Several BSSA members have asked about the NHS proposal which will possibly remove eye drops from prescriptions. BSSA Chairman, Linda Stone OBE has provided a statement.
"The BSSA is a patient organisation committed to the support of patients with Sjogren’s Syndrome. Sjogren’s Syndrome is a chronic, autoimmune disease causing dry eyes and mouth, joint pain, fatigue and other systemic manifestations. It affects about 1 in a 1000 of the adult female population in the UK. The BSSA fully endorses the recently published, NICE approved guideline which recommends the prescription of preservative free eye drops and fluoride containing oral products. (https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article/doi/10.1093/rheumatology/kex163/3895124/The-British-Society-for-Rheumatology-guideline-for?guestAccessKey=a9b699e6-6b83-4215-af51-55e882f0527c).
The BSSA would urge NHS England to ensure that patients with Sjogren’s Syndrome are not disadvantaged as an unintended consequence of the outcome of the current consultation to reduce inappropriate and wasteful prescribing."
Linda Stone OBE, BSSA Chairman
