The Viure per Veure-hi campaign to provide free screening tests in Catalan pharmacies

The Institut de la Màcula, in collaboration with the Ecoceutics network of pharmacies and with the support of Topcon and the Barcelona Macula Foundation: Research for Vision, are launching the Viure per Veure-hi (Live for seeing) campaign this March. Held at pharmacies throughout Catalonia, this initiative is directed at the early detection of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The campaign will involve a series of quick and simple tests conducted on people of over 50 years old in order to identify those at risk of AMD and raise awareness of the disease. Screening will be made with an optical coherence tomography (OCT) instrument provided by Topcon and, according to the results obtained, the patient will receive advice on the steps to follow. The tests are aimed particularly at men and women with a family history of AMD, smokers – a factor that increases the risk of developing the disease- and those who have not undergone an eye examination for over a year. The team from the Institut de la Màcula is currently engaged in preparing for these tests. They have created materials devoted to publicising the initiative, which will begin on March 10 and 11 at the Cap de la Vila Pharmacy in Sitges.