'Emergency' eye care plan for opticians

COMMON and emergency eye conditions could be treated on the high street under new rules to allow optometrists and opticians access to more medicines.

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Changes proposed by the Government - aimed at shifting more care into the community and cutting pressure on GPs - would give those working in eye care a greater role in diagnosing patients and prescribing drugs for issues like dry eye, severe allergy and bacterial conjunctivitis.

Optometrists and contact lens opticians would be able to sign off on prescription-only medicines in an emergency or for the prescription to be filled locally in a pharmacy.