KUALA LUMPUR: All the optometry practitioners for contact lenses who sat for the exam last December had failed.
Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said those who aspire to prescribe and dispense contact lenses need more training as none of the 153 who sat for the exam set by the Malaysian Optical Council last year passed.
"In order to ensure only competent practitioners are allowed to prescribe contact lenses, they have to pass all four components of the exam.
"I understand that in the exam conducted in December, none of the 153 candidates passed all four components, while 95 people or 62% actually failed all four components," he said in his address at the 23rd anniversary celebration of the Malaysian Association of Practicing Opticians (Mapo).
According to industry sources, the passing mark was set very high at 80%. The exam last year was the first conducted by the Council.
Prior to the introduction of the exam by the council, the source said opticians who wished to be contact lens practitioners had to only sit for an exam by the Association of British Dispensing Opticians.
Liow said there were currently only 1,138 optometrists and opticians in the country who were certified and permitted to prescribe and dispense contact lenses.
In total, he said there are 3,072 registered optometry practitioners in the country, of which 21% were optometrists (degree holders) and the rest opticians (diploma holders).
(Taken from The Star Online)
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