Survey says...
- Americans prefer Doctors of Optometry as their eye care expert nearly 2x more than MDs (ophthalmologists).
- The most-trusted source for reliable eye health information is a Doctor of Optometry - not an MD (ophthalmologist or primary care physician).
(American Eye-Q Survey, Results published Jan 2019)
Every day...
Doctors of Optometry use a microscope to diagnose over 270 systemic health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, auto-immune diseases, cancers and more.
These doctors are trusted and more accessible as their eye surgeon colleagues (ophthalmologists) are not even in half of the counties in Virginia.*
*Source: VDHP
Why do optometrists need states to legislate their profession?
Every state governs the privileges of its health care providers through licensing programs. For example, every optometry school trains its students for in-office eye laser procedures and in-office surgical care but every state decides the rights of its doctors to perform these procedures. Typically, MDs try to limit the rights of optometrists, dentists, nurses, chiropractors and other health care professions.
Ophthalmologists (eye surgeons) that oppose the 2022 'Optometry Bill' will say:
Click each statement below to learn more
- Ophthalmologists will say that If an optometrist performs in-office eye laser procedures, the patient will require re-treatment 2.5 times
- Eye MDs will argue that only MDs have the training to perform in-office eye laser procedures
- Ophthalmologists will argue there is no need to expand access for optometrists to perform in-office eye laser procedures
- Ophthalmology will argue that this new bill opens the door to hidden surgical procedures being performed by optometrists
- MDs will argue that optometrists meet with and donate to legislator campaigns
- Eye MDs will argue that optometrists only take a weekend course to get certified for in-office eye laser procedures
- MDs fight all scope of practice changes against Optometrists
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One optometrist in Oklahoma performed more laser procedures than a group of ophthalmologists. MDs exploited that by writing a paper about it. However, MDs refused to look at the nationwide data because it showed 13x more Eye MDs required patients to have 3 procedures compared to when Doctors of Optometry perform the same.
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Doctors of Optometry have been performing in‑office eye laser procedures since the 1990s. The argument that only MDs are supposed to perform these procedures ended more than two decades ago.
Every Doctor of Optometry school in the USA teaches and trains optometrists for in‑office surgical and in-office eye laser procedures. In addition, every Optometrist that qualifies to perform in‑office eye laser procedures has been certified by experts including by ophthalmology. It's time to update Virginia Code to the 21st century.
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Doctors of Optometry have been performing in-office eye laser procedures for decades. Virginia is late to adopt such a law. Eye MDs published an article in 2018 that proved patients would have to drive nearly 2x further by limiting in-office eye laser procedures to only ophthalmologists.*
JAMA Ophthalmology 2018
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The 'Optometry Bill' before the 2022 General Assembly only allows three in‑office eye laser procedures called: selective laser trabeculoplasty, peripheral iridotomy, and posterior capsulotomy. These three in‑office procedures do not include major surgeries like cataract surgery, retina surgery, LASIK and more. In fact, the 2022 'Optometry Bill' includes a long list of surgical exclusions to bolster the confidence of all involved because only three procedures are allowed in the language of the bill.
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Optometry is a legislated profession. Not unlike dentists, chiropractors, podiatrists, physical therapists and other doctor-level health professions, these non-MD professions must legislate to be allowed to perform any patient care. That means that each of these professions must meet with legislators regularly to discuss health care trends and issues. In fact, even the MD lobby will meet with legislators and give campaign contributions yearly.
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In-office eye laser procedure certification is a major endeavor. It requires:
- 4 years of Doctor of Optometry school
- Evaluation and management of thousands of patients
- Years of training in ocular disease and treatment
- Three board examinations
- Performance proficiency examination
Clearly this is impossible to accomplish in only one weekend.
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MDs in Virginia have fought against the ability of Doctors of Optometry to care for their patients since the 1980s. In that time, MDs have tried to stop Optometrists from:
- Dilating patient’s pupils.
- Prescribing eye drops for pink eye and glaucoma.
- Prescribing oral medication for eye infections and inflammation.
- Performing in-office procedures to treat eye infections, inflammation and other conditions.
MDs try to convince the public and legislators that their care is the only one that should allow these medical procedures despite there being zero evidence of ill-effects of optometric care over the past four decades. The entire Optometry profession has been built upon personal eye health and vision care for the betterment of society. This is why the public prefers Optometrists for their personalized eye health care.
Virginia Media Updates
Virginians’ vision will benefit from upcoming eye care legislation
Doctors of optometry, like all health care professionals, must meet certain licensing requirements to practice in Virginia. These requirements ensure optometrists have the education and training to provide safe, quality care to patients. Unfortunately, optometry is also a legislated profession, meaning the services an optometrist provides can be dictated by elected officials and medical lobbies rather than a doctor’s qualifications.
Bills would help Virginians’ access to eye care
In 2009, I was preparing to graduate from optometry (OD) school, concluding eight years and thousands of hours of specialized training concentrated on the eyes and the systemic diseases and conditions that can affect them. I was excited and moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for a residency program — a unique program that trains ODs to perform therapeutic laser treatments and provides...
Optometrists properly trained for new roles
During this year’s General Assembly, legislators will consider optometry legislation to allow Virginia’s optometrists to perform three in-office procedures to treat glaucoma and provide after-cataract surgery care. Opponents of these bills are questioning our ability to perform these procedures by claiming that we, doctors of optometry, also known as optometrists, do not have the training to perform these procedures. Additionally, they claim the legislation isn’t...
Expanding optometric scope of practice will improve health care delivery
In his Feb. 4 opinion piece, “Eye surgery should be left to the experts,” Dr. Michael Keverline blurred the lines of reality regarding critical legislation that will help Virginians see more clearly.
During this year’s General Assembly, legislators are considering optometry legislation to allow Virginia’s optometrists to perform three in-office...
Virginia Optometrists have changed their scope of practice a few times over the past 40 years to keep their patient care up to the standards of the doctor's education, ability and training. During those times, the procedures to adapt optometry laws have not been requested lightly. The experience of Virginia Doctors of Optometry over the past 40 years shows their incredible track record of neighborhood patient care and trust within the legislative community.
Optometry and Ophthalmology play a vital, coordinated role in modern eye care
Doctors of Optometry respect and work closely alongside Ophthalmologists to provide their patients the best possible eye care in Virginia.
Ophthalmologists provide a critical surgical role in LASIK, incisional glaucoma surgery, retinal surgery, eye muscle surgery, corneal transplants, and much much more. Patients are much better served when each discipline is able to practice to the fullest extent of their education and training.
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