How Opticians and Ophthalmologist are different Dr. Matthew Quinn, MD, FRCSC, Ophthalmologist

The majority of people who have vision problems, can't see well because they need glasses. A small percentage of people will have a problem in the eye that requires medical treatment. An optometrist exist as a primary eye health professional to provide vision testing and glasses to patients who need that service and also increasingly to perform the function of screening for more serious eye conditions.

Ophthalmologist exist not only to provide further screening and diagnosis for ocular disease, but to provide surgical intervention and medical treatments to patients who need it. Their job is to provide medical therapy, laser and surgical therapy to patients who have medical issues with their eyes. They also help patients manage their conditions over the long term, for example, patients that need to have regular anti-vegf injections to treat existing conditions. There are also ophthalmologist who sub specialize in certain conditions such as glaucoma or cataracts. This allows patients to get very specialized treatment based on their conditions.

In a perfect world, the different roles of an optometrist and ophthalmologist are a partnership. An optometrists is specifically trained to deal with eye health and are typically more effective in managing eye health conditions than even a GP. They are the first line of screening for eye diseases and predominantly manage vision correction. The ophthalmologist is trained to diagnose, treat and manage any medical or surgical condition of the eye.

Another difference between the two professions is that you do not require a referral to see an optometrist. Anyone can phone an optometrist and make an appointment at any time. In order to see an ophthalmologist, you would need to have a referral from either an optometrist or a family doctor.

If you are unsure about whether you need to see an optometrist or an ophthalmologist, don’t hesitate to reach out to your local optometrist or family physician for clarification.

Presenter: Dr. Matthew Quinn, Ophthalmologist, Ottawa, ON

Local Practitioners: Ophthalmologist