With therapeutic breakthroughs reshaping clinical expectations, deepening debate around workforce pressures, and sensory health becoming increasingly integrated, the events of 2025 have set the pace for an even more consequential year ahead.
As Australia’s eyecare sector absorbs historic advances in geographic atrophy treatment, ongoing scrutiny of workplace conditions, and the rapid convergence of vision and hearing services, industry leaders are now turning their attention to 2026 – identifying the developments likely to redefine patient care, service delivery, and the profession itself.
Theo Charalambous
Organisation: Optometry Australia, president
Area of interest: Optometry advocacy
Optometry in Australia is at an important crossroads. Encouragingly, our full scope of optometric practice, and the contribution our profession can and does make to community health, is gaining stronger recognition. At the same time, the sector faces significant challenges, particularly the need to address workforce oversupply and to ensure that workplaces enable optometrists to practise with clinical autonomy and genuine professional satisfaction.
Optometry Australia remains committed to leaning into both the opportunities and the pressures before us, while ensuring we are well placed to support the profession through any challenges that lie ahead. We will continue to advocate for fair and sustainable working conditions, a halt to further increases in optometry student numbers, and broad recognition of the full clinical scope of our highly trained and highly skilled profession.
April Petrusma
Organisation: Optical Dispensers Australia, CEO
Area of interest: Optical dispensing
The 2026 rollout of the newly updated Certificate IV in Optical Dispensing course will play a major role in shaping optical dispensing education. After more than a decade without an update, the refreshed qualification better reflects current technology, patient expectations, and modern dispensing practices. With industry input collected throughout 2025, the new course will equip upcoming dispensers with stronger foundations and a highly relevant skill set – making it a significant milestone for both learners and employers.
Retention of experienced staff will remain a key challenge in 2026. Although wages improved over the past two years, continued progress is essential to keep the profession competitive. Encouragingly, interest in dispensing careers continues to grow through ODA’s pre- and post-employment initiatives, with the ‘ODA Introduction to Optics’ training program gaining significant traction from both within and outside of the industry.
Looking ahead, one of the major highlights for 2026 is the ODA Fiji Conference in July, uniting eyecare professionals for a weekend of learning, networking and cultural experiences. For the first time, delegates will enjoy engaging lectures and hands-on workshops all balanced with ample opportunities to relax, connect, and experience the spirit of Fiji.
Paul Bott
Organisation: Specsavers ANZ, managing director
Area of interest: Corporate optometry
In 2026, we will continue changing lives through better sight and hearing. Our ambitions include expanding advanced dry eye treatment, accelerating myopia management, embracing new technologies and continually upskilling our people to make great care even more accessible.
Over the past five years, we’ve completed 22.5 million eye tests, four million hearing screens and treated 65,000 patients’ eye conditions – impact that inspires our next chapter. This year, we’ll unveil a bold five-year strategy focused on prevention, accessibility, and innovation, overcoming challenges like workforce distribution and rising service demand.
We’ll also continue to focus on our people and customers – we’re one of the best places to work in our nation and in 2025 were ranked the number one brand for customer experience by KPMG in Australia – and we want to continue this work. With 457 practices full of passionate team members, Specsavers will set new standards in clinical excellence and customer service, ensuring more Australians and New Zealanders experience life-changing care.
Elizabeth Kodari
Organisation: EssilorLuxottica, vice president, store operations, ANZ
Area of interest: Corporate optometry
I envision eyecare and eyewear continuing shifting toward a closer partnership between clinical services, technology and personalised customer experience. As AI enabled tools, medtech and advanced diagnostics become more common, optometry practices will evolve beyond traditional retail models and adopt new ways of delivering healthcare and answer customers’ needs. The industry will lean more heavily into practice and service differentiation, using innovation, and personalised care to build loyalty and elevate patient experience.
At EssilorLuxottica, wearable technology will remain a key pillar, as audiology and broader hearing care will keep expanding within optical settings, supported by brands like Nuance Audio Glasses and growing demand for more complete health solutions. Real challenge will be delivering consistency and capability at scale. 2026 will be a year of strong opportunity, especially for organisations that, like us, invest in their people, strengthen the link between clinical and retail teams and create simple, seamless end-to-end experiences.
