Visit your medical optometrist for primary medical eye care, including eye medication prescriptions, monitoring and managing eye diseases, or emergency eye care services. Visit an ophthalmologist for interventions like surgical treatments for serious eye diseases, advanced ocular problems, or refractive eye surgery.

Opticians are technicians who fit eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision-correcting devices. Optometrists examine, diagnose, and treat patients' eyes. Ophthalmologists are eye doctors who perform medical and surgical treatments for eye conditions.

Yes, you need to be a member to purchase glasses or contacts at Costco Optical centers. However, you do not need to be a member to make an appointment with our in-house optometrist. For more information, visit our dedicated optical site here. Or, locate your local optical center at a Costco warehouse location near you.

They only need to have attended optometry school to practice and generally work in private practice. Ophthalmologists are medical doctors — which requires going to medical school and completing a residency — who perform eye surgery and inpatient medical procedures to treat chronic and immediate issues.