Unless there is some information you have not provided, your myopia alone
does not justify seeing an ophthalmologist every year, provided that your
optometrist conducts some extended exams (besides the refraction for your
eyeglass Rx) to ensure there are no obvious medical problems with your eyes.
If your insurance only pays for a refraction and not the extended eye exams,
you can compare the costs of your optometrist performing the extended exam
against the cost of having an ophthalmologist do it.

        I think she's unduly scaring you. You don't have high myopia
and at your script, little chance of retinal detachment.

An annual exam is not likely to protect you from the remote
possibility of a retinal detachment.  RD, if it happens, usually
develops rapidly, and when it does it's an emergency.  Instead, if
indeed you are at risk, you should be aware of the initial symptoms,
and when they appear you should rush to see your ophthalmologist or go
to the nearest hospital.

The common initial symptoms are sudden increase in floaters, flashes
of light and/or a "curtain" pulling over your field of vision.  Please
be aware that there is no pain when a detachment occurs since the
retina lacks pain nerves.

Meanwhile, don't worry.  As the other posters have already noted, your
myopia is moderate, and if there are no other risk factors or eye
disorders, you should have no reason for concern.

The definition of "optometrist" varies in different countries. In the US we
don't have "public health insurance" so US definitions may not apply to your
question.

In the US, high myopes are screened by optometrists as well as
ophthalmologists. But the peripheral retina can only be examined properly
with the pupils dilated. So if your optometrist doesn't dilate, to examine
your peripheral retina, you should let the surgeon look periodically.

In addition, you should seek a dilated examination anytime you notice new
floaters, streaks or flashes of light, or "curtains" obscuring your vision.

-MT, OD

Sorry, I skimmed over the Rx. As someone mentioned, -4.00 is not considered
"high" myopia and really doesn't entail much risk of detachment.

But even in hyperopes, we don't consider examinations complete without
dilation and/or imaging to inspect the peripheral retina.

-MT

S/he just scares you. Total Bullshit. -4.0 & -3.25 are not high at all by
any means.