The ophthalmology market - France

Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine concerned with the study of the eye and its components from an anatomical, physiological and pathological point of view. In France, like all medical disciplines, ophthalmology is a highly regulated profession. The main challenge facing the profession is the ageing of its specialists, whose numbers could fall by 20% by 2030. In 2022, there will be 5,794 practicing ophthalmologists in France. At the same time, the French population's need for ophthalmic care is increasing as a result of an aging population and a lifestyle conducive to the development of vision disorders (myopia, etc.). Specialists already working with opticians are being forced to delegate some of their tasks to orthoptists, who are becoming major players in the sector. This diversification will not be enough to meet the current and future needs of the French. However, the sector remains attractive to manufacturers of ophthalmic devices and instruments, as the French government continues to subsidize innovations that improve treatment of chronic diseases (AMD, etc.), while trying to limit the cost of treatment.this is reflected in the development of telemedicine, particularly for ophthalmologists, for whom appointment times are the longest of all specialists.