What is an Optometrist?

About Optometrists

An Optometrist, also referred to as an eye doctor, is a medical specialist who focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting vision, the eyes, and the area around the eyes including parts of the eye anatomy such as the eyelid, sclera, conjunctiva, iris and cornea.

Optometrists perform full eye examinations such as visual field testing to diagnose vision-related problems and to detect any irregularities of the eye such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, peripheral vision as well as the focus and coordination of the eyes.

While Optometrists are not trained or licensed to perform surgery, they work in conjunction with and refer patients to an Ophthalmologist to ensure patients receive surgical treatment if and when required

Treatments provided by Optometrists can prescribe topical eye drops and oral medications such as antibiotics or pain medication as part of patient treatment. Optometrists can also prescribe eye exams corrective lenses such as eyeglasses and other vision aids which are provided by other specialists within the field of vision medicine, Opticians. Opticians specialize in vision correction and patients may be referred to them for corrective ophthalmic appliances such as eyeglasses, frames and lenses, contact lenses, and other vision aids.

Licensed optometrists can do further training in sub-specialties of optometry that include geriatric optometry, pediatric optometry, sports vision, or vision therapy.

Useful Resources

Canada

Canadian Association of Optometrists

Alberta

Newfoundland and Labrador

New Brunswick

Nova Scotia