A licensed optician is a healthcare professional authorised by the competent supervisory authority to practise in Finland. Since 1 August 2025, opticians have been allowed to prescribe glasses more broadly. The regulation no longer restricts who an optician may independently prescribe glasses, contact lenses or comparable optical devices for. Under the Act on Health Care Professionals, an optician may prescribe glasses and contact lenses within the limits of their training and competence, provided it is appropriate and safe for the patient. In other cases, the client must be referred to a doctor. Both the healthcare professional and their employer must assess whether the individual has sufficient training and professional skills. For each patient, the optician must weigh the benefits and risks of their professional practice and recognise situations where prescribing glasses would compromise patient safety. In public healthcare, glasses are prescribed for children under 8 whose eye condition requires them, or for hospital patients whose continued care depends on up-to-date glasses, such as those awaiting strabismus surgery.