The Welsh government has pledged to add eyecare to the national common ailments scheme due to launch in 2016.

Pharmacists will also receive training to raise awareness of and refer patients to other eye health services, health minister Mark Drakeford announced on Wednesday (September 18).

The announcements are part of the Welsh government's five-year plan to boost eye health, which aims to address the 22 per cent increase in sight loss forecast by 2020. Almost 100,000 people currently experience sight loss in Wales and the government estimates half of these cases could have been prevented; the sight loss figure is expected to double by 2050.

The government named pharmacy as vital to boosting early detection of eye conditions. It pledged to train pharmacists on eligibility and referral options for its national eye health examination programme and diabetic retinopathy screening service.

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	But success could only be achieved if there was better joint working between primary care professionals, the government stressed. Targeting at-risk groups through services such as smoking cessation and healthy eating campaigns would also be important, it said.

Mr Drakeford said the strategy should improve prevention, treatment and support for eye health issues. "We need to ensure more people have regular sight tests and that eye health problems are detected early," he stressed. "People need to know where they can access services, care and support in their local area and also be assured they will have rapid access to services and support where they need it."

Community Pharmacy Wales (CPW) welcomed pharmacy's "strong role" in the plans, and said it would formalise the work done by pharmacies in July's ‘look after your eyes' public health campaign.

In the first fortnight of the campaign, pharmacists referred 50 patients to Wales Eye Service and a further 200 to optometrists, according to a CPW survey. A full evaluation of the campaign is due later this month.