In a nutshell, an optometrist is a health care expert who provides corrective lenses based on your visual analysis prescribed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Corrective lenses could come in the form of either contacts or glasses. The purpose of the optician is to shift the prescription into a custom-designed opthalmic lens.
The definition may be plain however the real transition takes an enormous amount of consultation, skill and craft. An optometrist will confer with patients to produce eyewear that best meet your demands by assembling information about the patient on the role of the glasses, their level of activity, the necessity of protection and the contour of facial features and the eye.
Ophthalmic opticians use a miscellany of instruments ranging from simple measuring gadgets to more complicated examination devices. This allows the ophthalmic optician to produce a custom design, fitting and dispensing of the eyewear to fit the unique needs of individual patients.
Using the prescription from an optometrist or ophthalmologist, the optician, they use a number of techniques and equipment that will give the necessary correction to an individual’s eyesight. Opticians also design and fit special lenses to correct cosmetic, traumatic or anatomical defects. Successful corrective eyewear hinges greatly on the skill and the craft of Opticians to ensure comfort, taste preferences, functionality and design.
Optometrists may work in a variety of areas such as independent or joint practice, hospitals, eye care centers or retail stores. However, registered Opticians have got to meet standards of practice and training, commit to ongoing education, hold professional liability insurance and are held to these standards by their respective regulating bodies.
The most advantageous arena is to locate Opticians who provide services within an eye care center and work in a team with other eye care professionals such as optometrists, ophthalmologists and technicians. These services are provided within the context of larger eye care centers and also known as “on-site optical” departments.
The advantages of an “on-site optical” department is that the optometrist has easy accessibility to other eye care professionals and co-workers, allowing the ophthalmic optician to troubleshoot any problems or obstacles that might arise from patients.