The Australian optometric workforce 2009

Background: This paper presents the findings of the Optometrists Association Australia 2009 optometric workforce study. Methods: Data from the Association's database, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Medicare Australia and the Department of Veterans Affairs were applied to create a profile of the optometric workforce in Australia, including the number of optometrists in clinical practice, the number of equivalent full-time optometrists (EFTOs), population to optometrist ratios and workloads in the states and territories and Australia overall. Results: In July 2009, 3,719 (87.4 per cent) of the 4,255 optometrists registered to practise in Australia were in clinical practice. Adjusting for the number of hours worked, there were 3,664 EFTOs. The ratio of population to EFTO was 5,944:1 overall. Ratios were higher in the states without schools of optometry (South Australia 8,631:1, Western Australia 7,687:1, Tasmania 7,615:1, Australian Capital Territory 7,635:1) and highest in the remote and lightly populated Northern Territory (9,367). The ratios were fewer than 6,200 people per EFTO in states with optometry schools: New South Wales (5,247), Queensland (5,723) and Victoria (6,126). Women comprised 45.3 per cent of the profession, while 45 per cent of the profession was aged under 40 years. The majority of the female (80.7 per cent) and male (60.7 per cent) optometrists were aged under 50 years. On average male and female optometrists worked 40.3 and 32.9 hours per week, respectively. The average time per week spent on Medicare and Veterans Affairs consultations was estimated to be 22.2 hours, varying from 20.1 hours in NSW to 30.6 hours in SA. Conclusions: Population to optometrist ratios indicate that the number of optometrists in 2009 was more than adequate to meet the needs of the community. Further analysis is needed to determine whether the supply of optometrists meets community needs at more local levels.