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Optician

Opticians are skilled technicians who fill optical prescriptions and fit people with glasses or contact lenses. Opticians, unlike ophthalmologists and optometrists, are not licensed to test vision, write medicine prescriptions, or diagnose or treat eye diseases.

Opticians can:

  • Fill prescriptions for eyeglasses and contact lenses.
  • Help people select appropriate glasses.
  • Fit lenses into eyeglass frames.
  • Adjust eyeglass frames for comfort and proper lens position.
  • Clean and polish contact lenses.

An optician may complete a 2-year training program or a 3-year apprenticeship. But some states do not require a person to complete a program to be licensed as an optician.

Last Revised: August 20, 2010

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine

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