The profession of optometry originated following a tremendous surge in demand for corrected vision with the advent of the electric light around 1880. Early refractionists were located in jewelry stores because of the materials and craftsmanship required for the fabrication and repair of eye wear. Optometrists are the major providers of primary vision care, who provide treatment by prescribing ophthalmic lenses or other optical aids, provide vision therapy to preserve or restore maximum visual efficiency in vision, and in nearly every state, including Missouri, are authorized to prescribe drugs to treat eye diseases. The scope of optometry requires a knowledge of the therapeutic and rehabilitative methods used to care for the problems of vision from infancy through old age. Optometrists can also detect systemic diseases of the human body, such as diabetes, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis, that have the potential to affect vision.
Optometry is the nation's third largest independent health-care profession.
The need for optometrists will be further augmented by an increasing demand for optometric services. More than 130 million persons in the United States currently wear some form of eyewear. It is estimated that nearly one-half of the remainder of the population has the need of vision care services. Structured like the other health professions of medicine and dentistry, the first year is devoted to the didactic study of basic health sciences, including optics, and, by the fourth year, the course of study is totally clinical in nature. The practice of optometry offers independence, flexibility, and diversity, and optometrists may choose to practice in inner cities, suburbs or rural areas.