Opticians are regulated healthcare professionals like chemists and dentists. In UK law, all eye tests should be conducted only by a qualified optometrist or ophthalmologist. Data show that the number of eye tests performed every year in UK exceeds 17 million. Once the eye test is over, it is the duty of the optician to dispense the right type of spectacles or contact lenses to the patient.

It is the job of the optician to design, fit and dispense with eyeglasses, contact lenses, prosthetic ocular devices and low vision aids. Even though the responsibility of the optician in converting the prescription by an ophthalmologist for the correction of any refractive errors is not a very big assignment, there are several laws and ethics governing the code of conduct of the opticians in UK.

UK opticians are regulated by the General Optical Council or GOC and they are governed by the Opticians Act passed in 1958. Opticians can be dispensing opticians with suitable qualifications or they can be retailers employing qualified optometrists. More than 5,000 opticians are members of Association of British Dispensing Opticians or ABDO, which was established in 1986. ABDO conducts the following courses for persons who wish to be opticians or to work in related fields.

• ABDO Diploma in Ophthalmic Dispensing

• ABDO Certificate in Contact Lens Practice

• ABDO Diploma in Spectacle Lens Design

• ABDO Diploma in Advanced Contact Lens Practice

• ABDO Diploma in Assessment & Management of Low Vision

Normally opticians charge a fee for eye tests and receive appropriate price for the glasses or contact lenses that they dispense. However, persons eligible for free treatment under NHS will not be charged for eye tests and the spectacles or other type of treatments are also subsidised for them. In Scotland, all citisens are eligible to get their eyes tested free of cost.

In spite of the deregulation of the opticians market by the Margaret Thatcher government in the 1980s, the retail market in the United Kingdom is dominated by large chain stores. Specsavers are estimated to control about 30% of the spectacles market, whilst Boots the Chemist, Vision Express and Dollond & Aitchison have a combined market share of nearly 40%. The deregulation steps appear to have backfired, with the spectacle prices rising due to restricted competition.

However, advancements in laser eye surgery are bringing a fair amount of relief to people with eye ailments for the last few years. Still, the importance of opticians in UK cannot be undermined easily. According to data, the demand for spectacles and contact lenses has been steadily increasing and the profession of opticians is expected to grow at an average pace until 2012. If you wish to know more about opticians and the services offered by them, you can always have a free discussion with our experts. You can also choose the right optician in your area from our large directory of opticians in all the cities and towns of UK.