Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA) has teamed up with pharmacy chain TerryWhite Chemmart to raise awareness about the importance of monitoring changes in vision for early detection of macular disease.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects approximately 1.5 million Australians and is the leading cause of irreversible severe vision loss and blindness in Australia. This equates to one in seven Australians over the age of 50 exhibiting some form of this condition. Additionally, between 300,000 and 400,000 Australians are affected by diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of preventable blindness among the working-age population.
Despite the high prevalence of macular disease in Australian, 25% of cases remain undiagnosed. To address this issue, MDFA and TerryWhite Chemmart are providing people over the age of 50 with a fast and easy way to understand and assess their risk factors for macular disease.
“Our partnership with Macular Disease Foundation Australia has helped us to start conversations with patients and get these important tools into their hands,” Mr Brenton Hart, chief pharmacist at TerryWhite Chemmart, said.
“We look to raise awareness of these tools including the Check My Macula online quiz. In less than one minute, a TerryWhite Chemmart customer can learn about their risk of developing age-related macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease and then promptly schedule an eye test with their local optometrist.”
In addition to the risk assessment quiz, MDFA has provided the TerryWhite Chemmart pharmacy network with Amsler grids, which patients can collect for free at their local pharmacy. The grid is an essential home monitoring tool for people over 50 years of age to pick up changes to their vision between eye exams.
Patients are encouraged to place the Amsler grid on their fridge and check their vision at home on a weekly basis. If any changes are noticed, the organisations recommend booking an appointment with a local eye health professional immediately.
Pharmacists also have a valuable role to play in early detection and reducing the impact of macular disease in the community. This is fundamental to the collaboration between TerryWhite Chemmart and MDFA, added Dr Kathy Chapman, CEO of MDFA.
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