Opticians refracting in Canada

[IvanMDMD]

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My best friend is an optometrist in GA (but canadian) and he sent me this article (concerned) and I figured it would be something I should share with you guys.😱

http://www.ontario-opticians.com/OOA_Comment_On_Standard_of_Practice_for_Refractometry_Nov_2007.pdf
Sounds like canadian opticians will eventually be allowed to refract patients.

 

[Jay12]

Your link doesn't seem to be working.

 

[qwopty99]

the specific link doesn't, but

http://www.ontario-opticians.com/

does.

there's lots of $hit going on on that page.

ur right - the one-sided view presented there certainly suggests they are getting refraction.

the actual law that passed (~May 2006) permited refraction under certain circumstances (i.e. under the supervision of an OD or MD). it seems they've interpreted that to mean they can get trained by an OD, then do it on their own later.

keep in mind, that site doesn't seem to be an authority site (i.e. not the college), but there is plenty of college-printed material on the side (as PDFs) that supports "Refractometry".

 

[IvanMDMD]

Link has been fixed

http://www.ontario-opticians.com/OOA_Comment_On_Standard_of_Practice_for_Refractometry_Nov_2007.pdf

 

[blazenmadison]

My best friend is an optometrist in GA (but canadian) and he sent me this article (concerned) and I figured it would be something I should share with you guys.😱

http://www.ontario-opticians.com/OOA_Comment_On_Standard_of_Practice_for_Refractometry_Nov_2007.pdf
Sounds like canadian opticians will eventually be allowed to refract patients.

Rumors have it Wal-mart is lobbying for this in the U.S.

I think the only good thing about the oversupply of ODs is that there is no need for more refractionists.

 

[Ben Chudner]

Rumors have it Wal-mart is lobbying for this in the U.S.

I think the only good thing about the oversupply of ODs is that there is no need for more refractionists.

I don't know if Wal-Mart is lobbying for this, but you are looking at it the wrong way. Neither Wal-Mart, nor state legislators care about whether there is an oversupply or not. If Wal-Mart is pushing for this, it's because OD's take up valuable retail space in their stores, plus want to do all those worthless tests like tonometry and fundus exams which takes time away from performing more refractions. By replacing an OD with a refracting optician they can place an Epic 2100 in the corner and free up the doctor's space for more tires. Then they can charge $10 for a refraction, or even give it away if they want. In my opinion, this will be the end of small private practice offices. Only the larger offices that have been built on more than the retail sale of glasses will survive. So, once again I'll say that maybe corporate docs are really helping to protect the profession as we know it. By working for Wal-Mart, maybe they keep Wally from pushing for refracting optician legislation. Just a thought.

 

[mtrlOATgal]

a law has been passed in vancouver where opticians are allowed to do refractions with the autorefractor but patients have to sign a consent form stating that they understand that this preliminary examination is not accurate and that they are ok with this..... why would anyone want inaccurate glasses?!?!

well that is pretty crazy...... opticians are fighting hard for this over there and optometrists are as well

 

[gochi]

I told you guys/girls this transition is going to happen.
What do you guys/girls expect future salaries to be with this change ?

 

[Ben Chudner]

I told you guys/girls this transition is going to happen.
What do you guys/girls expect future salaries to be with this change ?

Slow down,turbo. This has not happened in the US. So far, in the states this has come up (my state, for example), the state associations with the help of the AOA have been very sucessful in explaning the issues to the legislators. It will take more than opticians in Canada to make this a reality in the US.

 

[IndianaOD]

Slow down,turbo. This has not happened in the US. So far, in the states this has come up (my state, for example), the state associations with the help of the AOA have been very sucessful in explaning the issues to the legislators. It will take more than opticians in Canada to make this a reality in the US.

If it becomes more prevalent in Canada it would be a good time to be an OD/JD up there! Start looking for missed glaucoma cases!

 

[jefguth]

Cool down everyone! The link above is in response to the new "standards of practice" for refraction by opticians in Ontario.

