The World Council of Optometry defines the profession
Optometry is a healthcare profession that is
autonomous, educated, and regulated (licensed/registered), and optometrists are
the primary healthcare practitioners of the eye and visual system who provide
comprehensive eye and vision care, which includes refraction and dispensing,
detection/diagnosis and management of disease in the eye, and the
rehabilitation of conditions of the visual system.1
The definition includes the keywords autonomous, regulated and primary health care.
Autonomous refers to the independence
of the functions of an optometrist as defined above but does not exclude
interactions with other health care providers like general practitioners,
ophthalmologists and neurologists. Regulation refers to the legal guidance of the profession’s standards
and practice competency in the jurisdiction of practice. Primary health care (PHC) is
aimed at universal coverage for all by
various policies some of which are; reaching out directly to communities at the
point of their needs, reducing social barriers to equity health care
distribution, and engaging other sectors of the society in health care provision2.
In 2005, a committee set up by the World
Council of optometry set out a Global Competency Model for the profession
worldwide. This is in a bid to reduce the challenges faced by migrating
optometrists due to disparity in optometric job functions across countries of
the globe. In addition, it aims at harmonizing the educational curricula
of optometry schools worldwide and define the minimum standards necessary for
an optometrist. The committee set four competency levels of the optometric practice
worldwide3.
1. Optical Technology Services. Management and
dispensing of ophthalmic frames and other ophthalmic devices that correct
defects of the visual system
2. Visual function services. Investigation,
examination, measurement, diagnosis and correction/management of defects of the
visual system
3. Ocular diagnostic services. Investigation,
examination and evaluation of the eye and adnexa, and associated systemic
factors to detect, diagnose and manage disease
4. Ocular therapeutic services. Use of pharmaceutical
agents and other procedures to manage ocular conditions/disease
At that the time of the , to be regarded as
an optometrist worldwide, such must be competent at least up to category 2
(visual function service). It was not until 2011 that the World Council of
Optometry set that the minimum broad competency to be regarded as an
optometrist worldwide as detection of ocular disease or abnormality which falls
under category 3 (Ocular Diagnostics)1. In Nigeria, optometric
curricula of the schools and regulation allows for competency up to Ocular
Therapeutic Services.
References
1. World Council of
Optometry 2015, Who is an optometrist, viewed 26 February 2015,
2. World Health
Organisation 2015, Primary Health Care, viewed 26 February 2015,
3. World Council of
Optometry 2015, Global Competency Model, viewed 25 February 2015,
Nice article Dr Radiance Aghedo.
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