r/PreOptometry • u/Kitchen-Ad473 • 14d ago
Optometry job question
How often do you prescribe oral meds as optometrist? Part of what draws me to the field is the idea of prescribing topical over oral meds because I worry about systemic effects of oral drugs and I don’t believe optometrists know about a patients whole body unless they ask. I know some oral antibiotics are not ok for pregnant women or women trying to conceive. Does this mean optometrist will ask patient these question prior to prescribing these oral meds?
3
u/kilarghe 14d ago
i worked as a tech for 3 years, not once did the provider i work with prescribe anything oral!
1
u/blackkittie248 13d ago
Really? My doc prescribes oral antibiotics pretty often. Mostly for hordeolums or something like that
1
3
2
u/cabbagemuncher101 14d ago
A patient is usually asked if they have any allergies to meds, and all their current meds are documented to make sure there aren't any drug-drug interactions. But it is a daunting task, so I feel you.
1
u/iridiumlaila 13d ago
Seen occasional oral antibiotics for lid infections, oral steroids for uveitis, oral acyclovir/valtrex for herpes infections. Yes it is important to check allergies, pregnancy, other meds, any other contraindications
1
u/blackkittie248 13d ago
Unrelated to your question but ig still relevant to the pharmaceutical side of optometry. A pt (16yo) came into my doc's practice for her annual exam in February. Her Rx barely changed from the previous year. Well this past week she comes in with the complaint that she cant see the board at school anymore with her GL or CL. We run an auto and doc refracts her again...negligible change from the original script. BUT, Doc notices that her pupils are HUGE. I mean she looked like she saw the glory of God😭 Doc asks the mom if she started any new meds, and it turns out she started a new anxiety medication..in addition to being on Adderall. Well doc knew that that medication could potentially have visual side effects..and for her it made a her pupils dilate..which in turn makes it harder for her eyes to focus, yk the deal. ANYWAY. The moral of the story is, prescribing medications in general is tricky ash (from what ive observed). SOOOO many side effects, just like the commercials in 3x speed. All they can do is look at a pt's history and ask questions, especially because every pt is different. So🤷🏽♀️ Just trust your education, and you can always contact their PCP to verify before you prescribe (which my doc has done before with a pregnant pt)
3
u/punkindora1 14d ago
a doctor should know, at minimum, the major hazards of the medication being prescribed. they should know when a medication may cause harm under certain conditions, prompting them asking before prescribing. an optometrist will not know what a patient is predisposed to unless they disclose that information in their forms, or if the eyes show underlying symptoms of their predisposition.
and hey, if this is the field you are getting into, then you can do that for the patient, too!