Use of diagnostic pharmaceutical agents and incidence of adverse effects.

A drug registry was established at Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) to study use rates and incidence of adverse side effects of the nine pharmaceutical agents in the California optometry law. Data were gathered in clinics of SCCO for 6 months and offices of 20 private practitioners for 3 months. Data included drugs used, the strength and dosage, patient age, sex, and racial or ethnic origin. Adverse drug reactions were reported in detail, including objective and subjective findings, duration of the reaction, and case disposition. A total of 12,493 drug applications were reported. A low incidence of adverse reactions, eight cases (0.208%), which produced no permanent effects, is sound evidence regarding the risk/benefit ratio in support of the use of pharmaceutical agents by optometrists.