Assessing the effect of Independent Prescribing for community optometrists and referral rates to Hospital Eye Services in Scotland.

Eye
Mariam El-AbiaryDavid Lockington

Abstract

Since 2010, General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) legislation and Independent Prescribing (IP) enable community optometrists to manage primary eye conditions. No studies have assessed the effect of IP. We wished to determine the distribution of IP optometrists and associated hospital referral rates across Scotland. In 2019, FOI requests (General Optical Council and NHS Education Scotland) identified all registered IP optometrists in Scotland and their registered postcodes. Data regarding community eye examinations and referrals to HES since 2010 were gathered via Information Services Division of NHS Scotland. As of March 2019, there were 278 IP optometrists in Scotland (278/1189; 23.4%). Two hundred eighteen IP optometrists work in 293 practices across 11 of Scotland's 14 health boards. There was a strong correlation (r = +0.96) between population density and number of IP optometrists. Fifty-six percent of IP optometrists work in the two most deprived quintiles. Since IP's introduction, there has been a marked increase in anterior segment supplementary visits (+290%). Optometry referrals to GPs have reduced by 10.5%, but referrals to HES have increased by 118% (to 96,315). There was no correlation between quantity of IP optometrist...Continue Reading

References

Jan 22, 2003·Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics : the Journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)·S C Lash
Nov 22, 2005·The British Journal of Ophthalmology·B J W EvansB Cocco
Apr 23, 2008·Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics : the Journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)·Justin J NeedleJohn G Lawrenson
Jan 22, 2009·Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics : the Journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)·T J PierscionekB K Pierscionek
Jun 19, 2013·The British Journal of Ophthalmology·Liying LowCaroline Macewen
Oct 30, 2016·Journal of Public Health·M FungN Hirji
Oct 7, 2017·Journal of Public Health·Robin LeggeGunter Loffler
Feb 26, 2019·Clinical Ophthalmology·Roxanne AnnohRoshini Sanders

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