St Andrews opticians celebrate staff qualifications

Julia Campbell, who is Ophthalmic Director at Specsavers St Andrews and has been with the store for more than 15 years, has recently gained her qualification in independent prescribing (IP) which means she can now clinically assess a patient, establish their diagnosis and determine the correct clinical management required and prescribe this where necessary.

Julia studied remotely via Glasgow Caledonian University and completed a year of hospital placements to gain her qualification.

She is not the only member of staff celebrating qualifications in store, Stella Kariuki, qualified as an optometrist after doing her pre-registration training with the store. Stella made the decision to move to the UK from Kenya aged just 18 years old, after recognising there was a critical shortage of eyecare specialists in the UK.

Stella says: ‘I started my studies at the University of Bradford, before moving north of the border to St Andrews. Working for Specsavers has provided me with invaluable exposure to various practices and innovations within the field of optometry. I eagerly anticipate the continued growth and opportunities which lie ahead in my career.’

Julia says: ‘Being able to gain my IP qualification is something that I’ve wanted to do for quite some time, and I want to give a special thanks to my team here at Specsavers St Andrews for the support they have given me whilst I was studying. This qualification will enable us to provide even better care for our patients, ensuring we continue to meet their needs with the highest level of expertise.’