| is the difference between opticians and | | | | Association of British Dispensing Opticians so he |
| optometrists? This is a question that has caused | | | | could open his own optical shop should he choose |
| some confusion to most. People who have trouble | | | | to. |
| with their eyesight just go to an optical shop for | | | | Optometrists or ophthalmic opticians, on the other |
| a check-up to know if they need eyeglasses or | | | | hand, are eye care professionals who examine |
| contact lenses. Most do not know if the | | | | our eyes and fill out prescriptions for eye |
| professional assisting them is an optician or an | | | | correction and improving overall eye health. |
| optometrist. | | | | Optometrists are dispensing opticians too but are |
| Opticians and optometrists are not the same. | | | | also qualified to diagnose, prescribe and treat eye |
| They have different expertise when dealing with | | | | problems. They can find out what is wrong with |
| eye-care. You should be aware of the differences | | | | your eyes and in the process fit you with the |
| for you might not be in the right clinic for your | | | | right eyeglasses or contact lenses. |
| eye trouble. | | | | Many older people also rely on optometrists to let |
| There are other professionals that specialise in | | | | them know if they get early onset or possibly |
| eye care and all of them work together to keep | | | | even avoid cataracts, glaucoma and other serious |
| our eyes healthy. The first in line with regards to | | | | eye diseases. They can then be referred on to |
| eye care are the Dispensing Opticians and | | | | specialists, when necessary. |
| Optometrists (also known as Ophthalmic | | | | Like the dispensing opticians, optometrists in the |
| Opticians). These are then followed by | | | | UK are also required by the General Optical |
| OMP’s (Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners), | | | | Council to register with the College of |
| Ophthalmologists and Orthoptists. | | | | Optometrists. The title MVOptom and FCOptom |
| When you go to the opticians in the UK, they can | | | | may be added to their names but you should |
| either be just dispensing opticians or optometrists. | | | | know that optometrists are not medical doctors. |
| Most clinical shops have both, for convenience. | | | | OMP’s, ophthalmologists and orthoptists |
| Dispensing opticians do not write prescriptions, but | | | | are the medical doctors for eye care. Serious |
| only give them out. They provide glasses, contact | | | | degenerative eye diseases should be treated by a |
| lenses or optical prosthesis based on prescriptions | | | | medical doctor specialising in eye diseases. |
| written by optometrists. Most dispensing opticians | | | | OMP’s can examine, diagnose and treat |
| are only qualified to fit glasses, but there are also | | | | eye problems but they are not qualified to do |
| many who are qualified to fit contacts and | | | | surgery and other procedures of the same |
| prosthesis. In a nutshell, an optician makes | | | | nature. Ophthalmologists are the real medical |
| eyeglasses. | | | | doctors as they can do surgical procedures |
| To qualify, an optician must have a 2-year course | | | | including laser surgery. They can also diagnose and |
| and has at least a year’s experience | | | | treat eye diseases. Orthoptists are medical |
| working under a qualified optometrist. After the | | | | doctors who specialise in eye movement |
| one year training he could register to the | | | | problems. |