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 identify over 270 systemic health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, auto-immune diseases, cancers and more.
Optometrists are trusted and more accessible since their eye surgeon colleagues (ophthalmologists) are not even in half the counties in Alabama.*
*Source: COHPC
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 but each state’s scope of practice differs. The Alabama Legislature has created licensing boards, such as the Alabama Board of Optometry, to regulate health professions in the interest of protecting the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Alabama. Typically, MDs try to limit the practice of optometrists, dentists, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health professionals.
Ophthalmologists (eye surgeons) that oppose the 2023 '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 laser and eyelid 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
- 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 laser and in-office eyelid procedures since the 1990s. The argument that only MDs are supposed to perform these procedures ended more than two decades ago.
Every US Doctor of Optometry school in the USA teaches and trains optometrists for in‑office laser and in-office eyelid procedures. In addition, every Optometrist that qualifies to perform in‑office laser and in-office eyelid surgery procedures has been certified by experts including by ophthalmology. It's time to update the Alabama Practice Act to the 21st century.
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Doctors of Optometry have been performing in-office laser and in-office eyelid procedures for decades. Alabama 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 these in-office eye procedures to only ophthalmologists.*
JAMA Ophthalmology 2018
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The 'Optometry Bill' before the 2023 Alabama Legislature only allows specific in‑office laser and eyelid procedures. These in‑office procedures DO NOT include major surgeries like cataract surgery, retina surgery, LASIK and more.
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In-office laser and in-office eyelid 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 Alabama 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.
Alabama is quickly falling behind our neighbors in the South, despite being home to one of the most prestigious optometry schools in the nation.
Alabama Optometrists have changed their scope of practice several times over the past 40 years to keep their patient care up to the standards of the doctor's education, ability and training. The experience of Alabama 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 Alabama.
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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