Debate has continued on the issue of dispensing opticians winning the right to refract eye patients - with further responses from two leading optical bodies.
The Association of British Dispensing Opticians, which has proposed a separate register for refracting opticians, said concerns about its plan were understandable but misguided.
Both the College of Optometrists and the Association of Optometrists have expressed public health concerns related to the proposal.
However, ABDO vice president Peter Black said, assuming opticians could only refract within the recall period specified by the optometrist since their last eye health check, refraction could actually improve patient safety.
He said: 'The optician could easily simply dispense spectacles to the 12-month-old prescription but would be well advised to refract the patient to ensure the prescription is as accurate and up to date as possible.
'This additional check of history and symptoms, vision, prescription and visual acuity, could easily identify signs that would merit referral to an optometrist, especially if routine pre-screening could also be incorporated.'
He added that a shortage in optometrists - disputed by the AOP - would become more noticeable as more clinical functions arose.
Last week, the AOP said it was 'concerned about any proposal to establish refraction as a stand-alone element separate from a full sight test'. Like the College, it also said full eye examinations by optometrists were needed to protect public eye health.
ABDO stressed all children and patients who had never had a full eye examination would still see the optometrist under its proposal, while refracting opticians could not be lone practitioners, and a full examination would still be required every two years.
Under ABDO's proposals, first tabled in 2010, its members could qualify to refract by taking its FBDO R qualification (News 24.02.12). But the General Optical Council said it had no plans to explore the change to the Opticians Act that would be required.