A new Canadian survey from the Contact Lens Institute, conducted in partnership with the Opticians Association of Canada and Optik Magazine, points to a strong and expanding role for opticians in supporting contact lens patients.
The report, Vision for Growth: Opticianry’s Essential Role in Contact Lens Wear and Care, is part of the Contact Lens Institute’s See Tomorrow series, which explores attitudes affecting contact lens prescribing, adoption and long-term wear. The online survey was conducted from April 23 to May 5, 2026, among 247 Canadian opticians working in independent, corporate and optometry-led settings.
Strong Interest in Contact Lens Care
The findings show that opticians are highly engaged in helping patients optimize both glasses and contact lens wear. Seventy-seven percent of respondents expressed significant interest in helping patients optimize their contact lens experience, while another 22% expressed moderate interest.
The survey also found that opticians are already deeply involved in the contact lens patient journey. Ninety-one percent said they answer patient questions about contact lens wear, while the same percentage provide hands-on training for contact lens insertion. Ninety percent provide hands-on removal training.
Other common roles include checking in with patients about their contact lens experiences in-office, following up after a new contact lens prescription, sharing best practices with colleagues and providing printed education or instruction resources.
Two-thirds of respondents said they would like more involvement in the patient wearing experience, suggesting an opportunity for practices to make greater use of opticians’ contact lens knowledge and patient relationships.
Dual Wear and Patient Training
The survey also highlights strong support for dual wear. Ninety-three percent of respondents said they look for opportunities to encourage eligible patients to consider both glasses and contact lenses.
Insertion and removal training emerged as a critical area of patient support. Eighty-nine percent of respondents said a patient’s understanding of insertion matters significantly to their willingness to continue contact lens wear. The same percentage said understanding removal matters significantly.
Training and Practice Growth
Interest in additional contact lens education was also high. When asked about additional training, 77% indicated they were very likely to take advantage of new resources if made available, based on a self-rating of six or seven on a seven-point scale.
Continuing education accreditation appears to be an important motivator, with 77% saying they would be very likely to engage in contact lens training if courses were CE-accredited by their provincial licensing body. Online education was preferred by two-thirds of respondents.
The report also points to broad recognition of the business value of contact lenses. Ninety-eight percent of owner respondents and 83% of non-owner respondents said they were completely or somewhat familiar with how contact lenses contribute to practice revenue and profitability.
Taken together, the findings suggest that Canadian opticians are well-positioned to play an even more active role in contact lens care, patient education and practice growth.
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