An overview of Optimizing Eye Care Through Collaboration Between Pharmacists and Optometrists: The Role of Healthcare Administration

Abstract

Eye care is an essential aspect of global health, with vision impairment and blindness affecting over 2.2 billion people worldwide. Effective management of common ocular diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, dry eye syndrome, and age-related macular degeneration often requires a multidisciplinary approach. Pharmacists and optometrists play complementary roles in this effort. Pharmacists, as accessible medication experts, provide vital services such as medication counseling, adherence monitoring, and patient education. Optometrists, as primary eye care providers, specialize in the diagnosis and management of ocular conditions, performing comprehensive exams and prescribing treatments.Collaboration between these two professions can optimize eye care delivery by addressing gaps in medication adherence, enabling early detection of ocular diseases, and improving patient outcomes. Healthcare administration is pivotal in fostering this synergy through the establishment of shared care pathways, implementation of technology for seamless communication, and development of policies to support integrated care. This review explores the distinct roles of pharmacists and optometrists, opportunities for collaboration, and the strategic contributions of healthcare administration in optimizing eye care. The potential of this interdisciplinary approach is highlighted as a means to enhance patient access, reduce the burden of vision impairment, and improve long-term outcomes.