CHANGING OPTOMETRIC REGULATION WILL HELP ADDRESS VISION PROBLEMS

Myopia is on the rise in children as young as pre-school age, and it is almost unthinkable for office workers to boast good vision. The need for eye doctors and optometrists is growing, but due to inadequate regulation of the latter specialty, optometrists face problems in defining their roles.
Representatives of the Ministry of Health (MoH) discussed this with experts in the field.

Strengthening all links is essential

Vytautas Tuminas, the head of Baltic Optical Dimension, who introduced the participants to the latest technologies in the production of spectacle lenses and the range of medical devices available, said that optometrists play a crucial role in solving patients' vision problems. "It is clear that today, in order to meet all the needs of the market and to offer the right spectacle lenses to consumers, it is necessary to strengthen all the links involved in vision correction, including the role of optometrists. This should be an integrated part of the process with clearly defined functional boundaries", says Mr Tuminas.

Bronislovas Daukšas, President of the Association of Optometrists, says that there is currently a need for regulation that specifies what functions optometrists can and cannot perform. "Optometrists are responsible for selecting glasses and contact lenses for patients. However, only doctors can prescribe glasses, so optometrists currently act as a consultant. If they were allowed to write prescriptions for spectacles, it would greatly facilitate the work of doctors, who would be able to treat patients and optometrists would have more autonomy in their work," said Bronislovas Daukšas, President of the Association of Optometrists.