The United States is experiencing a shortage of physicians--exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic--and the shortage is expected to worsen primarily because of population growth and aging. Notably, the availability of ophthalmologists is trending downward despite growing demand for eye care. Eye problems emerge with age, so older people need eye care more frequently than younger people. For example, approximately half of Americans have cataracts by age 75. However, the number of ophthalmologists dropped from 6.30 per 100,000 people in 1995 to 5.68 in 2017. Given the limited availability of ophthalmologists, some have suggested leveraging optometrists, who also have skills in eye care. Our research examines the effects of optometrists' prescription authority on public eye health and optometrists' earnings. The role of optometrists in eye care has substantially expanded over the past several decades. In the early 20th century, optometrists were strictly eye examiners without permission to treat eye conditions. Beginning in the 1970s, optometrists gradually obtained the authority to prescribe medications. This scope-of-practice expansion has allowed optometrists to diagnose and treat patients with eye diseases or disorders without referrals to ophthalmologists. After receiving prescription authority, optometrists became known as eye doctors rather than refractionists. This policy added optometrists with proper training to the body of primary eye care providers available to patients. The federal government contributed to the momentum in 1986 by classifying optometrists as medical doctors for Medicare reimbursement.
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Table of Contents
- RESEARCH BRIEFS IN ECONOMIC POLICY 1
- Seeing Is Believing The Effects of Expanding Optometrists Scope of Practice 1
- The role of optometrists in eye care has substantially expanded over the 1
- 1970s optometrists gradually obtained the authority to prescribe 1
- Medicare reimbursement. 1
- In addition to their expanded role in primary eye care the number of 2
- 2017. This evolution represents a remarkable and unprecedented change in 2
- States have introduced and expanded optometristsʼ prescription authority 2
- Our research estimates the effects of optometristsʼ TPA prescription 2
- Participation for 19842008. Additionally our research examines the 2
- TPA law TPA laws allowing prescriptions for glaucoma medications and 2
- TPA laws allowing prescriptions for controlled substances. Data on 2
- 20012010 editions of the American Community Survey. 2
- Our estimates provide evidence that granting TPA prescription authority to 2
- Our findings imply that allowing optometrists to practice to the full extent of 2
- Note 2
- This research brief is based on Kihwan Bae Edward Timmons and Protik 2
- Nandy Seeing Is Believing The Effects of Optometrist Scope of Practice 2
- Expansion Contemporary Economic Policy forthcoming. 2
- ABOUT THE AUTHORS 2
- West Virginia University 2
- University of Minnesota Duluth 2
