Minor amendments to guidelines for use of scheduled medicines

18 Oct 2019

The Optometry Board of Australia (the Board) has made minor amendments to appendices in the Guidelines for use of scheduled medicines after receiving support from a vast majority of stakeholders.

Appendix A and Appendix B of the guidelines have been amended following extensive consultation with stakeholders including government health departments.

Appendix A of the guidelines has been amended with a change in the concentration of phenylephrine to 2.5% to reflect the standard concentration mass produced for dilation and cycloplegia.

The Board has made three changes to Appendix B. Amendments have been made to:

• correctly categorise four schedule 2 drugs, Antazoline, Azelastine, Ketotifen and Levocabastine from a former incorrect category of anti-inflammatories to fall under the correct category of decongestants/anti-allergics
• amend the reference to phenylephrine from 1% to 2.5% or less, and
• to add a drug, Ganciclovir to the schedule 4 anti-infectives category in the event it becomes TGA-approved.

The remaining content in the guidelines and Appendix C are unchanged.

The Board considers the proposed revisions benefit public safety, will have a minor effect on the profession and are intended to help endorsed optometrists to deliver timely, safe and quality health services. The revised appendices to the Guidelines for use of scheduled medicines are available on the Endorsement for scheduled medicines page of the Board’s website.