Hi again Local Eye Site community! Today is my last full day in Scotland. It is July 4th, so naturally I’m missing the U.S. and my family and friends, but I’ve had a wonderful time across the pond.
After the last round of golf on our trip (Prestwick), my friends and I were walking the streets of a nearby town when I spotted an Optical shop. I popped in for a visit. It could have been any Optical shop in the States. Not much difference in the layout from what I could tell. Frames on display everywhere, well featured; you know the drill. Three charming young ladies greeted me at the counter with smiling faces. I’m sure they could spot the American right away.
I wanted to chat and try to get a feel for the likes and differences in eye care between the U.S. and the U.K. I wanted to gain a little understanding of their eye care community culture. Turns out that one of the ladies was an Optometrist, and the other two were Optical Technicians. One of the first things we discussed was the addition of complete eye examinations that are now free to the public, and paid for by Scotland’s National Healthcare System (NHS). It seems that it used to be that NHS would only pay for vision exams for the purposes of being fit for glasses or contacts, but now a complete eye health assessment is performed for free. We also discussed independent prescribing by Optometrists in Scotland. According to this OD, Optometrist do not yet have the priveledge to prescribe medications, but that priviledge was coming. She talked of shared care with Glaucoma patients, and Cataract referrals to their MD counterparts.
I didn’t pick up the tension that sometimes exists between the U.S. ODs and MDs. I took away an impression that the roles of ODs and MDs were clearly defined, and although the OD community seemed to be growing in their level of care responsibility, this OD left me with the impression that this increased responsibility was in areas that most U.K. MDs and ODs were in agreement was appropriate and needed. That was about it, because a patient then came in. The OD greeted the patient right away, and took him back immediately. There were no other customers in at the time, but service seemed a top priority by the way the OD handled the interaction with her customer.
Keep in mind, this was only one conversation with one Optometrist. Additionally, I had no interaction with any Ophthalmologist while in Scotland, nor did significant research on this topic. So, take it for what it’s worth. It was interesting to me, however. Hope it was to you. It would be great if others could share international experiences with eye care cultures abroad.
Cheers.
Brad McCorkle
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