Diagnostic Pharmaceutical Agents

Diagnostic Pharmaceutical Agents (DPA’s) are topical ophthalmic drugs used in optometric practice to aid in the diagnosis of ocular conditions and disease. This module reviews the role of an Optometric Assistant pertaining to the use of DPA’s in clinical practice highlighting the importance of case history, instillation, documentation and consent. The four most common classes of DPAs are reviewed including anesthetics, mydriatics, cycloplegics and dyes.