Revised guidelines for use of scheduled medicines released

However that has led to an almost-immediate, critical response from the Australian Medical Association (see story below).
The revisions to the guidelines enable optometrists whose registration is endorsed for scheduled medicines to prescribe topical anti-glaucoma medicines for patients diagnosed with chronic glaucoma, or who are at high risk of developing the disease.
Optometrists whose registration is endorsed for scheduled medicines still have the options of either referring patients with chronic glaucoma to an ophthalmologist for ongoing managent or entering into a shared care arrangent – and many practitioners are likely to continue to do so where access to specialist care is not an issue – however they may now opt to go it alone.
The chair of the Optometry Board of Australia, Mr Colin Waldron, said the revised guidelines “are an important step in increasing access to quality eye health care, particularly in areas where access to specialist case is an issue due to geographic location and/or social disadvantage”.
He also said “the education and training of optometrists has changed significantly over the past decade to include core prescribing competencies. The competency standards address differential diagnosis and treatment options including when not to prescribe and when to refer. Glaucoma managent in collaboration with patients’ other health care practitioners is at the centre of this training”.