Optometry education and training support the regulation requirements of 2 proctored sessions per procedure.

12 states include in-office laser procedures by optometrists

Optometrists across the country have performed more than 146,000 procedures
in-office lasers have been performed by optometrists since the 1990s

Optometrists train for nearly 10,000 hours to learn how to diagnose and treat glaucoma, cataracts and other diseases.

It’s not uncommon for medical professionals, including optometrists, to participate in continuing education programs to enhance their profession and scope of work. While more is involved than a “weekend course,” when these common laser procedures are combined with other training, they are a part of optometrists' overall eye care services.
Virginia has almost 2X more optometrists than ophthalmologists, making access to these procedures less burdensome to the
working poor.

All optometrists must be certified in laser procedures before performing them on patients. To become certified, they must have extensive clinical experience, complete hands-on training and pass a national certification exam.