2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (2025)

Optometry’s resilience during a cost-of-living crisis, big changes to medical workforce regulation and tension in the private health sector are big issues expected to spill over into 2025. Prominent ophthalmic industry figures offer their predictions for the year ahead, with Insight asking for the key events that will shape their area of expertise, and the matters that will keep them up at night.

Optometry & optical dispensing

Skye Cappuccio
Organisation: Optometry Australia, CEO
Area of interest: Optometry advocacy

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (1)

The national cost-of-living crisis combined with an emerging workforce oversupply are placing pressures on optometry that won’t quickly abate. Whilst the profession faces challenges, there are also promising trends that bode well for a robust future for the profession, including more optometrists working more consistently to their full scope-of-practice in response to community needs and growing recognition of the benefits of integrating optometry across the health system.

Our key focus for 2025 is on supporting our members today, whilst working to grow demand for optometry services in ways that deliver for the profession and the community.

Key focal points as we move into 2025 are ensuring all Australians under 65 years can get a Medicare rebate for a comprehensive initial examination at least every two years, increasing community awareness of the need for children to have regular eye exams, introducing our advanced practice recognition program and enhancing our capacity to provide members one-to-one professional support.

April Petrusma
Organisation:Optical Dispensers Australia, CEO
Area of interest: Optical dispensing

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (2)

The forthcoming release of the updated HLT47815 – Certificate IV in Optical Dispensing training package in mid-2025 promises to significantly enhance the education and training landscape. Last reviewed a decade ago, this is long overdue, and while we await the final product, employers, employees, and registered training organisations are excited about its potential implications.

Encouraging individuals to pursue an optical dispensing career has proven difficult in recent years but retaining experienced dispensers in their positions has posed a bigger challenge. While an increase in renumeration packages was evident in 2024, this must continue to keep skilled dispensers in the industry.

In response to staff shortages, ODA launched a pre-employment program in late 2024. These ‘Introduction to Optics’ courses in Melbourne during November and December surpassed capacity. It’s a promising indication of our potential growth trajectory.

The 2025 ODA International Conference (Sydney, 7-8 March) will be the largest and most engaging event Australia has seen for optical dispensers. It’s been curated with the profession in mind, featuring international speakers and a trade show with over 25 exhibitors.

Paul Bott
Organisation: Specsavers ANZ, managing director
Area of interest: Corporate optometry

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (3)

Specsavers remains focused on changing lives through better sight and hearing and is committed to providing the best quality, accessible, and affordable services and products. We now care for five million Australians and New Zealanders annually, and our optometrists have set a new standard of 92% success rate in detecting causes of preventable blindness, resulting in sight-saving interventions for over 130,000 patients each year.

Following KeepSight’s success, which Specsavers has supported since its 2018 inception, I look forward to more private-public collaboration, driving detection and early vision loss intervention.

Access to eyecare continues to be a significant challenge for Australians, especially outside metro areas. We will continue pushing for Medicare funding for remote eyecare to help alleviate barriers to regular optometry care in regional and rural areas.

In 2025 and beyond, we will evolve our customer experience, blending digital, online, and in-store interaction so customers can effortlessly engage with us. Through technology investments, such as IPL for dry eye that’s being piloted in some locations, we’ll continue to provide the very best care when patients visit any one of our 450 practices across ANZ.

Tony Jones
Organisation: ProVision, CEO
Area of interest: Independent optometry

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (4)

As we step into 2025, ProVision is focused on supporting our members through technological adoption and continuous learning.

Artificial intelligence is ready to make a major impact in streamlining practice operations, allowing optometrists to work more efficiently. This year, we’ll be helping practices gain the confidence to adopt new technologies through digital training platforms, increasingly flexible learning methods, and additions to our own suite of innovative systems.

While there are signs that the retail environment may be slow to rebound, independent optometrists can strengthen their businesses by investing in skills to enhance customer experience and service differentiation in areas of clinical interest.

Collaboration, and the sharing of both knowledge and learnings, will ensure that independents have a sustainable future in the year ahead.

Amanda Trotman
Organisation: Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association, CEO
Area of interest: Trade suppliers and manufacturers

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (5)

It will be interesting to see how the market is influenced by trends such as greater consumer control of their care, an increasingly integrated health system, the rise in direct-to-consumer marketing (i.e. lenses), and the wave of myopia control products. The increasing appetite for sustainable products will also be intriguing.

Supplier-wise, I expect greater investment in streamlined, integrated ordering systems for both eyecare- and eyewear-related sales.

I will worry about corporatisation of the optical practice market and what ODMA can do to help independents flourish, compete and foster succession plans that keep the independent market intact.

I see opportunities for suppliers to support more practices choosing to specialise or establish points of difference. ODMA could also explore consumer initiatives that drive spend through independent practices.

