Thursday, April 7 was a landmark day for Ontarians with eye problems. On that date, under approval by an Order in Council of the Government of Ontario, authorized optometrist’s in Ontario can now treat a host of eye diseases through the prescription of medications allergic, infectious and inflammatory diseases of the eye, as well as the most common forms of glaucoma.
Optometrists in Canada have been trained to manage these conditions for years and have in fact been using medications to treat patients with various eye conditions in most other provinces until now. Ontario was one of the last jurisdictions in North America to permit optometrists to pass this new law, allowing optometrist to begin practicing at the same level as their colleagues across the country to implement practices learned during their clinical educational training. The Waterloo School of Optometry for one, is relieved that day has finally arrived.
No longer do you have to wait in the emergency room with a red eye because there are no ophthalmologists who can see you. You can now simply see the optometrist you have trusted with your eyesight for years and get a prescription for medication right away. Approval of this order dramatically increases access to quality care for Ontarians with medical eye problems.
The Waterloo School of Optometry’s Associate Director for Clinical Affairs and Optometrist in Chief, Dr. Timothy McMahon noted that “This is an important point in time for Ontario. The shortage of health care resource has just lessened a bit with optometrists in the province now that optometrists are able to write prescription to treat various eye diseases. Optometrists have been waiting for a long time to bring their expertise to this important aspect of eye care.”
Pictured above is University of Waterloo Clinical Faculty member, Dr. Rodger Pace, writing the first official prescription for medication at the Waterloo School of Optometry. “It is most fitting that after his more than 30 years spent teaching optometry students to acquire their fundamental clinical skills, the he should be the one to write the first prescription for medication at our school” said Dr. Thomas Freddo, Director of the School of Optometry.
