Amendments to Optometry and Dispensing Opticians Acts Introduced

Dispensing opticians and optometrists will have improved support for their industries thanks to new legislation introduced today, Oct. 17, by acting Health Minister Rodney MacDonald.

A new Dispensing Opticians Act will improve the complaints and discipline process for dispensing opticians, and create a College of Dispensing Opticians responsible for governing the industry. Unlike the current regulatory board, whose members are appointed by government, the majority of the college's board will be elected.

A second piece of legislation, the Optometry Act, clarifies how legislation defines the optometrists' scope of practice. It also creates a professional college for that profession that will now have responsibility for regulating that industry.

"The government is pleased to support these two professional bodies which want to update their acts," said Mr. MacDonald. "The Department of Health is able to introduce needed legislation respecting the two acts due to the collaborative effort and hard work of optometrists and opticians."

John Butler, chair of the Nova Scotia Board of Dispensing Opticians, said the most important provision for opticians is a more modern complaints and discipline process that allows them to deal with concerns from the public more efficiently and effectively."These updates will ensure our profession is current and in line with other self-regulating health professions," he said.

Dr. Jeff Sangster, president, Nova Scotia Association of Optometrists, welcomed updates to his group's scope of practice. "Nova Scotians will also benefit from improved accountability as the regulatory process is moved from the association to a professional college."

About 180 opticians are licensed under the Dispensing Opticians Act and about 80 optometrists are licensed under the Optometry Act. Both professions have been working with the Department of Health to amend their acts since 2001.

Optometrists and dispensing opticians are the latest in a series of self-regulating health professions that have updated their acts in recent years. Other groups that have updated their legislation include psychologists, dentists, chiropractors and licensed practical nurses.