Qualifications explained
What does the term optician mean to you?
Is it a practice or is it a person? To many it is a generic term for either a practice and/or a person, but, for the sake of clarification, here are the descriptions, recognised by the General Optical Council, of professionals employed in areas of ocular health.
Ophthalmic Optician (also known as optometrist) - an officially registered person qualified to examine the eyes and issue a prescription for spectacles or contact lenses.
Dispensing Optician - an officially registered person qualified to dispense spectacle frames & lenses.
Contact Lens Optician - an officially registered person qualified to prescribe and dispense contact lenses.
Ophthalmic Medical Practitioner - a doctor qualified to examine the eyes and issue a prescription for spectacles or contact lenses.