The big priority for 2025 is increasing networking opportunities, and delivering the year’s biggest optical event, ODMAFair25, at Sydney’s ICC. Trade fair success and a practical education program are the big aims here. I’d also like to see how we can improve our research and data offering, leveraging this to help independent practices grow.

Anthony Sargeant
Organisation: George & Matilda Eyecare, professional services manager
Area of Interest: Optometry & eyecare education

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (6)

With cost-of-living pressures persisting, patient expectations evolving, and an uncertain economic climate ahead, 2025 will be an opportunity for optometry businesses to remain competitive and improve their clinical outcomes through practice differentiation – either via clinical specialty, eyecare technology, and/or customer service.

This will see optometrists upskill and increase their scope in areas such as myopia, dry eye, and chronic disease management. They will also integrate more deeply into the broader healthcare system, with a focus on collaborative care, hospital alignment programs, and multidisciplinary teams, to provide patients with greater value and higher-quality clinical care.

As a network of independent optometrists – each of whom run their businesses in a slightly different way based on the needs of their local community – George & Matilda Eyecare supports practices with tailored training, education, and significant investments in new eyecare technology, to ensure personalised and accessible eyecare for our patients in 2025 and beyond.

Carl James
Organisation: EssilorLuxottica, senior vice president retail & professional solutions operations ANZ
Area of interest: Corporate optometry

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (7)

As we approach 2025, we see the eyecare and eyewear industry in Australia continuing to transform, led by forces like technology innovation and changes in the workforce.

High-quality and innovative vision care solutions and cutting-edge digital services will continue to be embraced by consumers. At the same time, we see new generations of optometrists graduating, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge from their years in university, and ultimately fuelling the industry’s growth. Enabling new graduates to transition to highly capable early career optometrists is critical; this is why we developed EyeLaunch, a two-year program designed to set up optometry graduates for success as they enter the workforce.

In 2025 and beyond, R&D activities will continue to meet previously unmet needs, and create growth categories in different fields, especially in myopia prevention and management.

With latest statistics predicting that five billion people could be myopic by 2050, this will continue to be one of the biggest threats facing healthcare for current and future generations.

Philip Rose
Organisation: Eyecare Plus, general manager
Area of interest: Independent optometry

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (8)

Our industry is full of opportunities in 2025. If you are a young optometrist with an entrepreneurial drive, opening your own practice could be a most fulfilling decision. The generational change occurring in our industry will allow young business owners to find the perfect fit for themselves.

The next generation of optometrists are generally more digital savvy, so this will be reflected in their approach to marketing, making the clinical care aspects of optometry more visible to the broader population.

Interest rates are unfortunately remaining stubbornly high and economic forecasters keep pushing back their expected timing of a cut.

This may delay consumer purchasing decisions and keep people cautious of over-spending.

Our independent practices have a great opportunity to differentiate themselves by highlighting the ‘Locals caring for locals’ and ‘Proudly independent’ aspects of their practices.

Using social media well requires some practice, so we are providing practical assistance with that.

Ophthalmology & orthoptics

Prof Peter McCluskey
Organisation: Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, president
Area of interest: Ophthalmology

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (9)

This year will be one of change and opportunity. With the launch of a new CPD ecosystem, our members will be able to focus more on robust learning activities and less on frustrating administration.

Externally, ophthalmology is in the firing line for regulatory intervention across various areas. Notably, for the assessment of international medical graduates to address a perceived shortage of ophthalmologists, which is misguided as the reality is there is a maldistribution rather than a shortage.

RANZCO will also maintain its focus on education and standard setting for current and future ophthalmologists. The college’s commitment to education underpins its other endeavours, especially in the advocacy space. In 2025, the college will be working with government and regulators in Australia and New Zealand on solutions that address equity of access to the very best in patient care. We will collaborate with all stakeholders across the vision sector to ensure the best outcomes for our patients and our communities.

Dr Peter Sumich
Organisation: Australian Society of Ophthalmologists, president
Area of interest: Ophthalmology

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (10)

The year 2025 will have some major themes running through all aspects of business and life.

The Australian dollar is sagging under the weight of reducing commodity prices and the strengthening American dollar. Therefore, everything that comes from overseas will be more expensive. So expect medical inflation and the increasing cost of imported goods to show no signs of slowing down.

A weak Australian dollar also means no immediate relief in sight for interest rates.

We then tie the above into an election year which is likely to be in May. Expect to see private insurers apply for large 7% increases in member premiums and the health minister resist these. On the background of the Healthscope vs. Bupa battle, this will make for interesting viewing as the health minister tries to stay out of the fracas. On the sidelines of this issue, ASO launched an e-petition late last year to get a government inquiry into the feasibility of a private health authority to tidy up the sector.

We have been supported by the Australian Medical Association and other medical provider groups in this aim.

Dr Lewis Levitz
Organisation: Vision Eye Institute, ophthalmologist
Area of interest: Private ophthalmology

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (11)

I was amazed at the new technology at last year’s RANZCO meeting that will make ophthalmology safer and provide better outcomes.

But these advancements come with a price, which cannot always be borne by a single or even a two-person practice. Costs to purchase or lease equipment will continue to rise, as will staff costs. Small ophthalmic practices will become unsustainable, so I anticipate more clinics to be operating with five or more clinicians.

Rules preventing patients from intravitreal injections in theatre – and therefore covered by health insurance – concern me greatly. These patients are not accustomed to paying for this service and I anticipate reluctance and disappointment. Although the advice was well intentioned, as visual outcomes are equal and the health funds would save money, shifting costs on to patients won’t be regarded as a sterling example of patient advocacy. Some people may inevitably lose vision during the transition.

We have over 100 surgeons using our operating facilities. This will likely grow as larger hospital groups may not be as tightly aligned to the needs of cliniciansas we are.

A/Prof Amanda French
Organisation: Orthoptics Australia, president
Area of interest: Orthoptics

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (12)

Allied health has been a focus in 2024 through the ‘Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce: Scope of Practice Review’. The proposed reforms offer significant opportunities for orthoptists and other allied health professions to work to top of scope-of-practice.

Harmonisation of legislation and removal of short-hand references to health professionals regulated by the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) could have a significant positive impact. We’re optimistic recommendations will be funded for implementation in the 2025 FederalBudget.

The need for better recognition of self-regulated health professions, including orthoptists, was an overarching theme of the review, prompting discussion of expanded national regulatory models through the NRAS Complexity Review. This has completed initial consultation in 2024 and will continue through 2025, with regulatory changes expected.

A key issue for self-regulated professions is the lack of national workforce data. Orthoptics Australia is undertaking a comprehensive workforce survey in 2025, allowing for greater workforce planning and to inform future directions. The National Allied Health Workforce Strategy will continue into 2025 and should prompt further reform across the health sector.

Patient support

Dr Kathy Chapman
Organisation: Macular Disease Foundation Australia, CEO
Area of interest: Macular disease

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (13)

The forthcoming federal election makes this a very important advocacy year for Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA).

By 2030, we project 2.1 million Australians will have a macular disease. This is a particularly concerning statistic given our health care system is already stretched to provide the necessary support to everyone living with a macular condition.

Systemic change is critical. It’s time for the Australian Government to step-up and act. MDFA is tabling recommendations that would result in greater affordability and access to sight-saving treatments, while bringing cost savings to the economy.

We know people living with macular disease need support beyond the clinic. Participant feedback from our new Eye Connect service has been extremely positive. Our focus in 2025 is to grow the number of people we support, so I encourage eyecare professionals to refer their AMDpatients.

Finally, our annual Macula Month campaign commences in May. It will be underpinned by the results of our latest social impact study, including deeper insight into the impacts of vision loss on driving, and the costs associated with living with macular disease.

Carly Iles
Organisation: Vision 2020 Australia, CEO
Area of interest: Eye health advocacy

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (14)

The upcoming federal election gives the sector an opportunity to put eye health and vision care further on the political agenda with the continued rollout of our ‘Clear Vision’ election platform. We’re thrilled that a key election ask has already been accepted by the government, with $12 million committed to assistive technology in the Indo-Pacific.

Other key priorities include strengthening primary and community-based eyecare to prevent and improve early detection of eye conditions, as well as investment in early intervention services for older adults with vision loss.

First Nations eye health is an ongoing priority and we’re eager to assist our members, the First Nations Eye Health Alliance and key Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations to progress what will be the next iteration of ‘Strong Eyes, Strong Communities’.

Finally, 2025 will also be a big year for Vision 2020 Australia, as we celebrate our 25thanniversary and reflect upon the history and success of the sector during this period.

Loreto Obias
Organisation: Glaucoma Australia, orthoptist patient educator
Area of interest: Glaucoma patient support

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (15)

Glaucoma Australia (GA) is committed to preventing glaucoma blindness through early detection and improving patient outcomes. Our SiGHTWiSE program, supported by GA orthoptist patient educators, offers non-clinic support for patients caught-up on public hospital waiting lists or between private clinic visits. In 2025, we plan to expand this service to meet the growing demand from an ageing population and rising costs of living, which delay many patients seeing their ophthalmologists privately and further complicating disease management.

GA is also strengthening public/private partnerships, advocating for government funding and collaborating with other eyecare organisations to boost community awareness. During World Glaucoma Week, GA will host activities to encourage Australians to “get checked”.

