Optometry regulation at work: Protecting the public in 2017/18

26 Feb 2019

A profession-specific annual report summary that looks into the work of the Optometry Board of Australia over the year to 30 June 2018 has now been published.

The report expands on data reported in the 2017/18 annual report by AHPRA and the National Boards. This information provides a further snapshot of the profession as at 30 June 2018, and includes the number of applications for registration, outcomes of practitioner audits and segmentation of the registrant base by gender, age and principal place of practice.

Notifications information includes the number of complaints or concerns received, matters opened and closed during the year, types of complaint, monitoring and compliance and matters involving immediate action.

Insights into the profession as at 30 June 2018 include:

• 5,532 optometrists in total were registered.
• 333 new applications for registration were received.
• Optometrists made up 0.8% of all registered health practitioners in Australia.
• The number of registered optometrists increased by 3.5% from 2016/17.
• 54.0% optometrists were women and 46.0% were men.
• New South Wales (NSW) was the principal place of practice for most optometrist (1,857) and Northern Territory (NT) was home to the smallest number (32).
• The age bracket with the largest number of optometrists was 25–29 (944).
• 224 optometrists were under 25 years of age and 4 were aged 80 or over.
• 35 notifications (complaints or concerns) were lodged with AHPRA about optometrists and 32 notifications were closed.
• 22 cases were being monitored by AHPRA at 30 June 2018 for compliance with restrictions been placed on their registration.
• No immediate action was taken.
• 6 complaints were made about possible statutory offences by optometrists during the year; 3 of the new matter related to title protection; 3 related to advertising breaches.

To download this report or to view the main 2017/18 annual report, visit the AHPRA website.

For more information

• Visit the AHPRA website
• Lodge an online enquiry form
• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 9275 9009 (overseas callers)
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200