As Edmonton’s population ages, it is expected that there will be an increased demand for the services of eye health care professionals. A decision has been made that will greatly increase access to these services.
Amendments have been made to provincial legislation that will allow optometrists across the province to perform a wider range of testing, diagnosis, and treatment for conditions affecting the health of the eye.
The new rules will allow them to order and perform ultrasound testing, order lab tests, prescribe a broader range of medications to treat eye diseases, and to treat certain kinds of glaucoma.
This will allow more people to access these things in smaller communities that may not have an eye specialist. It will also reduce the wait times for these services, while freeing up the specialists to deal with issues that require more complex care.
As the population ages, it is expected that there will be an increase in the numbers of eye diseases due to both diabetes and aging.
There are currently 645 optometrists in 80 communities across the province. Those wishing to be able to perform these new duties will be required to take a rigorous training and certification program.
It is hoped that the new rules will be in place by the end of the year.
Many optometrists may wish to inform their patients about the services they can now provide. Brochure printers can create pamphlets that will let people know about the changes.
