Meeting at AHPRA fails to settle glaucoma dispute between two professions

The failed attpt was made at a meeting of interested parties at the headquarters of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency in Melbourne on 24 April.Those present at the meeting included representatives of the AHPRA, the OBA, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists, the Australian Medical Association, Optometry Association Australia and Glaucoma Australia.The meeting, which was attended by 17 people, was called in an attpt to test whether mediation could lead to an end to the dispute, but that was not achieved.Speakers from both sides of the dispute (medicine versus optometry) spoke at length and with conviction, however the nearest the meeting came to any form of compromise leading to possible settlent of the dispute was when a representative from the OBA suggested that rather than optometrists referring patients to ophthalmologists in cases where there was doubt in regard to diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, they should refer th to GPs.That was immediately rejected by those representing medicine, with the meeting ending shortly afterwards.It now ses likely that there will be behind-the-scenes activity to try to resolve the dispute, however it may take considerable time before any agreent is reached.One possible outcome of the saga to date is consideration of some doubts that have been cast on the legislation concerning the operations of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.