Ophthalmic Dispensing

Program Overview

This full-time program in Ophthalmic Dispensing provides a comprehensive education in eye anatomy, physiology, optics, and dispensing techniques. Students gain hands-on experience through supervised clinical practice and are eligible for CORU accreditation in Ireland. Graduates have excellent career prospects as Dispensing Opticians, with job opportunities in private practice, manufacturing, and other fields related to eye care.

Program Outline

Outline:

• Year One
• Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye
• Cell Biology
• Geometrical Optics
• Mathematics for Optical Professions
• Physics for Health Science
• Quantitative Methods for Dispensing
• Vision Science 1
• Year Two
• Human Body and Disease
• Quantitative Methods for Dispensing
• Ophthalmic Optics and Dispensing
• Vision Science 1
• Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye
• Physical Optics
• Physics for Health Science
• Year Three
• Optical Dispensing 1
• Vision Science 2
• Contact Lenses and Anterior Eye Disorders
• Introductory Vision Rehabilitaion
• Case Analysis & Preparation for Placement
• Professional Studies and Intercultural Health Communication for Eye Care Professionals
• Optical Practice Management
• Year Three (continued)
• Optical Dispensing 2
• Physiology of Vision 1
• Vision Science 2
• Professional Development
• Case Analysis & Preparation for Placement
• Professional Studies and Intercultural Health Communication for Eye Care Professionals
• Year Four
• Ophthalmic Dispensing Practice Placement
• Optical Dispensing Case Studies
• Year Four (continued)
• Ophthalmic Dispensing Practice Placement
• Optical Dispensing Case Studies

Careers:

• Dispensing Optician
• Graduate Job Titles:
• Dispensing opticians are in high demand so job prospects are excellent.
• Most dispensing opticians work in private practice, often in a management capacity.
• Dispensing opticians often set up their own practices or enter joint ventures with large multiples.
• At present in Ireland, dispensing opticians are also employed with spectacle lens manufacturers, frame manufacturers, glazing houses, hospital eye departments, practice management software providers and as college lecturers.

Other:

• All Optometry and Ophthalmic Dispensing undergraduates are required to insert drops, contact lenses and probes (with ocular anaesthetic) into fellow students’ eyes and allow fellow students to insert the same into their eyes during the course of their course.
• All procedures will be carried out in a safe, clean, clinical environment under the supervision of an optometry faculty member.
• Contact hours: This is a fulltime course.
Students should expect to be on campus up to 5 days per week. The average number of contact hours per week is approximately 24.
• Professional Accreditation: The profession of ophthalmic dispensing is regulated in Ireland under CORU (the Health and Social Care Professional’s Council).
This course is approved by CORU.
• Irish Dispensing Opticians practice at category 1 on the World Council of Optometry Global Competency-based Model of Scope of Practice.
They can work in the UK and Australia. To work in the USA or Canada, you may be required to undertake a national certification test and/or an adaption period of state-registered apprenticeship.
• Work Placement: You will spend all of third year on placement.
• Starting salaries for newly qualified dispensing opticians (as at January 2020) are as high as €35k per annum in the Republic of Ireland.