[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2013\/12\/ophthalmologist-optometrist-optician\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2013\/12\/ophthalmologist-optometrist-optician\/","headline":"Ophthalmologist, Optometrist, or Optician: What’s the Difference?","name":"Ophthalmologist, Optometrist, or Optician: What’s the Difference?","description":"One common source of confusion when deciding where to go for an eye-related problem is: What’s the difference between an optician, an optometrist, and an ophthalmologist? Here’s an explanation of which professional does what. Ophthalmologist, Optometrist, or Optician An\u00a0optician\u00a0is a specialist who helps fill prescriptions for eyeglasses. Opticians are trained to fit eyeglass frames to […]","datePublished":"2013-12-20","dateModified":"2023-07-18","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/ophthalmology-regions","name":"UPMC Vision Institute","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/ophthalmology-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc-vision-institute\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/GettyImages-1200759975.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/GettyImages-1200759975.jpg","height":325,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2013\/12\/ophthalmologist-optometrist-optician\/","about":["Eye Health","Health Topics A-Z"],"wordCount":314,"keywords":["board certified","contact lenses","Doctor of Optometry","eye specialist","eyeglasses","Ian Connoer MD","ophthalmologist","optician","optometrist","UPMC Eye Center"],"articleBody":"One common source of confusion when deciding where to go for an eye-related problem is: What’s the difference between an optician, an optometrist, and an ophthalmologist? Here’s an explanation of which professional does what.Ophthalmologist, Optometrist, or OpticianAn\u00a0optician\u00a0is a specialist who helps fill prescriptions for eyeglasses. Opticians are trained to fit eyeglass frames to your facial features and order the proper prescriptions in your lenses. They also can fit you for contact lenses and train you to insert and remove them. Opticians usually work in retail eyeglass locations and sometimes in an optometrist’s or ophthalmologist’s office.An\u00a0optometrist\u00a0is a specialist who is a Doctor of Optometry. Optometrists are licensed to give eye exams and make diagnoses of eye- and vision-related conditions. An optometrist can write prescriptions for contact lenses or eyeglasses. An optometrist, however, does not perform any type of eye surgery.An\u00a0ophthalmologist\u00a0is a specialist who is medically and surgically trained to treat eye conditions. Ophthalmologists hold medical degrees, have completed residencies, and are usually fellowship-trained in their field. They are certified to meet the full spectrum of eye care and vision needs, from prescribing contacts and eyeglasses to performing surgery.\u201cOptometrists are often the doctors patients will see for routine vision care, as well as when there is an acute change in vision or status of the eyes,” explains\u00a0Ian Conner, MD,\u00a0an ophthalmologist at the\u00a0UPMC Vision Institute, who sees patients at the UPMC Outpatient Center in Bethel Park and other locations. \u201cThey can diagnose and treat many common eye diseases but are also critical in making the appropriate referral to an ophthalmologist when a patient has a more serious problem. As a medical doctor and surgeon, an ophthalmologist can offer more specialized treatments to the patient.”Editor's Note: This article was originally published on December 20, 2013, and was last reviewed on October 27, 2021."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2013","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2013\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"12","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2013\/\/12\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Ophthalmologist, Optometrist, or Optician: What’s the Difference?","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2013\/12\/ophthalmologist-optometrist-optician\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]