The "standards" basically says that a patient can only be refracted by an optician if said patient has had an eye exam within the last 365 days with an OD or MD, and only if that OD or MD has either given the optician clearance to perform refraction and fabricate an ophthalmic device on the results informed by the refraction.

Basically, this restricts sight-testing opticians even more than ever before. Before this "standard of practice" document opticians that were already refracting in Ontario were just doing it and sending a copy of an Rx to an MD, usually not even an ophthalmologist, to get the signature without the MD having ever met the patient. Sometimes they didn't even bother doing that.

At least now patients have to have full eye exams, otherwise the opticians are committing acts of professional misconduct and subject to disciplinary action by the regulatory college.

Amazing how ppl jump to such wild conclusions without ever having read the link posted above!🙄

 

[jaguilar]

I have had the opportunity to have had one of these said "sight exams". It was way before I became interested in optometry and was confused by the sign. The place offered free vision tests. I sat in a chair and looked into an auto then I answered a couple of "is 1 or 2 better?" questions. After finished the "exam" the Rx was faxed to an OD 4 provinces over for a signature. I put on my new glasses and couldn't see anything. I'm actually plano. I knew as soon as I left that it was a waste of my time and money. When talking to other patients who have also had this done, it seems to me that everyone is pretty dissatisfied with it. So I don't think that its going to replace ODs or improve walmart.

 

[qwopty99]

I have had the opportunity to have had one of these said "sight exams". It was way before I became interested in optometry and was confused by the sign. The place offered free vision tests. I sat in a chair and looked into an auto then I answered a couple of "is 1 or 2 better?" questions. After finished the "exam" the Rx was faxed to an OD 4 provinces over for a signature. I put on my new glasses and couldn't see anything. I'm actually plano. I knew as soon as I left that it was a waste of my time and money. When talking to other patients who have also had this done, it seems to me that everyone is pretty dissatisfied with it. So I don't think that its going to replace ODs or improve walmart.

no one has replied to this? this is hilarious!

 

[Ben Chudner]

no one has replied to this? this is hilarious!

What do you want us to say? I think it speaks for itself.

 

[MacGyver]

Its not fun when other people cut into your turf, is it guys?

Maybe now you understand why OMDs are fighting you tooth and nail over all these surgical procedures you guys want to do.

What goes around, comes around.

Its always hilarious when this happens and you see the hypocrites coming out of the woodwork to simultaneously justify ODs doing LASIK while arguing against opticians doing refractions.

 

[Ben Chudner]

Its not fun when other people cut into your turf, is it guys?

Maybe now you understand why OMDs are fighting you tooth and nail over all these surgical procedures you guys want to do.

What goes around, comes around.

Its always hilarious when this happens and you see the hypocrites coming out of the woodwork to simultaneously justify ODs doing LASIK while arguing against opticians doing refractions.

What's hypocritical is the fact that OMD's don't have a problem with this. For all their talk about patient safety, they don't seem to care that patients will get refractions without having the health of their eyes evaluated. The thinking is that patients will believe this to be an eye exam and disease will go undiagnosed. Maybe patient safety doesn't matter when it doesn't cut into their turf. Talk about hypocrites!

It's also hilarious when OMD's state that OD's want all these surgical rights when the truth is that there is very little surgury that organized optometry wants. Sure you can find the fringe OD that wants to perform cataract extractions and LASIK, but organized optometry in every state has never asked for those priviledges.

 

[prettygreeneyes]

Its not fun when other people cut into your turf, is it guys?

Maybe now you understand why OMDs are fighting you tooth and nail over all these surgical procedures you guys want to do.

What goes around, comes around.

Its always hilarious when this happens and you see the hypocrites coming out of the woodwork to simultaneously justify ODs doing LASIK while arguing against opticians doing refractions.

This topic has been hashed and rehashed. We don't need to go down that road... again. In other words... don't feed the troll.