Social marketing : its role in making professional optometry the preferred primary eye care provider in Ghana.
Abstract: There is no optometry law in Ghana - as pertains in a lot of other more advanced jurisdictions – that regulates and protects the sanctity of the profession as well as bar unqualified persons from venturing into such practice. Under the circumstance all manner of persons are in the practice of eye care in Ghana with relatively little knowledge among eye care service patrons of the differences between the optometrist and other eye care professionals, nor of that between him and the quack. A lemons problem could possilbly result. There are consequences. Apart from the real danger of possibly causing harm, sometimes irreversible, the presence of quacks could in the long run drive the eye care market into one of low quality and possibly lead to a loss of the professional optometrists to other jurisdictions with better controls and rewards. There is a very strong perception that Social marketing is one signaling tool that can be applied to help check the situation by way of promoting professional optometry, making it more visible, known, rewarding and its services the preferred choice, such that there is a safe, higher quality, value- for- money service provision. This it is hoped would eventually help reduce the quack problem whilst an optometry law is waited upon.
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