What does it mean to call yourself an optician?
The answer depends, at least in part, on where that optician works. In the U.S., only 22 of 50 states require some form of regulation and licensure for opticians. That means an optician in one state may need to meet specific education, examination, or licensure requirements, while an optician performing similar work elsewhere may face no state-mandated credentialing requirement.
This inconsistency is a primary driving force behind the profession’s push to “Get Certified, Stay Certified.”
“We look at this as title protection,” says Gwen Cooper, executive director of the United Opticians Association (UOA).
While state licensure requirements differ (the UOA website provides information and guidance on requirements by state), professional certification can provide a common benchmark that demonstrates an optician has achieved a baseline level of knowledge and competency.
“Certification provides a nationally recognized way to demonstrate knowledge and commitment to the profession,” adds Bob Alexander, UOA director of education.
Phernell Walker, educator and chair of the American Board of Opticianry (ABO), says certification also gives opticians an opportunity to demonstrate their value to patients, employers and the profession itself.
“Having a certified optician really demonstrates to the public that this person is able, capable, and knows what they’re doing,” Walker says.
Here, we evaluate what it means to be certified or licensed and why a certified optician benefits everyone involved in vision care.
Certification vs. Licensure
Understanding the distinction between certification and licensure is an important first step.
Cooper describes the distinction in terms of knowledge versus law: Certification establishes a baseline of knowledge, while licensure reflects legal requirements imposed by a state.
“Certification is a credential recognized across the profession and serves as an important benchmark of competency,” Alexander adds. “In some states, licensure is required to practice independently, and certification exams are commonly used to demonstrate competency for initial licensure.”
In states without those requirements, the profession and employers can still establish their own expectations. Cooper says major optical employers increasingly look for certified opticians even where the state does not mandate it.
“Think about this as the industry self-governing itself, self-regulating itself,” she says.
Some opticians may pursue voluntary registration pathways. Walker points to California as an example of a state where opticians can register with the state even though licensure is not required.
UOA is also pursuing title protection through legislation. Cooper points to recent filings in Pennsylvania that would require certification and registration for someone to use the title “optician.”
“Certification is a credential recognized across the profession and serves as an important benchmark of competency.”
bob Alexander, UOA director of education
Benefits for Everyone Involved
Certification can benefit the patient, the practice, and the optician.
For patients, Alexander says a certified or licensed optician demonstrates knowledge of ophthalmic optics that helps match individual vision correction needs with the appropriate products.
“That, in turn, increases desired visual outcomes with the correct product for the patient’s needs,” he says.
Walker also emphasizes the problem-solving component. A certified optician, he says, is better positioned to troubleshoot problems, think critically, and help ensure that eyewear and contact lenses meet the doctor’s prescription.
“Having a certified optician increases your chances of having better outcomes, as well as being able to troubleshoot and be a critical thinker around different issues that may come up, which is pretty important and pretty vital,” Walker says.
Employers also benefit from that increased knowledge and ability which they can translate into both better patient experiences and fewer avoidable costs. For example, Alexander says certified opticians can help reduce remakes, unnecessary troubleshooting, and repeat adjustment visits. Plus, “satisfied patients are return patients,” he says.
Cooper says the additional compensation a certified optician may command can be offset by the value that employee brings to the practice. “Are you going to understand how to sell somebody a better product because it’s better for them?” she says. “Are you going to understand what to ask, and are your returns going to be decreased so your patient and your customer service are better all-around?”
For opticians themselves, certification can help establish credibility while also creating opportunities for advancement.
Walker says certified or licensed opticians may have greater earning potential and professional mobility. “Having national certification, they have the chance to move to different parts of the country and be able to practice opticianry wherever they’d like to live,” Walker says.
This may also provide a foundation for opticians who later want to pursue licensure in another state or move into another area of the profession.
In part two of this series, we will dive deeper into how opticians can go about getting certified and staying certified and the many options and resources available to them.