Speak Out for Eye Health
On May 1st, 2010, B.C.’s Ministry of Health Services made major changes to regulations for optometrists and opticians under the Health Professions Act – changes that put the eye health and overall health of British Columbians at risk.
Overview of changes
The new regulations allow opticians to dispense eyeglasses and contact lenses from an independent “sight-test” using automated computerized equipment. This removes the eye health examination by an optometrist or ophthalmologist which could determine if there are underlying eye or overall health problems that the patient is not aware of. As well, internet companies selling eyeglasses and contact lenses no longer have to verify with the prescriber to ensure the prescription is correct.
Why these regulations are wrong!
The B.C. Association of Optometrists and its member optometrists believe these types of “Buyer beware” regulations are not appropriate for health products and services. Your vision, eye health and overall health are too important.
- The new regulations will result in eye disease going undetected. Without an optometrist or ophthalmologist examining your eyes, there is no way to know if your eyes are healthy, or if your vision change is a result of eye disease. People with eye disease don’t always have symptoms that are noticeable in early stages, when their condition is most treatable.
- Allowing online sale of eyeglasses and contacts without verifying the prescription shifts the responsibility for accuracy to you, the patient, instead of the prescriber or seller. This is wrong. Health regulations should protect you, regardless of where you choose to buy your eyewear – whether online, at an optical store or at an optometrist’s office.
- These health care regulations go against the recommendations of eye health professionals and are out of step with standards across North America. The regulatory bodies for optometry and medicine (ophthalmology) have determined that a sight-test (refraction) should never be done without conducting a thorough eye examination – because of the very real risk of undetected eye disease.
There is no jurisdiction in North America where you can purchase contact lenses or glasses without evidence of a valid prescription. Nowhere else in North America is it legal to dispense eyeglasses or contacts from an unsupervised sight test by an optician. - The new regulations aren’t about protecting health. The government news release indicated that an October 2009 decision by the B.C. Court of Appeal found that Coastal Contacts, a B.C.-based online eyewear seller with approximately 120 employees, is contravening the regulations by dispensing contact lens refills without seeing a prescription and that “these regulatory changes will address the court decision.”
Take Action Now!
The changes came into effect on May 1, 2010 but the BCAO is asking the government to revise the regulations to protect the eye health and overall health of British Columbians. We’ve issued news releases outlining our concerns. We’re meeting with MLAs and have met with the Minister. We need your help!
