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Managing Eye Allergy with Topical Pharmaceuticals – A First Year Optometry and Pharmacy Student Workshop
University of Houston
Type of Project: Primarily Didactic Education with some components of Clinical Education and Extracurricular / Orientation / Social
Description of the Project: This workshop is intended to introduce the 1st year optometry and pharmacy classes, and facilitate cooperative education around a common clinical chal- lenge – the use of over-the-counter (OTC) medications to manage ocular allergy. The three hour workshop includes an ice-breaker to allow the students to learn more about each other, their chosen profession, and the role of pharmacists and optometrists in managing ocular allergy. Neither 1st year pharmacy nor optometry students have received formal coursework on ocular allergy or anti-allergy ocular medications, so they come to the workshop on equal ground. Students are provided a case example of a patient presenting to a commercial pharmacy on a Saturday night asking about ways to alleviate their “itchy eyes.” They are given information about the clinical signs and symptoms, and walked through a differential diagnosis of potential causes for red or irritated eyes. They work together to explore the options for OTC treatments. Sample OTC products are provided for students to understand product labelling. Faculty from pharmacy and optometry provide information on the mech- anism of action, potential side effects, pregnancy and age considerations, indications and contraindications. They are also taught how to educate patients on the proper use of ocular medications and when it’s appropriate to refer a patient (to an optometrist, allergist, etc.). A pre- and post-learning assessment is incorporated to evaluate knowledge gained during the workshop, and a survey is used to ascertain acceptance and suggestions for future workshops. Students also receive take home quick reference guides on some common OTC artificial tear and allergy medications.
Why the Project was Selected: Ocular allergy is a common clinical condition encountered by both optometrists and pharmacists. There are a growing number of OTC options to manage allergies - from bland artificial tears to vasoconstrictors, decongestants, generic, homeopathic, and previously prescription-only anti-histamine products. It is important for pharmacists and optometrists to understand the options available to patients, be able to make educated recommendations for OTC products, and understand when to refer or pre- scribe topical or oral medications.
Learning Objectives:
Students completing the workshop will learn:
Ë The roles of optometrists and pharmacists in managing ocular allergy
Ë The signs, symptoms and differential diagnoses for common “red eyes”
Ë The mechanism of action, side effects, indications, contraindications for common eye allergy medications
Ë How to counsel patients on the use of topical ocular medications
Ë How to make appropriate OTC recommendations for ocular allergy and when and to
whom to refer
June 2020 ASCO IPECP Toolkit
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