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OptiBlog 2007 - What's the future of Opticianry?

8 Comments

, 09-02-2007 at 06:55 PM (4129 Views)

Well here we are in the last quarter of 2007. This year has certainly packed in a great deal of changes for me as well as the industry itself: Corporate mergers and takeovers, Advances in PPAL's and let's not forget my recent exit from dispensing.

And not a minute too soon.

I now hear rumors that AZ state is thinking about doing away with licensing altogether. I'm sure that Walmart's inability to procure and sustain qualified help has nothing to do with this, either.
Recently, the AZOA (local optemetric group) terminated their participation in our annual congress. No reason given, but boy are the rumors flying.

What I've heard on the street is the constant complaint of optoms unable to hire competent help but at the same time unwilling to support the profession. I hope it's not true now that one of the universities will be offering a degree in optometry in a couple of years and Pima College in Tucson is preparing to submit curriculum for an AA program in Opticianry.

Now the independents are feeling a little nervous about the big corporate entities encroaching more and more on the optical market. I would normally believe that service still plays an important part in setting the professionals apart from the retailers. Retailers and large chains have long been notorious for hiring warm bodies en mass, while ECP's have stood apart because they offered more personalized service and qualified staff.

But lately I have seen a trend towards hiring cute, young, unqualified "opticians" in the medical field for $14/hr. If you're making $50k/yr you're making too much - running a business for somebody and all. Hey, it's just more reason for your breakage numbers to increase. What with the refunds for products that cannot be delivered and the now unreturnable frames and lenses created in optician error. It's just money, right?

As a rep I see a vast majority of the offices in my state and somewhere in the area of 30-40% of offices I visit are managed by un-certified, un-licensed young girls. When asked if they plan on becoming licensed they all say the same thing: "What for?" They feel that it won't pay more, so what's the point. In some ways I agree.

That's what I said when I accepted a sales position right after my boss told me (for the 10th time) that he was paying me too much.

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Comments

Johns - 09-05-2007 07:49 PM
It's been my experience that bosses that harp about paying their employees too much, usually do pay too much when they try to replace the one they chased away.
Cindy K - 09-14-2007 12:24 AM
I don't know much about what's taking place in the US other than what I read on OB but I do know some about what's taking place in each of our 11 provinces here in Canada. To keep opticianry a viable career and valuable to consumers, I firmly believe that we as opticians fail to maximize our capabilities and our potential as a part of the eyecare circle. I know of one fellow in Alberta who provides, for MD's, fundus photography. I personally work for (and have, for the past 19 years) the first British Columbia dispensary to offer computerized sight testing ( there are now somewheres in the area of 120 Eyelogic systems here in BC). I know of one fellow, also here in Bc, who built a very successful low vision practice with clients from all over the world. THIS IS WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.

If we immobilize ourselves, keep to the well-accepted status quo, and permit the death of our industry simply by what appears to be accepted apathy of most opticians, we will have nobody to blame but ourselves. Educate ourselves. Get involved. Network. Think outside that plastic frame so many surround ourselves with. If OD's can take the training to provide the services formerly restricted to OMD's, why, I beg, tell me that opticians cannot increase their scope of practice to include services offered in optometric offices and OMD practices which in those two venues are performed not by the OD or OMD but by ancilliary staff.

I regret this long and arduous post but I'm hoping to give each reader here something to think about. This subject is particularly near and dear to my heart as I've firsthand insight what my employer has gone through in the past nine years to bring about the change here in BC that now has the world looking in our direction. Further, I'm proud and privledged to be co-facilitating with several well known Canadian mover and shaker opticians in October at Vision Canada's Refracting and Beyond: Where Do We Go From Here. Maybe some OB'ers would be interested in hearing what's taking place here in Canada- its offered in real-time on the Virtual Convention package. Who knows. It might be just the thing to mobilize some of us to take action.
Christosfer - 09-21-2007 10:47 PM
Greetings from Minnesota,

Here in Minnesota we do not require a license, and the one community college that offered a program, shut it down for lack of interest. The only way they can get enrollees is if there is a license law.
I have been doing this now for almost 15 years. I came into a practice that had only one Optician with little experience. It has been a tough road, but that's a long story. In this Doctor's situation I don't think he could have afforded a licensed Optician, or me for that matter. He barely made ends meet. That said, the one that he had was terrible. I have done warranties on people and then found out that their last 4 remakes were never recorded.
It's a tough line, on the one hand it makes Opticians expensive for the little guy, and the other hand they might, I repeat MIGHT get better results from someone who is licensed.
Congratulations on your new job. You should be able to sell those cute little optigirls the whole bag.

Blessings to you.
Johns - 01-21-2008 12:20 PM
A good optician doesn't have to work long before it becomes evident to the employer that they are worth their weight in gold.

The reason most ODs can't afford good opticians is because they've never had one.
Snitgirl - 02-18-2008 04:35 PM
How's the rep thingie going for you? Are you missing the stinky cheese stuff that falls off someone's nose pads?

Just a hello and a high five after reading your short blog. It boggles my mind when an employer thinks a person is making toooo much, especially when that person can bring in more than their yearly salary in a months time or less.

I am sure you are one of "those" few great reps out there. Keep lovin what you're doing girly!!:)

Ciao
Crazy-bout-Optics - 06-04-2008 02:29 AM
LMAO!

"Offices being managed by un-certified, un-licensed young girls"

Say it ain't so! ;-)
MelroseEye - 06-09-2008 02:29 PM
These O.D.'s get what they deserve. I have witnessed it my entire life. As I said in a previous posting, a good optician can save a busy practice his/her salary in lab costs ALONE. Let them bankrupt themselves fighting the big box retailers. Let the big box retailers bankrupt themselves trying to compete with the optician practices. Eventually all of this will settle out, and the prefessionals who embrace one another and the talents and expertise they bring to this field will be the victors.
Johns - 06-16-2008 12:16 AM
Nothing makes my day more than hearing about all the unqualified people running the competitions' offices! There IS hope!:cheers:

I resently heard of an OD about 20 miles away that fire his 3rd "girl" in 9 months, and decided to hire an older guy because he should be able to do better than the girls did. (The guy was selling suits at a Men's Wearhouse 6 months ago.)

Yeah! THAT'S the problem! It's a gender issue!

Keep trying! This OD will be working at Sam's Club before he figures out that all he would have had to do is get somebody with some qualifications!:hammer: