I do not agree with Dr Dhanda that “all the eye health services provided by optometrists are provided by ophthalmologists and at no charge to the patient” [BCMJ 2016;58:548 [9]].
I have been working as a family physician in Nanaimo since 1982. For the past 15 years or so, the ophthalmologists in Nanaimo, Parksville, and Port Alberni do not provide refraction or give prescriptions for glasses for any patients referred to them by a family physician, and they will not see patients who are referred only for this reason.
Also, the waiting list for patients to be seen by an ophthalmologist is between 2 and 6 weeks, so optometrists are essential to provide eye care to my patients.
—Barbara Macleod, MD
Nanaimo
Links
[1] https://bcmj.org/cover/april-2017
[2] https://bcmj.org/author/barbara-macleod-md
[3] https://bcmj.org/node/90
[4] https://bcmj.org/print/letters/re-advertisement-doctors-optometry
[5] https://bcmj.org/printmail/letters/re-advertisement-doctors-optometry
[6] http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://bcmj.org/print/letters/re-advertisement-doctors-optometry&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton
[7] https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Re: Advertisement for Doctors of Optometry&url=https://bcmj.org/print/letters/re-advertisement-doctors-optometry&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton
[8] https://bcmj.org/javascript%3A%3B
[9] https://www.bcmj.org/letters/advertisement-doctors-optometry-bcmj
[10] https://bcmj.org/modal_forms/nojs/webform/176
[11] https://bcmj.org/%3Finline%3Dtrue%23citationpop