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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.
Acular 5ml (POM)
CODE: ACU
Generic Ingredient(s): Ketorolac Legal Class: POM Drug Class: NSAIDs
How Supplied: Ketorolac trometamol
Indications: Prophylaxis and reduction of inflammation and associated symptoms following ocular surgery.
Adult Dose: 1 drop 3 times daily for up to 3 weeks starting 24 hours before operation.
Child Dose: Not recommended.
Alomide 0.1% 10ml (POM)
CODE: ALO10
Generic Ingredient(s): Lodoxamide Legal Class: POM Drug Class: Antihistamines and anti-inflammatories
How Supplied: Lodoxamide (as trometamol)
Indications: Allergic conjunctivitis.
Adult Dose: 12 drops in each eye four times daily.
Child Dose: Under 4 years, not recommended; over 4 years, as adult.
Alphagan 5ml (POM)
CODE: ALPHA
Generic Ingredient(s): Brimonidine Legal Class: POM Drug Class: Alpha agonists
How Supplied: Brimonidine tartrate
Indications: Open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, as monotherapy where beta-blockers are contraindicated or as adjunct to other agents when target IOP is not achieved with a single agent.
Adult Dose: 1 drop in the affected eye(s) twice daily approximately 12 hrs apart.
Child Dose: Not recommended.
Azopt Eye drops 5ml (POM)
CODE: AZO
Generic Ingredient(s): Brinzolamide Legal Class: POM Drug Class: Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
How Supplied: Brinzolamide
Indications: Monotherapy where beta-blockers are ineffective or contraindicated or as adjunct to beta-blockers, in open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.
Adult Dose: 1 drop in the affected eye two or three times daily.
Child Dose: Under 18 years, not recommended.
Azyter
CODE: AZY
Generic Ingredient(s): Azithromycin Legal Class: POM Drug Class: Antibacterials How Supplied: Azithromycin dihydrate Indications: Purulent bacterial conjunctivitis, trachomatous conjunctivitis. Adults: 1 drop into affected eye(s) twice daily in the morning and evening for 3 days. Children: Bacterial conjunctivitis: under 2 years, not recommended; over 2 years, as adult. Trachomatous conjunctivitis: under 1 year, not recommended; over 1 year, as adult.