Industry

Women In Optometry Publishes ‘Closing the Gaps in Eye Care: The Optometric Workforce Report 2026’

Vision Monday2d ago1 min read

NEWARK, N.J.—Women In Optometry has released its latest industry analysis, “Closing the Gaps in Eye Care: The Optometric Workforce Report 2026.” The report, supported by Alcon, follows last year’s workforce report, exploring where opportunities lie in expanding access to eyecare. It highlights the need for clinicians, educators, industry leaders and community stakeholders to collaborate on lasting, compassionate solutions to improve access to care. With optometry rising to higher prominence as the number of ophthalmologists flatline and decline, the report highlights promising pathways to address these significant gaps:

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AI Summary

Quick Take

Women In Optometry has released its 'Optometric Workforce Report 2026,' an Alcon-supported analysis focusing on strategies to expand patient access to eye care. The report highlights optometry's increasing prominence as the primary provider of eye care services, particularly as the number of practicing ophthalmologists continues to flatline or decline.

Why It Matters

This report underscores a critical shift in the eye care delivery model where optometrists are increasingly the frontline for medical eye care. As the surgical workforce shrinks relative to the aging population, the burden of managing chronic ocular disease and preventative care is shifting heavily toward optometry. For practice owners and clinicians, this signals a need to double down on medical model integration and advocacy for scope expansion to ensure public health needs are met without significant bottlenecks.

Key Details

The report, 'Closing the Gaps in Eye Care: The Optometric Workforce Report 2026,' was produced by Women In Optometry with support from Alcon.
It identifies a widening gap in care access caused by a stagnant or declining supply of ophthalmologists across the country.
The analysis advocates for a collaborative approach involving clinicians, educators, industry leaders, and community stakeholders to create sustainable care solutions.
The findings build upon the previous year's workforce report, focusing specifically on identifying and filling existing gaps in the eye care delivery system.

Practice Implications

Optometrists should prepare for a higher volume of medical eye care and co-management responsibilities as the ophthalmology workforce focuses more narrowly on surgical intervention. Practice owners may need to reassess their staffing and technology investments to handle increased patient loads and more complex diagnostic cases that were previously managed by MDs.

Who's Affected

Practice OwnersOptometristsOptometric EducatorsIndustry LeadersPublic Health Stakeholders

What's Next

The report serves as a call to action for the industry to develop specific pathways for expanding care access. Expect to see further initiatives from Women In Optometry and Alcon focused on collaborative care models and educational support to address the workforce shortages identified.

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