Tony Jones
Organisation: ProVision, CEO
Area of interest: Independent optometry
As we move into 2026, ProVision is committed to taking a leading position and helping independent optometrists navigate an increasingly complex landscape through education, innovation, and tailored support. The strategic use of technology and AI can be transformative for the patient experience, patient outcomes, practice efficiencies, and business intelligence insights. Technology is only valuable when successfully adopted, however. Change management will be critical, and our sold-out PRISM26 conference in July 2026 addresses this directly, with sessions on AI-powered practices, prismatic leadership, future-thinking strategies, and rethinking patient connection in a data-driven world.
We’ll continue to strengthen our recruitment and HR services, and wellbeing resources for members to help practices create fulfilling environments that attract and retain talent in a rapidly evolving workspace. Privacy and cybersecurity remain non-negotiable as digital integration deepens, and ProVision has invested in new tools for 2026 to help practices navigate these responsibilities. We’ve also refined our value proposition to deliver stage-specific support for independent optometrist owners throughout their practice journey, with exciting announcements coming soon.
Philip Rose
Organisation: Eyecare Plus, general manager
Area of interest: Independent optometry
The need to use a variety of online platforms to reach patients with eye health and eye wear messages will be paramount in 2026. Myopia and dry eye management is going to be more mainstream and becomes a powerful differentiator and a strong revenue driver for the independent practices. Practices without specialty services will fall behind.
Retail focussed optical chains are increasingly telling the public that a trip to the optometrist is a shopping experience rather than healthcare. To meet this, independent practices need to learn to use the power of brands while maintaining their own high level of clinical patient care. Independent practices will increasingly be looking for how they can achieve this outcome.
As more early career optometrists and dispensers are considering practice ownership, we are increasing our resources to assist with the purchase of existing and the establishment of brand-new practices. Our membership levels, from unbranded to fully branded, provide the flexibility necessary to find the perfect fit for each practice. Independent optometry is stronger together.
Amanda Trotman
Organisation: Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association, CEO
Area of interest: Trade suppliers and manufacturers
Some suppliers are impacted through a reduced potential client base when independent practices sell to chains. I’m also seeing a few brave entrepreneurial optometrists take on the challenge of buying into or opening sites and I’m hoping this will increase. Suppliers are looking for efficiencies so there’ll no doubt be more collaborations, mergers, automation and systems integration.
I’m focused on how I can gain more insights from our data and research to help suppliers service practices and practices service consumers. Associations such as ODMA, trade rather than health focused and not recipients of government funding, rely on revenue generated through their own promotional offerings and given how competitive it is to secure advertising and live event spend, need to keep focused on providing professional events, education, digital channels and print publications that reach suppliers customers and prospects, providing suppliers strong ROI.
My challenge is that suppliers have such high cost of business pressures in this economic environment. There is an opportunity for us to leverage ODMA Eyetalk’s trusted brand and provide new ways for suppliers to reach and engage with our strong independent practice audience that are ODMA’s live event attendees and Eyetalk subscribers.
Dr Peter Sumich
Organisation: Australian Society of Ophthalmologists, president
Area of interest: Ophthalmology
The issue likely stealing headlines in 2026 relates to specialist fees. The Albanese government, and Health Minister Mark Butler in particular, have threatened to use new legislation to limit access to Medicare rebates if specialists charge more than three times the schedule fee.
Of course, the great problem is that the Medicare rebate is uncalibrated to the cost of a medical service and serves no metric purpose at all.
Whilst there may be some Schadenfreude from other professional groups, the precedent of government control over professional fees is the thin end of the wedge.
In all likelihood, many specialists would opt to ignore Medicare altogether, and charge like dentists with patients receiving no rebate. The government doesn’t seem to realise that the rebate is the patient’s money, not the doctors. There will be many unhappy patients if they don’t get a rebate, small as it is.
Professor Peter McCluskey
Organisation: Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, president
Area of interest: Ophthalmology
In 2026, ophthalmology will be shaped by continued workforce pressures and rising demand from ageing populations. Colleges, like government, face pressure to meet these demands. This puts RANZCO under increasing scrutiny from governments and regulators.
A central challenge will be ensuring that government reforms, including those arising from the Kruk Report, do not jeopardise patient safety or dilute training quality. The college does not control funding pipelines that create additional training places yet is often expected to absorb the consequences of policy decisions. There is also a risk that workforce maldistribution is overlooked in favour of simply increasing overall numbers. Ensuring government recognises this nuance, and that solutions address where specialists are needed, not just how many, will require sustained advocacy.
