Optometry service for Islanders is expanding to improve access to eye health services without referral, says Health and Wellness Minister Doug Currie.
As of August 1, 2015, the new Optometry Service Program allows for costs associated with the treatment of primary eye care by optometrists to be covered by the Province of PEI, including diagnosis and treatment of dry-eye and red-eye conditions as well as screening for eye diseases in patients with diabetes.
“Our goal is to provide Islanders with better access to primary care services, such as eye care, closer to their home,” said Minister Currie. “Expanding the provincial coverage to include optometry services for certain types of basic eye care, including screening for diabetic retinopathy in patients with diabetes, will reduce the need for referrals to specialists as well as visits to family doctors, emergency departments or walk-in clinics.”
In 2014-15, there were 543 emergency department visits for eye-related conditions, of which many could have been treated by an optometrist. For Islanders with diabetes, the expanded coverage includes the costs associated with screening for diabetic retinopathy.
Approximately 12,000 lslanders are living with diabetes and are at a higher risk of developing damaging eye conditions such as retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness in North America. Early detection and ongoing eye health management can reduce this risk.
“We welcome this opportunity to provide our patients with better access to important eye care,” said Dr. Jayne Toombs, President of the Prince Edward Island Association of Optometrists. “We are excited to be collaborating with government and other health care professionals to enhance access to eye health services in our province.”
“The expansion of optometry services is also an important investment in diabetes care and management for the thousands of Islanders living with diabetes,” said the minister.
Eye care specialists will continue to be responsible for the medical and surgical treatment for complex eye conditions.