John F. Kennedy was quoted as saying, "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." It’s amazing to me how much change has occurred within the profession of optometry since I received my license to practice. After licensure, I quickly learned that I had enjoyed a broader scope of practice as a student in Tennessee than I would have as a licensed practicing optometrist in Illinois. At the time, Illinois was one of the few states left where optometrists still did not have oral prescriptive authority. I feel very fortunate to now have the privilege to prescribe oral medications. Thank goodness for change!
On the flip side, Illinois is now one of the few states that require all children entering kindergarten to have a comprehensive eye examination by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. This new law has been in effect for almost two years, and I have experienced firsthand the added value that my fellow colleagues and I are bringing to young children starting kindergarten. Undetected refractive disorders and amblyopia shall no longer be a contributing factor to delayed learning for the children of Illinois. Thank goodness for change!
As I take a long look at these two monumental changes for Illinois optometry, it is clear that, legislatively speaking, this required the efforts of many optometrists, but more importantly, it required a cohesive, unified voice from within the profession to make these positive changes happen.
Organized optometry has been getting a lot of heat lately because of the recent controversy surrounding the mandate of board certification. While my opinion regarding this topic will remain undisclosed in this forum, I am very passionate about the importance of everyone continuing to support their state associations regardless of their opinion of this new piece of |