OBA wants optometrists to play much larger role in glaucoma

In its submission to AHPRA dated 23 Novber, the board said: “When a diagnosis of chronic glaucoma is made, or a patient is at high risk of developing the disease, optometrists who hold an endorsent for scheduled medicines must refer the patient for specialist assessment or develop a managent plan that includes initiation of treatment and monitoring of the patient’s response (Insight’s phasis).
Instillation of anti-glaucoma eye drops is the preferred primary intervention in chronic glaucoma managent, however, in certain cases, patients will need initial assessment by an ophthalmologist for possible surgical intervention or laser treatment. Optometrists must be able to identify those cases and refer where appropriate.”
The submission goes on to say: “Optometrists should familiarise thselves with and refer to the NHMRC Guidelines when setting target intra-ocular pressures and when making decisions about glaucoma managent plans and monitoring cycles.”
Later, in a section headed ‘ergency managent of acute primary open angle closure’, the submission says: “Individuals suffering from an acute angle closure event may present to an optometrist or, rarely, an angle-closure event may be induced through routine pupil dilation.
“The standard managent of such a patient is ergency referral to an ophthalmologist or hospital. However, both the nature of the condition and therapeutic endorsent place the optometrist in a position that he or she can initiate treatment for such patients to stabilise their ocular state before referring th.”
The OBA is accepting submissions on its proposal until 4 February 2013. Further information will be published in the next issue of Insight.