Supplementary prescribing and the widening of exemptions
Under the Medicines Act 1968 medicines classified as Pharmacy (P) medicines may be sold or supplied only through registered pharmacies by or under the supervision of a pharmacist (section 52). Prescription only (POM) medicines are subject to an additional requirement: they may only be sold or supplied through pharmacies against a doctor's or dentist's prescription (section 58). General Sale List (GSL) medicines may be sold more widely through other retail outlets (sections 51 and 53).
Exemptions from the general rules are permitted for optometrists. These are provided for in the Prescription Only Medicine (Human Use Order) 1997 SI No 1830 (The "POM Order"), the Medicines (Pharmacy and General Sale- Exemption) Order 1980 SI No 1924, the Medicines (Sale or Supply) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 1980 SI No 1923.
For further details, including lists of the mediciations which optometrists are permitted to prescribe please click here.
General Optical Council - Additional, Supplementary & Independent Prescribing
If you wish to view the GOC's competencies for therapeutic prescribing and details of the training that is required for independent prescribing, click here.
College of Optometrists - Prescribing Guide
The College of Optometrists has produced a guide for optometrists who are considering whether to undergo training to become prescribers, outlining those aspects which would assist in reaching an informed decision. Please click here for further information.
Reclassification from POM to P of chloramphenicol eye drops
The documents relating to the reclassification from POM to P of chloramphenicol eye drops can be viewed if you click on the pdf reports to the right of the screen. Following the conclusion of the consultation process, chloramphenicol 0.5% eye drops are now a P medicine and can be issued freely by pharmacists i.e. it is now available without a prescription for the treatment of acute bacterial conjunctivitis. The Association believes that pharmacists should prescribe chloramphenicol only with caution and that they should never treat red eye if the patient is a contact lens wearer without the prior approval of an optometrist. Whilst there are many benefits to be gained by patients from independent prescribing by pharmacists, the Association’s particular concern is that given the difficulty of accurately diagnosing many eye conditions without access to a slit-lamp microscope, the inadvertent treatment of a dendritic ulcer, for example, with a steroid, could be potentially sight threatening. Similarly, without access to a slit-lamp, microbial keratitis in a contact lens wearer may be mistaken for conjunctivitis with devastating consequences. The National Pharmaceutical Association supports this view and has issued advice accordingly.
Written Orders
The pdf document below entitled 'Therapeutic exemptions and written orders' provides an example of a written order, for optometric use.
