1:30min
Optometry Australia is proud to announce the completion of a comprehensive Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) for Optometrists Clinical Practice Guide, designed to support optometrists in the safe, effective, and appropriate prescribing of medications.
Developed in collaboration with expert stakeholders, the QUM Clinical Practice Guide is a timely resource for the profession, equipping optometrists with up-to-date information on medication use and considerations for patient safety. It aims to ensure optometrists are equipped with the best-practice knowledge necessary to take on greater prescribing responsibilities into the future safely and effectively.
Key highlights of the guide include:
- Best-practice recommendations for prescribing safely and effectively
- Guidance on antimicrobial stewardship to combat resistance
- Considerations for vulnerable patient populations, including paediatric and elderly patients
- Medication interactions and adverse effects to be aware of in optometric care
- Ethical and regulatory considerations in prescribing.
The Quality Use of Medicines for Optometrists Clinical Practice Guide is available in the Optometry Australia Institute of Excellence, supported by multiple choice questions to reinforce what you have learnt from reading the guide. The Quality Use of Medicines for Optometrists course offer 2.5T hours of quality assured CPD, which is automatically uploaded to your CPD portfolio upon completion.
Optometry Australia has also released a Position Statement on Medicines, outlining in detail our position on the prescribing of medicines by optometrists – we continue to call on that the Optometry Board of Australia to take action to review and contemporise the Guidelines for the Use of Scheduled Medicines, to enable therapeutically endorsed optometrists to prescribe oral medications for the purpose of practising optometry.
- Read the full Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) for Optometrists guide here.
- View the Executive Summary here.
- Complete the Quality Use of Medicines for Optometrists course to access 2.5T hours of quality assured CPD.
This initiative reflects Optometry Australia’s commitment to supporting members with high-quality professional resources that enhance clinical confidence and patient care. We encourage all optometrists to integrate this guide into their practice and continue their commitment to safe and effective prescribing.