A visual health professional spends an increasing amount of time on tasks unrelated to refraction examination: coordination with the primary care physician, regulatory compliance, managing reimbursements from health insurance. This administrative time eats into the time dedicated to patients. Dedicated professional services for visual health experts help reduce this burden, provided they cover the right areas.
June 2026 Decree in EHPAD: a new scope for opticians
Since decree n° 2026-507 of June 12, 2026, opticians can perform a complete refraction examination directly in EHPAD. Their role goes beyond merely checking optical correction.
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The optician becomes the coordinator of the resident’s visual health, alongside the coordinating physician, coordinating nurses (IDEC), and families. This change creates a concrete need: to structure mobile consultations, ensure the traceability of examinations, and organize long-term follow-up.
For an independent optician, setting up this type of service without logistical support is a puzzle. Planning rounds in facilities, managing specific billing, transmitting data to the primary care physician in compliance with GDPR, all require tools and a framework. It is precisely in this area that Optisanté’s professional services provide operational support to visual health experts who want to engage in this new scope without improvisation.
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Refraction without prescription and under-served areas: what the Rist law changes
Have you ever received a patient whose glasses are broken, without a valid prescription and without an ophthalmological appointment for several months? Since 2024, a waiver allows the optician to replicate or adapt a correction without a prescription for patients over 16 years old who do not have a known eye condition.
An implementing decree of the Rist law, which came into effect at the end of 2024, goes further. It allows opticians to perform refraction assessment acts as a first-line service for adults, including in areas where access to an ophthalmologist remains limited.
Two advancements, one same logic of cooperation
These developments do not make the optician a substitute for the ophthalmologist. They expand their role in the care pathway, provided they adhere to a precise framework:
- The patient must not have a known eye condition, which requires access to their medical history or a declaration on honor
- The traceability of the act must be ensured to allow for subsequent follow-up by the physician
- Informing the patient about the limitations of the examination performed by the optician is mandatory
A professional working alone must master these regulatory obligations in addition to their daily activities. A structured support reduces the risk of administrative error and frees up time for the care itself.
Continuing education and skill enhancement of teams
Regulations are evolving rapidly. Between 100% health, new prescription authorizations, and GDPR compliance requirements specific to health data, opticians must regularly update their knowledge.
Training is not limited to the clinical aspect. It also involves prevention in the workplace, cooperation with other local stakeholders (physicians, orthoptists, mutual insurance companies), and managing digital patient tracking tools.
What a tailored training program covers
A relevant program for a visual health expert covers at least three areas:
- Authorized examination protocols according to the context (store, EHPAD, company) and the patient’s profile
- Traceability and data transmission obligations to the primary care physician, in accordance with GDPR
- Visual prevention techniques in the workplace, an expanding field where employer demand is increasing
A professional service that integrates continuing education into its support offering allows the optician to remain compliant without having to monitor every regulatory change themselves.
Multidisciplinary coordination and patient follow-up in the territory
The quality of visual care largely depends on the fluidity of exchanges between professionals. An optician who detects a suspicious sign during a refraction examination must be able to quickly refer the patient to an ophthalmologist, with a complete file.
This coordination is not improvised. It relies on shared tools, clear transmission protocols, and knowledge of the local network (who to contact, within what timeframe, with what information).
The pivotal role of the optician in the care pathway
With the expansion of their prerogatives, the optician becomes an active link in the care pathway, not just a supplier of equipment. They participate in prevention, first-level screening, and follow-up for chronic patients (diabetes, AMD, suspected glaucoma).
To play this role, they need a framework that facilitates cooperation: up-to-date professional directories, standardized report templates, secure transmission circuits. Support structures that provide these tools allow opticians to focus on their clinical work rather than logistics.
The evolution of the optician’s profession towards a role as a coordinator in visual health is underway. The regulatory texts of 2024 and 2026 have established the framework. What remains to be built is the concrete tooling that will enable each professional to carry out these new missions without sacrificing the quality of patient support.