For the college, 2026 offers an opportunity to consolidate ahead of full AMC accreditation in 2027. This includes embedding the curriculum, strengthening education and training outcomes, and using data-driven decision-making to improve quality, equity, and long-term sustainability.
Jason Holland
Organisation: The Optical Superstore, national director of optometry/Oculuxe Clinic by The Eye Health Centre
Area of interest: Dry eye
I feel 2026 is going to be an exciting year in the dry eye field. As practitioners we have the recent DEWS III report to unpack and utilise to audit our current diagnostic and treatment protocols to ensure we are providing the latest, evidence-based interventions. Significant corporate groups will also be offering dry eye treatments for the first time which should make device centred care more accessible to more patients. We also have small boutique dry eye clinics expanding with dry eye focused practices on the rise. Several new topical interventions are also on the horizon which will further enhance the treatment options for our patients.
One of the most pressing challenges in 2026 is continuing to support optometrists in practicing to their full scope while balancing business viability and delivering adequate compensation for the growing demands on our highly skilled optometry workforce. Optometrists scope of practice is slowing evolving and expanding. The workforce currently embraces this scope to different extents, and this could be limited by personal confidence, lack of mentor support, inadequate equipment or even business model expectations. Rewarding optometrists practicing to their full scope in a sustainable manner is my ultimate goal.
Associate Professor Amanda French
Organisation: Orthoptics Australia, president
Area of interest: Orthoptics
In late 2025, major reforms to the National Disability and Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the Aged Care Rules were announced, with impacts for allied health providers and community access to care expected to flow through in 2026. The Thriving Kids initiative, designed to support children with autism and/or developmental delay outside the NDIS, is under development, and orthoptists are well placed to provide vision screening and therapy under the scheme.
The National Allied Health Digital Uplift Plan to enable allied health professionals to access and share health information within My Health Record was published in 2025. This access to the digital ecosystem will allow for greater involvement in collaborative care and more timely, person-centred care provision. This is an important step towards a connected digital health system for the future.
Lastly, the final report of the Dawson review of the National Regulation and Accreditation Scheme recommends strengthening and expanding regulation through integrated risk-based models, potentially extending to currently self-regulated professions like orthoptics. This presents an opportunity to strengthen professional standards, enhance public safety and support more accurate workforce planning.
Professor Lauren Ayton
Organisation: Centre for Eye Research Australia and The University of Melbourne
Area of interest: Clinical research
We are on the precipice of personalised medicine for eyecare, and 2026 will continue to show growth in this area. Several fascinating clinical trials are underway, including gene therapy and molecular photoswitch drugs to restore vision to people who are blind. It’s exciting to offer these opportunities to patients who previously had no therapeutic options.
One big challenge is developing clinical trial outcome measures that are sensitive, specific, and meet regulatory requirements. Promising drugs sometimes fail trials because endpoints don’t work, not the drugs themselves, so work will continue on new options like the in vivo adaptive optics imaging at The University of Melbourne’s Department of Optometry.
CERA will welcome two international leaders in 2026 – Professor Pete Williams (Karolinska Institute, Sweden) and Dr Sloan Wang (UMass Chan Medical School, USA) – to boost expertise in regenerative medicine, glaucoma, and retinal diseases. We look forward to expanding international networks to accelerate new treatments and scientific discoveries.
Professor Keith Martin
Organisation: Centre for Eye Research Australia managing director
Area of interest: Clinical research
In 2026, the most important shift will be our movement from slowing decline to genuinely restoring vision in conditions like glaucoma. With advances in gene therapy, cell therapy and neuroprotective strategies, we are beginning to see the possibility of repairing or replacing damaged retinal ganglion cells and optic nerve pathways. This represents a profound change in how we think about treatment, from managing loss to actively recovering function.
What keeps me awake at night is the widening funding gap needed to support the full economic cost of medical research in Australia. As the science becomes more complex and globally competitive, the mismatch between real research costs and available funding threatens our ability to deliver world-leading discovery, retain talent, and translate breakthroughs into clinical impact. Addressing this gap is critical if Australia is to remain at the forefront of ophthalmic innovation.
Looking ahead, CERA has invested in new facilities for both discovery and clinical research, and new researchers to expand our strengths in glaucoma, regenerative medicine and retinal disease. This gives us a real opportunity to progress more treatments from the laboratory into clinical trials, and ultimately to reduce vision loss and blindness.
