"Dr. Nina Ahuja, president-elect of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, says surgery must remain in the hands of physicians and handing over even seemingly minor procedures to optometrists is "200 per cent unsafe" for patients. Ahuja is responding to news that the Ontario and Alberta governments are working with optometrists to implement proposed changes to their practice, which they say would improve access to eye care."
"Both professions specialize in the eye, but optometrists are primary eye care providers, with a four-year professional degree after an undergraduate education, and ophthalmologists are surgeons and eye disease doctors, with at least nine years of medical training, also after an undergrad program. Based on her more than 20 years as an ophthalmologist, Ahuja said surgery is not just about technical training, but understanding how the entire body works, and the relevance of a patient's medical history. She compares the role of an optometrist to an air traffic controller and an ophthalmologist to a pilot. "The air traffic controller knows a lot about aviation. They've done a lot of things in that realm. Your pilot has a completely different skill set. If you've got a family and you're travelling home for a vacation or you're travelling home for the holidays, who do you want to be flying the plane? I know I would want the pilot," she said."
Provincial governments in Ontario and Alberta are working with optometrists on proposed scope-of-practice changes that could let optometrists perform minor in-office surgical procedures under local anesthesia, use laser therapy for cataracts and glaucoma, order diagnostic tests, and practice independently. Ophthalmologists emphasize that ophthalmic surgery requires extensive medical and surgical training and comprehensive understanding of systemic health and medical history. Optometrists complete a four-year professional degree after undergraduate study, while ophthalmologists complete at least nine years of medical training. Concerns focus on patient safety and the risks of transferring surgical tasks to practitioners without surgical training. Advocates for change say adjustments would improve access to eye care, while surgical specialists caution against expanding scopes without ensuring comparable training and oversight.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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