The Australian optometric workforce 2005

Abstract

Background:  This paper presents the findings of the Optometrists Association Australia 2005 optometric workforce study.

Methods:  Data from the association’s database, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs were applied to create a profile of the optometric workforce in Australia, including the number of equivalent full‐time optometrists (EFTOs), population to optometrist ratios and workloads.

Results:  In February 2005, 2,866 (76.7 per cent) of the 3,738 optometrists registered to practise in Australia were in clinical practice. Adjusting for the number of hours worked, there were 2,712 EFTOs in Australia. The ratio of population to EFTO for Australia was 7,016. Ratios were higher in the states without schools of optometry (South Australia 9,413, Western Australia 8,810 and Tasmania 8,172) and in the remote and lightly populated Northern Territory (10,521). The lowest ratio was in New South Wales (6,053). The proportion of women in clinical practice has gradually increased since 1977 and was slightly more than 41 per cent in 2005. The percentage of the profession under the age of 40 years was 48.6. The percentages of female and male optometrists under the age of 50 were 89.3 and 72.5, respectively. On average, female optometrists worked approximately 82 per cent of the hours worked by male optometrists. The average time per week spent on Medicare and Veterans Affairs consultations was 25.8 hours.

Conclusions:  The profession of optometry in Australia is undergoing considerable change in age and gender make‐up. In 2005, the number of optometrists was adequate for the needs of the Australian population. Further analysis is needed to determine whether the supply of optometrists meets community needs at local levels.

Key words:

• age
• gender
• Medicare
• optometrist
• workforce
• work hours

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We acknowledge the comments of Dr Bob Birrell and Dr Ernest Healy from the Centre of Population and Urban Research, Monash University, on this paper. We thank Professor Barry Cole for his constructive criticism.