OC backs antibiotics awareness week

Eye care practitioners are ideally placed to treat eye conditions and therefore reduce overuse of antibiotics, the Optical Confederation stressed last week.

It signed up to support Public Health England’s #AntibioticsGuardian initiative, pledging to encourage the prudent use of antibiotics in the sector.

Speaking on behalf of the OC, IP optometrist Jane Bell said: ‘Primary care optical practices have the appropriate skills and equipment to enable earlier expert diagnosis of the underlying cause of red eyes and other minor eye conditions, eliminating unnecessary prescribing of antibiotic eye drops and ointment.

‘Optical professionals are ideally placed community eye health experts that can support the local NHS to make the right diagnosis, prescribe the right treatment and get the right result for patients with eye problems whilst reducing the overuse of antibiotics.’