Seanad debates

Tuesday, 25 February 2003

Opticians (Amendment) Bill 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages.

 

I know there was considerable pressure on the Department to allow the use of atropine, but this was not allowed. We are not specifying in the legislation the drugs which may be used and I pointed out on Second Stage that I was one of those who had prescribed Chloramphenicol eye ointment, which subsequently was proved to cause agranular cytosis. It was decades before we understood that the local application of a powerful antibiotic such as that to which I refer – which was so useful in the treatment of eye infections – could actually cause depression of the bone marrow and the development of agranular cytosis. Even if this Minister does not, some other Minister in the future could extend the use of the drugs.

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