Participants in the first Australian ocular therapeutics course for optometrists

Historical Significance: In the 1990s great emphasis was placed on Australian optometrists gaining the legislative rights to use schedule 4 medicines to treat eye diseases. US optometrists in the various US States had gained these rights in the period 1975 to 1998. Australian optometrist (especially those in Victoria) set out to follow the US example, beginning about 1985. As a part of its political campaign the Victorian Division of the Australian Optometric Association organised a formal course in ocular therapeutics even though certification of successful completion of the course would not confer any rights to use and prescribe ocular therapeutics in Victoria until enabling legislation was passed by the State parliament. This did not deter Victorian optometrists from taking part in thos course as the number of participants in the photograph demonstrates, this despite the high cost of the course and the requirement to gain clinical experience in the USA in order to qualify for the certificate of successful completion. Rights to use and prescribe ocular therapeutics were granted by State legislation in Victoria in 1996 and given practical effect in 2000 and some of those in this photograph were among the first to be endorsed for use of ocular therapeutics. See Cat No. 3174 for a photograph and information about the organisers and lecturers in the course. For more detailed information see Cole BL. A history of Australian Optometry. 2015 Chapter 13.