Visus writes: What's in a name

Has anyone noticed the increasing use of the confusing term “Optician” ? Confusing because it lacks specificity and conveniently glosses over the inherent differences at the expense of public understanding. A few years ago ABDO had an extensive debate over a name change to the extent that a full consultation into dropping the use of the term “dispensing” was conducted, a debate that failed at both ABDO Board and amongst members. But what’s happening? Slowly, insidiously, DO’s are being referred to as opticians not dispensing opticians. Clearly this is without the authority of the electorate of dispensing opticians.

With neither the public nor the government knowing the difference and few if any corporate bodies using the term “optometry” perhaps its done so everyone gives up and DO’s get the right to “refract” after all. But hang on. Its not the right to refract that is desired, it’s the right to prescribe which is the real target. Prescribing lies at the heart of sight testing and common law predating the 1948 NHS Act and the 1958 (updated 1989) Opticians Act by case law dating back to 1911. Current sight testing regulations demand an internal and external examination of the eye and I doubt we are set to follow British Columbia’s rule change.