Australian optometrists may soon align with their Kiwi counterparts in prescribing oral medicines under proposed changes now open for public consultation.
The Optometry Board of Australia (OBA) is seeking feedback on revisions to its registration standard: ‘Endorsement for scheduled medicines and guidelines for use of scheduled medicines’, with submissions closing on 24 December 2025. The review follows an update to the National Prescribing Competencies Framework by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
In its announcement, the OBA said almost 80% of Australia’s more than 7,000 registered optometrists already hold an endorsement to prescribe scheduled medicines. The proposed change would extend this to selected oral medicines listed on OBA’s website, subject to ongoing review.
If the change is successful, patients in Australia could receive oral therapy directly from optometrists, avoiding the need to see multiple practitioners. “The proposed changes would boost access to eyecare, particularly in rural and remote areas, and allow patients to get urgent treatment on the spot,” said the OBA. Prompt access to oral medicines can prevent vision loss, it continued. “The evidence demonstrates that optometrists in Australia are educated, trained and qualified to safely prescribe both topical and oral medicines, but to date have not been able to offer their patients all treatment options,” said OBA chair Dr Stuart Aamodt.
Optometry Australia (OA) welcomed the move as a “long-awaited step after more than a decade of advocacy”. The consultation recognises the profession’s evolving role in the national health workforce, said OA CEO Skye Cappuccio. Since optometrists already carry responsibility for identification and diagnosis of eye conditions, the reform would give them the authority to complete management, she said. “It streamlines care, reduces unnecessary referrals and strengthens the profession’s role within the health workforce.”
