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Prescription Only Medicines (POM's)

Registered optometrists
Provided it is in the course of their professional practice registered optometrists may sell or supply the following medicinal products to a patient:
  • All medicinal products on a General Sale List (Note: Under medicines  legislation products which are for use as eye drops or eye ointments are excluded from the GSL category.); and
       
  • All P medicines .
Provided it is in the course of their professional practice and in an emergency registered optometrists may sell or supply:         

POMs which are not for parenteral administration and which:
a. are eye drops and contain not more than 0.5 per cent chloramphenicol or
b. are eye ointments and contain not more than 1 per cent chloramphenicol 
c. contain the following substances:
     Cyclopentolate hydrochloride
     Fusidic Acid
     Tropicamide
 
Additional supply optometrists
In addition to being able to access the medicines listed above those optometrists who have undergone additional training and are accredited by the General Optical Council (“additional supply optometrists”) will be able to sell supply or write an order for an extended range of medicines. 
 
Further details can be found on the www.mhra.gov.uk website.
Timolol 0.25% 5ml (POM)
CODE: TIM25
Legal Class: POM Drug Class: Beta-blockers How Supplied: Timolol
Indications: Ocular hypertension, chronic open angle glaucoma, secondary glaucoma.
Adult Dose: Initially, 1 drop of 025% soln. in each affected eye twice daily changing to 05% soln. twice daily if required.
Child Dose: Not recommended.

Timolol 0.5% 5ml (POM)
CODE: TIM5
Legal Class: POM Drug Class: Beta-blockers How Supplied: Timolol
Indications: Ocular hypertension, chronic open angle glaucoma, secondary glaucoma.
Adult Dose: Initially, 1 drop of 025% soln. in each affected eye twice daily changing to 05% soln. twice daily if required.
Child Dose: Not recommended.

Mydriacyl 0.5% 5ml (POM)
CODE: MY5
Generic Ingredient(s): Tropicamide Legal Class: POM Drug Class: Mydriatics
How Supplied: Tropicamide
Indications: Mydriatic, cycloplegic.
Adult and Child Dose: 1 or 2 drops of either strength at 1-5 min. intervals. Use additional drop if not examined within 30 min.
Maxidex 5ml (POM)
CODE: MDEX
Generic Ingredient(s): Dexamethasone , Hypromellose Legal Class: POM Drug Class: Corticosteroids and antibiotics
How Supplied: Dexamethasone 01%, hypromellose 05%
Indications: Inflammation of anterior segment.
Adult and Child Dose: Severe disease, 1 or 2 drops hourly, reducing as inflammation subsides. Mild disease, 1 or 2 drops up to 4-6 times daily.

Maxitrol Ointment 3.5g (POM)
CODE: MAX35
Generic Ingredient(s): Dexamethasone , Hypromellose , Neomycin , Polymyxin B Legal Class: POM Drug Class: Corticosteroids and antibiotics
How Supplied: Maxitrol Ointment Dexamethasone 01%, neomycin sulph. 035%, polymyxin B sulph. 6,000 iu per g.
Indications: Infected ocular inflammation.
Adult and Child Dose: Apply three or four times daily.