End to eye supplement prescription in Guernsey saves £85,000

The product has been removed from the prescription list in Guernsey

A vitamin product marketed to prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD) will be removed from the Guernsey prescribing list.

The Committee for Health and Social Care said scrapping Viteyes as a prescription option would save up to £85,000 a year.

From January 2024, in line with the UK, it will only be available to buy from pharmacies and opticians.

About 500 people are prescribed Viteyes, the government said.

It said NICE had not found sufficient evidence to support its prescription on the NHS and the island's Prescribing and Formulary Panel had recommended its removal in Guernsey.

Deputy Tina Bury, vice-president of the Committee for Health and Social Care, said: "Decisions such as this, as difficult as they are, are crucial particularly in the current financial climate."

She said it would save up to £85,000 plus fees each year, which could fund other treatments and services.

Ms Bury said a specialist service run by the Ophthalmic Department offered "injected biologic products" at "significant NHS discounts", some of which were "more effective than Viteyes".

She advised those with eye health concerns to talk to their GP or optometrist.