The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7357 p37
9 July 2005

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News summary

Supplementary prescribing extended to optometrists

Optometrists joined the ranks of those able to become supplementary prescribers on 30 June (PJ, 15 May 2004, p600).

At the same time, optometrists who have completed additional training and been registered by the General Optical Council as “additional supply optometrists” gained power to sell or supply an extended range of medicines in an emergency. These include acetylcysteine, atropine sulphate, azelastine hydrochloride, diclofenac sodium, emedastine, homotropine hydrobromide, ketotifen, levocabastine, lodoxamide, nedocromil sodium, olopatadine, pilocarpine hydrochloride, polymyxin B/bacitracin, polymyxin B/trimethoprim and sodium cromoglicate (PJ, 5 June 2004, p698).

Pharmacies are now allowed to sell these products to additional supply optometrists on receipt of an order signed by them.