Eyeworld

16 | EYEWORLD | DECEMBER 2023 ASCRS NEWS by Jake Grodsky, MD, and David Palmer, MD About the physicians Jake Grodsky, MD Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellow Ochsner Health New Orleans, Louisiana David Palmer, MD Clinical Associate Professor Department of Ophthalmology Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University Chicago, Illinois their partially used medication home for post- operative use. In this issue's EyeSustain Update column, Jake Grodsky, MD, and David Palmer, MD, provide practical steps ophthalmologists can take to change perioperative eye drop multidosing protocols at their own institutions and operating rooms. —Aakriti Garg Shukla, MD EyeSustain Editor D rug waste in healthcare is a critical concern. In this context and within ophthalmology, perioperative eye drop use is an important issue on which we can make a significant impact in reducing waste. 1 Our particular focus is on perioperative eye drop waste, emphasizing the pivotal role physicians play in recognizing the issue and driving tailored solutions for oph- thalmic care. A common theme among most intraocular surgeons is the need for perioperative ocular anesthesia, dilation, and infection prevention. EYESUSTAIN UPDATE Drug waste and how physicians can move the needle at their institutions On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I use one bottle of eye drops on many patients. These bottles are not disposed of at the end of the day but are used for months until they expire or run out. Other ophthalmologists use these bottles on their patients as well. However, on Tuesdays, I open a new bottle for each patient and use only one to three drops from each bottle. Often, the patients need these eye drops to use at home, but instead of giving them the bottle that was opened for them, I throw the bottle away and ask them to purchase a new bottle at the pharmacy. These seemingly irrational practices are the reality for many of us in the U.S., where regulatory agencies limit multidosing of perioperative eye drops and don't allow patients to take their postoperative drops home with them. Given these protocols, it is no surprise that there are regularly 10 or more ophthalmic drugs that remain unavailable on an ongoing basis. In 2022, ASCRS, AAO, AGS, and OOSS endorsed the multisociety position paper on reducing topical drug waste in ophthalmic surgery. 1 These guidelines, which summarized the recommendations of the FDA, CDC, and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, stated the following: Topical drugs in multidose containers can be used on multiple patients, they can be used until the labeled date of expiration, and patients should be able to bring doctors can establish a presence and to focus on education, raising the local standards for both patient care and physician training. Through our international partners, we're working in multiple countries to create a lasting change in the treatment of global cataract blindness. The ASCRS Foundation continues to recog- nize those leaders whose work advances global ophthalmology. We were proud to announce Helena Ndume, MD, as the 2023 Chang-Cran- dall Humanitarian awardee at the 2023 ASCRS Annual Meeting in San Diego, California. Dr. Ndume donated her $100,000 award to SEE International, an organization committed to ending preventable blindness and one that she has personally volunteered with for more than 25 years. The ASCRS Foundation remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering educational and innovative experiences to promising young oph- thalmologists. Ten Resident Excellence Awards and five Young Eye Surgeon International Service Grants were given to improve access to education and help inspire a life-long commit- ment to humanitarian eyecare. We cannot say thank you enough for the immense support you have shown to the ASCRS Foundation this past year. Our patients now have the opportunity to regain employment, become independent, and build lasting rela- tionships with their friends and family. We look forward to everything that we will accomplish together in 2024. continued from page 14

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