About Optometrists

Understanding the role of optometrists

Optometrist

How optometrists help patients

Optometrists are experts who play an important role in patients’ vision, eye health, and their overall health, too. They are trained to:

Treat, manage and correct disorders and diseases of the visual system, the eye and its associated structures.
Recognize and detect related systemic conditions and manage ocular manifestations.
Diagnose, treat and manage binocular and perceptual vision disorders.
Prescribe any topical or oral Schedule 1 drug in the context of eye care.
Removal of superficial foreign bodies from the eye in or below the surface of the cornea.
Independent management of glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy.

Optometrists provide primary eye care.

Eye exams

During an eye exam, the optometrist examines the tissues and structures inside the eye, looking for eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration, as well as tears in the retina, bleeding and tumours.

They are also looking for early signs of serious medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases during an exam.

Without early detection and proper treatment, many eye diseases can cause unnecessary and possible permanent loss of vision.

The comprehensive eye exam includes a series of tests. There is much more to an eye exam than checking how well a person can see and determining the eye glass prescription (refraction).

Insured services funded by Alberta Health

Alberta Health covers:

Partial coverage towards annual children and seniors eye exams – 18 and under and 65+.
Partial coverage towards medically necessary/urgent care for acute onset disturbances to vision; red eye, infection, foreign body removal; management of chronic eye disease (glaucoma, macular degeneration, inflammatory conditions).
Monitoring of patients on certain systemic medications (plaquenil, tamoxifen).
Post-operative medical eye surgery visits.

When to have an eye exam?

The Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) provides partial coverage towards eye exams for children 18 years old and younger and seniors 65 years and older.

Babies: First exam between 6-9 months.
Toddlers & Preschoolers: At least one eye exam between the ages of 2-5.
Kindergarten: One eye exam when they begin kindergarten*.
School Years: Every year until they turn 19.
Adults: At least every two years.
Seniors: Every year 65+.

*Learn about the Eye See...Eye Learn™ program at optometrists.ab.ca/ESEL. If your kindergarten-aged child requires prescription eyeglasses, they will be provided free of charge by a particpating optometrist.