Key Takeaways
- NICE's draft guidance recommends against NHS funding of low-dose atropine for myopia control in children aged 3 to 14 years who meet specified progression and severity criteria
- NICE cited insufficient evidence to determine whether low-dose atropine represents value for money in this population, while noting that the recommendation does not affect private treatment
- Existing NHS treatment started before publication of the guidance would not be affected, and the recommendation remains subject to NICE's final decision
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is consulting on draft guidance recommending against National Health Service (NHS) funding of low-dose atropine eye drops to slow myopia progression in children who meet specified criteria in England.
According to a post on Association of Optometrists' website, the draft recommendation applies to children aged 3 to 14 years with myopia progression of at least 0.50 D per year and myopia ranging from -0.50 D to -6.00 D. The recommendation concerns NHS funding and does not affect the use of low-dose atropine through private care.
NICE said the draft recommendation is based on uncertainty about the cost-effectiveness of low-dose atropine in this population.
“This is because there is not enough evidence to determine whether low-dose atropine eye drops are value for money in this population,” the draft guidance states.
If the recommendation is finalized, low-dose atropine would not be routinely funded by the NHS for slowing myopia progression in children who meet the criteria outlined in the guidance. However, NICE specified that the recommendation is not intended to alter NHS treatment that began before publication of the guidance.
“This recommendation is not intended to affect treatment with low-dose atropine eye drops that was started in the NHS before this guidance was published,” NICE stated. “People having treatment outside this recommendation may continue without change to the funding arrangements in place for them before this guidance was published.”
The guidance remains in draft form and is subject to consultation before NICE issues its final recommendations. NICE invited stakeholders to comment on whether all relevant evidence was considered and whether its summaries of clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness reasonably reflect the available evidence.
The consultation closed August 19.
Following publication of the draft guidance, the Association of Optometrists (AOP) updated the atropine section of its guidance on myopia management in clinical practice to reflect the NICE recommendation. Because the recommendation is provisional, the final position could change following NICE's consideration of consultation responses and additional evidence submitted during the appraisal process.
