The aim of this brief guide, written jointly with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, is to highlight some of the issues that may occur when working in community practice compared with a hospital setting.

Sight testing and contact lens fitting and supply are governed by the Opticians Act 1989, the full text of which is available at www.optical.org. The following is a brief summary of the main legislative provisions, but the original Act should be consulted for the detail. The legislative wording below is in italics.