This year will see advancements in glaucoma research, including a potential therapeutic agent by Quinlivan recipient, Professor Andrew White; patient education videos developed with UNSW to support those undergoing glaucoma surgery; and ongoing research in genetic testing.

Larry Kornhauser OAM
Organisation: Keratoconus Australia, president
Area of Interest: Keratoconus

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (16)

With prevalence at much higher rates (up to one in 84) than previously thought, keratoconus is becoming a major eye health issue. Its potentially severe impact on vision, quality of life and the mental health of young patients requires a meaningful policy response in 2025 from both eyecare professionals and government – something that has been sorely lacking.

We urgently need adolescent eye screening programs, including early diagnosis and referral for corneal crosslinking of young patients who are most at risk of severe vision loss from keratoconus. We also need to ensure all patients receive optimal fits of affordable speciality contact lenses, recognition of these speciality lenses as a medical device, and funding for more research, including the Save Sight Keratoconus Registry.

Peer support groups like Keratoconus Australia – marking its 25thanniversary this year – are now recognised globally as integral to best-practice health policy and patient outcomes. Keratoconus is a lifelong disease and our community needs an independent patient group advocating for systemic change while assisting individuals via peersupport.

There is a desperate need to broadcast that eye rubbing can trigger and worsen keratoconustoo.

Research

Prof Robyn Guymer AM
Organisation: Centre for Eye Research Australia, deputy director & head of macular research
Area of interest: Research

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (17)

In 2025 we’re expecting new therapies to make their way to Australia. The first treatments for geographic atrophy are starting to be used in the US, and we’re now awaiting a decision on them for Australia.

And after 20 years of research, the MacTel Consortium has provided the evidence, much of it from clinical sites in Australia including CERA, that will see the first treatment for macular telangiectasia be considered for approval by the Food and Drug Administration in the US.

At CERA, in 2025 we aim to increase referrals into Cerulea Clinical Trials for clinical trials and establish registries, particularly of people with early disease so that we can be ready for when new trials come.

Funding of research and researchers in general is always a challenge – particularly funding for a treatment trial for intermediate age-related macular degeneration.

Prof Stephanie Watson
Organisation: Australian Vision Research, chair
Area of interest: Ophthalmic research

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (18)

Australia ranks as one of the top three most productive countries for ophthalmology research when measured by publications adjusted for population. Australian Vision Research has supported these research efforts by investing over $15 million over the past 70 years. Our funding has helped to support the development of a highly skilled ophthalmic research workforce. The challenge for our organisation is to keep our funding at levels that can support researcher’s careers and keep pace with rising research costs; for this we are reliant on donors and sponsors such as the Perth Eye Foundation, NSW RANZCO and ANZSRS.

With our new fund-raising committee we are looking for new donors and sponsors. In 2025, our annual research grant program will be seeking applicants, including those wanting to start a research career via our priming grants and for the second year we will be honouring Australian ophthalmic researchers via our Excellence Awards.

First Nations eye health

A/Prof Mitchell D Anjou AM
Organisation: Minum Barreng: Indigenous Eye Health Unit, The University of Melbourne, director
Area of interest: First Nations eye health

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (19)

Make space, step back and support self-determination. In 2025 I hope we see a new national plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health – led entirely by First Nations people. Allies and whitefella organisations must better align with blakfella leadership and it would be great if peak bodies like NACCHO and FNEHA could clarify roles, and through their expertise and strong sector engagement drive improved eye health and vision care outcomes.

At Minum Barreng: Indigenous Eye Health Unit, we’re transitioning our work to First Nations organisations and leaders, whilst maintaining our focus on trachoma elimination, eye health promotion, supporting systems improvement and reform through jurisdictional and regional stakeholder groups, and research capacity development.

The sector is looking forward to a great FNEHA national conference in Boorloo (Perth) in May. Meanwhile, optometry must take some meaningful steps to improve recruitment, retention and graduation of First Nations optometrists.

Let 2025 be a year of bold leadership and transformative action in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health.

Lose Fonua (Waradjuri)
Organisation: First Nations Eye Health Alliance, CEO
Area of interest: First Nations eye health

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (20)

In 2025, we anticipate a growth in the capability of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eyecare sector through the amplification of First Nations leadership and voices.

We look forward to, with other First Nations agencies, leading the development of the next Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health plan, along with building pathways that prioritise prevention and early intervention to offset future poor eye health risks for our communities.

An immediate and future priority is to ensure the requisite improvements to systems and workforce infrastructure are made to meet the projected First Nations eyecare service and workforce gaps into2030.

First Nations children and people living with diabetes are a funding priority, along with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agencies, which are best placed to integrate cultural principles and knowledge needed to strengthen models of care for First Nations people and close the gap invision.

2025 predictions for the Australian ophthalmic landscape - Insight (2025)
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