Ophthalmologists should be able to prescribe bevacizumab, says royal college

Ophthalmologists should be able to prescribe the most appropriate treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration, including off-label bevacizumab (Avastin), provided that patients give their informed consent, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists has said.

The college said that it has long petitioned for a review to find out how bevacizumab could be more widely available in the NHS to treat wet AMD.

Using bevacizumab rather than the far more expensive ranibizumab or aflibercept would have “the potential to release funds for much-needed reinvestment into over-stretched hospital eye services,” it said.

Mike Burdon, the college’s president, called for all relevant parties to come together to resolve the issues.

Ophthalmologists have said that the General Medical Council’s guidance, which says that doctors cannot …