Inquiry into issues affecting the optometrical profession. Final report to the Minister for Health

Historical Significance: This report is an important document in the history of the evolution of the regulation of the optometry profession in the 1980s and 1990s. It was commissioned by the Minister for Health because the Victorian Optometrists Registration Board was endeavouring to enforce the advertising regulations and ownership requirments of the Act when optometrists were using their own dispensing company or working with a dispensing company to evade these requirements. Complaints had been made against the Board about it being over zealous or acting beyond its powers. The Board supported the inquiry because it was hopeful that it would lead tto legislative changes that would clarify and enhance its powers. However at this time there were strong moves toward deregulation of business which were extending to the health professions, deregulation that would ultimately remove the control of advertising and the optometry ownership requirement. The report deals with the reasons for the inquiry, the complaints against the Board, the operations of the Board, advertising, ownwership and licensing of dispensers. Dr Zifcak is a lawyer who became the Allan Myers Chair of Law and Director of the Institute of Legal Studies at the Australian Catholic University in 2007.