not a cause of, or a significant contributor to, the problem of AMR. However, it is very important for optometrists, both those with and without independent prescribing (IP) qualifications, to be aware of the issues around AMR and the part that you can play in tackling the problem.
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The College has issued guidance, following the recent MHRA drug safety update, which has drawn attention to a very rare risk of non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) associated with weight loss drugs.