Optician’s Act and country situation in optometry

its about country situation and optometric practice scope in Pakistan, and how optician's act evolve as the time pass

1. Optician’s Act & country situation and optometric practice name :amna Hassan Roll Number : O 2174

2. Optician’s Act It provides the legislative framework in which optometrists and dispensing opticians operate. The Opticians Act gives the Council powers to make orders, rules and regulations. HISTORY - Initially passed in 1958 - Updated act past in 1989 - Has recently been amended again (2005)

3. Roles - To provide for the registration of opticians and the enrolment of bodies corporate carrying on business as opticians. - To regulate the practice of opticians - To impose restrictions on the testing of sight and the supply of optical appliances

4. General Optical Council The GOC was established in 1958 by a piece of legislation known as the Opticians Act . Functions 1. Setting the standards for optical education and training 2. Approving qualifications leading to registration. 3. Maintaining a register of individuals who are qualified and fit to practice 4. Investigating and acting where a registrant’s fitness to practice, train, or carry on business is impaired. 

5. Why it is essential The Opticians Act is essential for the professions and the public because it ensures that nobody can practice as an optometrist or a dispensing optician, or use those titles, without being regulated . They take action against optician who do not meet standard of professional conducts Also against who break the terms of opticians Act .

6. The Act set up the GOC and regulates various functions , Testing of sight Fitting and supply of contact lenses Supply of optical appliances

7. Testing of sight REGULATIONS Examination : When a doctor or optometrist tests the sight of another person, it shall be his duty To perform, for the purpose of detecting signs of injury, disease or abnormality in the eye or elsewhere ( i ) An examination of the external surface of the eye and its immediate vicinity (ii) An intra-ocular examination, either by means of an ophthalmoscope or by such other means as the doctor or optometrist considers appropriate ( iii) Such additional examinations as appear to the doctor or optometrist to be clinically necessary; and

8. Fitting and supply of contact lens The sale and supply of optical appliances is governed by S.27 of the ACT . Covers the supply of all contact lenses including ‘ zero-powered contact lenses ’ which are specifically mentioned as separate category of contact lenses The process of contact lens fitting is defined as assessing suitability and where appropriate, providing one or more contact lenses for use during a trial period.

9. Rules • Only registered optometrists, doctors, contact lens opticians may fit contact lenses • You should discuss options with patients to help them make informed choices . • You should give patients wearing powered or zero powered contact lenses the same degree of care as they are exposed to the same risks to their ocular health. • Patients wishing to wear zero powered contact lenses should have had a recent sight test. • You must record all the relevant information in the patient notes. • You must provide the patient with appropriate advice and written information to wear and care for their lenses.

10. Supply of optical appliances The GOC made statement on the issue of patient health and safety regarding the sale and supply of optical appliances and confirmed its position in relation to three main categories of appliances 1. Spectacles 2. Zero- powered contact lenses 3 . Sight correcting contact lenses

11. Criminal offences Testing of sight while unregistered (section 24) Fitting of contact lenses while unregistered (section 25) Sales of optical appliances (e.g. spectacles or contact lenses) which do not meet the requirements set out in the Opticians Act and/or the Sale of Optical Appliances Order of Council (section 27) Use of a  protects title  while unregistered (section 28)

12. Medicines Act 1986 It is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. It governs the control of medicines for human use which includes the manufacture and supply of medicines. Possession of a prescription drug without a prescription is an offence if the drug is also controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

13. The Medicines Act has traditionally granted exemptions from the general rules laid down in the act “ to allow optometrists to use certain prescription-only medicines (POMs) in the course of their professional practice” and in particular circumstances to supply them to their patients. The POMs that are available to optometrists for supply can be sold or supplied directly to patients in emergency situations only . • Routinely, these drugs should be supplied via an order written by the optometrist, which can be presented by the patient to a registered pharmacist

14. C ountry Situation and optometric practice: The correction of refractive error is a priority component with in the plan areas of action under Vision 2020 According to WHO Blindness survey of 1987 in Pakistan ,the prevalence of blindness rate is 1.78% 20% blindness is due to Refractive error Recent reported near 1% prevalence rate of blindness in the country There is no evidence available to estimate the extent type of services available for refractive error

15. Scope of optometry The scope of optometric practice has expand continually . The traditional core of optometry has always consisted: Screening for ocular dieases Objective and subjective refraction Binocular vision testing Ophthalmic dispensing

16. Thank you