Optometry Australia’s submission to the MBS Review Taskforce

Optometry Australia has provided its submission to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review Taskforce consultation on the Ophthalmology Report at the end of December 2019.

In its submission, the organisation applauded the Taskforce’s recommendation to pursue options for intravitreal injections to be performed by non-medical doctors, including optometrists.

Optometry Australia believes that collaborative models of care where optometry plays a role in the provision of treatment via intravitreal injection can support better patient access to safe (and vision-saving) treatment.

The submission argues that “an efficient and effective system would support ophthalmologists to spend the majority of their time undertaking tasks that only they can perform, and that those patients who can be managed safely by an optometrist or a nurse would be managed by these health professionals”, and highlights evidence that demonstrates that appropriately-trained non-medical health professionals are able to undertake intravitreal injections safely.

Read more about the MBS Review Taskforce recommendations (new story published by Optometry Australia in August 2019).