The College of Optometrists of Ontario and the College of Opticians of Ontario are disappointed that our application for leave to appeal the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in College of Optometrists of Ontario v. Essilor Group Inc., 2019 ONCA 265 to the Supreme Court of Canada was not granted.
Our role as the regulators for the professions of optometry and opticianry is to ensure that Ontarians receive high-quality vision care. We embarked upon this legal action with the sole focus of protecting Ontarians’ vision care whether they purchase their eyewear in store or online. As well, Ontario laws require a regulated health professional’s involvement in the prescribing and dispensing of corrective lenses, which unfortunately does not always occur with many online retailers.
Our colleges continue to believe that the internet can be an effective tool for providing vision care services. We have protocols in place to support Ontario optometrists and opticians who choose to use the internet to care for their patients. We also regularly review our professional standards of practice to address evolving technologies and innovations in our industry. The College of Optometrists most recently updated its standards in September and the College of Opticians is currently reviewing its standards, with both reviews considering the use of the internet in delivering vision care.
Our vision is an important part of our overall health and we encourage Ontarians to confirm that a licensed provider is involved in their vision care by visiting www.collegeoptom.on.ca or www.coptont.org.
Additional information is available in the following archived news items:
June 7, 2019
April 4, 2019
March 23, 2018
January 12, 2018
December 14, 2016