Ocular Emergencies & Urgent Care: Pharmacologic Treatment Protocols - Optometry Continuing Education, 2 Hours

Approved for 2 Hours

Here's How Simple It Is:

1. Read the material online
2. Complete the quiz online
3. Get your certificate and earn hours towards your license renewal
4. Access Optometry automatically reports your completions to COPE and your state board (if applicable) within 7 days

Course Outcome

≥93% of participants will improve their ability to recognize, diagnose, and treat urgent ocular conditions using the appropriate medications to reduce complications and improve patient outcomes.

Course Objectives

After completing this course, the participant will be able to:

• Identify the pharmacologic steps for treating acute ocular conditions such as uveitis, corneal abrasion, chemical injury, and angle closure.
• Recognize key clinical signs that distinguish bacterial, herpetic, fungal, and parasitic keratitis.
• Understand when and how to initiate systemic therapy in infections like herpes zoster ophthalmicus and gonococcal conjunctivitis.
• Apply risk-based decision-making for culture collection, fortified versus commercial antibiotics, and adjunctive agents.
• Avoid common treatment pitfalls such as inappropriate steroid use or delayed referral in vision-threatening infections.

Who Should Enroll?

• Doctors of Optometry (ODs): ODs who manage ocular disease and want to strengthen their competence in emergency pharmacologic protocols.
• Clinicians practicing in urgent care settings or co-managing with ophthalmology who need to make confident, evidence-based treatment decisions.
• ODs looking to sharpen their diagnostic skills and therapeutic decision-making in both primary care and acute presentations.