Defined: Optician

An optician is an eye care professional who provides lenses for the correction of vision defects. The lenses may be contact lenses, or held in a frame in front of the eye, rarely as a monocle or most frequently as a pair of glasses, also known as spectacles or eyeglasses. An optician specifies the optical properties of corrective lenses based on a refraction prescription supplied by a person qualified to measure visual defects and write an appropriate corrective prescription. The licensing and nomenclature of such persons varies from country to country.

In the United States, an optician, through testing, may be certified by the American Board of Opticianry (ABO) to fill the prescription ordered by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. In some states (Oregon for one) licensing is not a requirement to make or dispense eyewear. Many eye doctors do their own dispensing, and it is frequent for eye clinics to have an optician on their premises; or, conversely, for large optical chains to have optometrists in offices on their premises.

Some opticians learn their skills through formal training programs. Professional technical schools and two-year colleges offer programs in opticianry. Two-year programs usually grant an associate's degree. One-year programs offer a certificate. Training usually includes courses in optical math, optical physics, and tools and equipment use. Other opticians can apprentice to learn the required skills. Many formal education programs will accept hours worked as an apprentice to supplement or replace course credits, as well