When to refer
A one-page guide for GLP-1 prescribers
This table is a practical guide, not a clinical practice guideline. Fuller context is on GLP-1 RAs and NAION: what prescribers should know.
| Situation | Urgency |
|---|---|
| Sudden, painless vision loss or a new field defect in one eye | Same day: ophthalmology/optometry or the ED. Contact the eye doctor directly. |
| Age over 50 with vision loss plus headache, jaw claudication, scalp tenderness, fever, or weight loss | Emergency. Evaluate for giant cell arteritis (ESR, CRP, CBC with platelets). Do not delay treatment while waiting for an eye exam. |
| New headache with transient visual obscurations or pulsatile tinnitus, especially in a young patient with obesity (possible IIH/papilledema) | Urgent eye exam (within days) |
| Prior NAION or known disc at risk before starting a GLP-1 RA | Routine-soon. Coordinate the decision with eye care or neuro-ophthalmology. |
| Diabetes with no exam in the past 12 months, or known retinopathy, before a large A1c reduction | Routine-soon |
| Asymptomatic patient with no eye risk factors | Routine eye care per usual schedule. Dr. Deom still recommends a comprehensive dilated exam with OCT, OCTA, and retinal photography as a baseline and for follow-up; that is his clinical opinion, not a society mandate. |
How to reach us
Same-day evaluation: providers can call or text Dr. Deom’s cell at 570-436-1930.
General contact and referrals: Hazleton Eye Specialists, phone 570-453-2020, fax 570-453-1020.
All five offices — Hazleton, Stroudsburg, Nanticoke, Pottsville, and Bangor — have OCT, OCT angiography, and fundus photography with autofluorescence. Addresses are on Find an Eye Doctor.
Medical disclaimer. This page is educational and is intended for licensed health care professionals. It is not a clinical practice guideline and does not replace clinical judgment, product labeling, or specialty consultation. Information is current as of the “last reviewed” date.