Hydroxychloroquine retinopathy: screening needed to prevent blindness

To the Editor: Hydroxychloroquine is used infrequently (in less than 0.1% of Australians) for the long-term management of chronic conditions (eg, rheumatoid arthritis).1 Hydroxychloroquine retinopathy is a rare but sight-threatening side effect that is usually not reversible.2-5 Various eye screening recommendations for hydroxychloroquine toxicity have been proposed overseas,3-5 but there is no recommended consensus for eye screening in Australia. As a result, screening is currently not uniform or universal, and this sometimes leads to significant consequences.