In my understanding, a dispensing optician is a different thing than either an optometrist or an opthalmologist. There are some good reasons one requires a pro

In my understanding, a dispensing optician is a different thing than either an optometrist or an opthalmologist. There are some good reasons one requires a professional prescription from eyeglasses; if you wear the wrong lenses for any length of time, it can screw up your eyesight. Although the effect is commonly temporary it _can_ be debilitating. So a dispensing optician would be someone who sells eyeglasses, given a prescription from an optometrist or an opthalmologist. It is quite definitely the case that opticians make telescopes. From time to time I call myself an astronomical optician. I don't grind glass much anymore but I am quite good at making astronomical telescope optics.