Survey says...
- Americans prefer Doctors of Optometry as their eye care expert nearly 2x more than MDs (ophthalmologists).
- The most-trusted source for reliable eye health information is a Doctor of Optometry - not an MD (ophthalmologist or primary care physician).
(American Eye-Q Survey, Results published Jan 2019)
Every day...
Doctors of Optometry use a microscope to diagnose over 270 systemic health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, auto-immune diseases, cancers and more.
These doctors are trusted and more accessible as their eye surgeon colleagues (ophthalmologists) are not even in half of the counties in Missouri.*
*Source: MDHSS
Why do optometrists need states to legislate their profession?
Every state governs the privileges of its health care providers through licensing programs. For example, every optometry school trains its students for in-office eye laser procedures and in-office surgical care but every state decides the rights of its doctors to perform these procedures. Typically, MDs try to limit the rights of optometrists, dentists, nurses, chiropractors and other health care professions.
Ophthalmologists (eye surgeons) that oppose the HB1963 and SB956 will say:
Click each statement below to learn more
- Ophthalmology will argue that these new bills open the door to hidden surgical procedures being performed by optometrists
- Ophthalmologists will say that If an optometrist performs in-office eye laser procedures, the patient will require re-treatment 2.5 times
- Eye MDs will argue that only MDs have the training to perform in-office eye laser procedures
- Ophthalmologists will argue there is no need to expand access for optometrists to perform in-office eye laser procedures
- MDs will argue that optometrists meet with and donate to legislator campaigns
- Eye MDs will argue that optometrists only take a weekend course to get certified for in-office eye laser procedures
- MDs fight all scope of practice changes against Optometrists
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The two 'Optometry Bills' before the 2024 General Assembly (HB1963 and SB956) only allow three in‑office eye laser procedures called: selective laser trabeculoplasty, peripheral iridotomy, and posterior capsulotomy. These three in‑office procedures do not include major surgeries like cataract surgery, retina surgery, LASIK and more. In fact, HB1963 and SB956 include a long list of surgical exclusions to bolster the confidence of all involved because only three procedures are allowed in the language of the bill.
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One optometrist in Oklahoma performed more laser procedures than a group of ophthalmologists. MDs exploited that by writing a paper about it. However, MDs refused to look at the nationwide data because it showed 13x more Eye MDs required patients to have 3 procedures compared to when Doctors of Optometry perform the same.
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Doctors of Optometry have been performing in‑office eye laser procedures since the 1990s. The argument that only MDs are supposed to perform these procedures ended more than two decades ago.
Every Doctor of Optometry school in the USA teaches and trains optometrists for in‑office surgical and in-office eye laser procedures. In addition, every Optometrist that qualifies to perform in‑office eye laser procedures has been certified by experts including by ophthalmology. It's time to update Missouri Code to the 21st century.
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Doctors of Optometry have been performing in-office eye laser procedures for decades. Missouri is late to adopt such a law. Eye MDs published an article in 2018 that proved patients would have to drive nearly 2x further by limiting in-office eye laser procedures to only ophthalmologists.*
JAMA Ophthalmology 2018
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Optometry is a legislated profession. Not unlike dentists, chiropractors, podiatrists, physical therapists and other doctor-level health professions, these non-MD professions must legislate to be allowed to perform any patient care. That means that each of these professions must meet with legislators regularly to discuss health care trends and issues. In fact, even the MD lobby will meet with legislators and give campaign contributions yearly.
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In-office eye laser procedure certification is a major endeavor. It requires:
- 4 years of Doctor of Optometry school
- Evaluation and management of thousands of patients
- Years of training in ocular disease and treatment
- Three board examinations
- Performance proficiency examination
Clearly this is impossible to accomplish in only one weekend.
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MDs in Missouri have fought against the ability of Doctors of Optometry to care for their patients since the 1980s. In that time, MDs have tried to stop Optometrists from:
- Dilating patient’s pupils.
- Prescribing eye drops for pink eye and glaucoma.
- Prescribing oral medication for eye infections and inflammation.
- Performing in-office procedures to treat eye infections, inflammation and other conditions.
MDs try to convince the public and legislators that their care is the only one that should allow these medical procedures despite there being zero evidence of ill-effects of optometric care over the past four decades. The entire Optometry profession has been built upon personal eye health and vision care for the betterment of society. This is why the public prefers Optometrists for their personalized eye health care.
Media Updates
Missouri considering expanding optometrist procedures
Optometrists in Missouri are asking lawmakers to expand what procedures they can perform for patients in the state.
Missouri Optometrists have changed their scope of practice a few times over the past 40 years to keep their patient care up to the standards of the doctor's education, ability and training. During those times, the procedures to adapt optometry laws have not been requested lightly. The experience of Missouri Doctors of Optometry over the past 40 years shows their incredible track record of neighborhood patient care and trust within the legislative community.
Optometry and Ophthalmology play a vital, coordinated role in modern eye care
Doctors of Optometry respect and work closely alongside Ophthalmologists to provide their patients the best possible eye care in Missouri.
Ophthalmologists provide a critical surgical role in LASIK, incisional glaucoma surgery, retinal surgery, eye muscle surgery, corneal transplants, and much much more. Patients are much better served when each discipline is able to practice to the fullest extent of their education and training.
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