Seeing is believing: The effects of optometrist scope of practice expansion

Abstract

We examine how the emergence of optometrists as new “eye doctors” affected population eye health outcomes and optometrist earnings in the United States. Using the staggered adoption of optometrist prescription authority across states, we find suggestive evidence that optometrist scope of practice expansion reduced vision impairment and mitigated racial and ethnic disparities in eye health. We also find that the policy is associated with an increase in hourly wages among optometrists who are not self‐employed. These findings imply that allowing optometrists to use medications for eye treatments effectively expanded the primary eye care workforce and therefore improved public eye health.