Optometrists’ Contribution to the Total Prescribing of Ocular Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agents (TPAs) in New Zealand

Optometrists are primary eye care providers in New Zealand and are authorised to prescribe ocular Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agents (TPAs) or medicines for eye conditions.  TPA data were collected from 2012 to 2016 to examine the number of ocular TPAs prescribed by all health practitioners (GPs, ophthalmologists, and optometrists) and the proportion of these TPAs prescribed by optometrists.

In 2016, optometrists were prescribing 2% of TPAs prescribed by all health practitioners.  This proportion was close to the proportion of optometrists in the health practitioner workforce of 3%.  There is potential for optometrists to increase their contribution to therapeutic prescribing and play an important role in addressing the increasing demand for eye care services in New Zealand.