1800-Contacts latest legitslative push - Glasses kiosks

[Uilleann]

1800 is at it again. This, their latest push aims to push through legislation here in Utah that would allow them to install kiosks in malls around the state (possibly nationwide eventually) that employ an auto-refractor and some flavor of face measuring device, and allow people to look into a 'magic box', have everything measured right there in a matter of seconds, completely circumvent an optometrist or MD, as well as optician, and have finished glasses mailed to the customer. I don't say patient, as this scenario doesn't resemble medicine to me at all in this context.

The UOA, UMA, and a number of like minded dispensers are heavily engaged on capitol hill working to stop this bill before it gets any traction. We're hoping that common sense and reason would easily prevail...but for anyone who follows Utah and their legislative processes and mindset with any regularity may not feel an overwhelming sense of security there. Still...here's to hope!

[Wes]

The only silver lining to that is, if they can refract, you can too.

Edit: I am not suggesting this is a good idea; but when given lemons...

[Fezz]

Did this trickle down from Canada?

[drk]

Do it yourself health care.
You see, it's about deregulation of vision care.
Glasses without a prescription.
Contacts without a prescription.
Refractions without degrees.

[AustinEyewear]

Do it yourself health care.
You see, it's about deregulation of vision care.
Glasses without a prescription.
Contacts without a prescription.
Refractions without degrees.

Elimination of incentive for higher education so that we all become dependent on government handouts.

[chip anderson]

You do realize that if it's legal for them there will be no reason us brick and mortar guys can't have one too. And we'll have frames and service available. The patient's won't have to wrestle the Rx out of the doctor's office. Of course the doctors will have a PR campaign to convince patients that they need an eye exam.
Actually those doctors who have attempted to say: "Refraction is not part of an eye exam." have brough this on themselves.
Can't tell you the thousands of times I have sent patients to the doctor for exams only to have him or his office sell them optical goods themselves. Don't look at this as impending doom, but as opportunity opening up.
Acutally this is the way OD's started out when they first became "refracting opticians", none of them new squat about ocular physiology, as we don't now. They didn't have automated machines but the the pathology located was about the same in the early days.
The more things change the more they stay the same.

Chip

(Boy, I bet I can stir up a real hornet's nest with this one.)

[Barry Santini]

Those interested in a related discussion might want to read and post their opinion over at the 20/20 blog:
www.2020andu.com


B

[AustinEyewear]

You do realize that if it's legal for them there will be no reason us brick and mortar guys can't have one too. And we'll have frames and service available. The patient's won't have to wrestle the Rx out of the doctor's office. Of course the doctors will have a PR campaign to convince patients that they need an eye exam.

Chip

(Boy, I bet I can stir up a real hornet's nest with this one.)

Nope, won't happen that way at all. 800 will get to use the inaccurate auto-refractors, because they have big bucks to push it thru. doctors will still have pts, and opticians with brick and mortars will go out of business because 800 will lock them out using the giant war chest they have. You will be totally hosed, unless you go back to school and become an OD.

[CNG]

Taking your blood pressure with a machine gives you a warning sign but it does not give you a prescription for HBP medication. As an optician, I'm concerned. A system that employs this concept of an autorefractor that provides all the measurements including PD and seg height alone will be exactly like the blood presure machine. Once it is legal in UTAH, it will be a legal in every state. Wonder who regulates this type of machine?
CNG

[Barry Santini]

Taking your blood pressure with a machine gives you a warning sign but it does not give you a prescription for HBP medication. As an optician, I'm concerned. A system that employs this concept of an autorefractor that provides all the measurements including PD and seg height alone will be exactly like the blood presure machine. Once it is legal in UTAH, it will be a legal in every state. Wonder who regulates this type of machine?
CNG

It's called our government. The real questions you're asking is: "Who's in charge?"

Under GWB, apparently, nobody...

B

[Fezz]

Prove harm and we may have a chance, otherwise it is the natural evolution of business!

[obxeyeguy]

It's called our government. The real questions you're asking is: "Who's in charge?"

Under GWB, apparently, nobody...

B

Err, you may want to catch up here. Last I looked, someone new moved in the White House a few years ago.

[Barry Santini]

But because of GWB, and his FCLCA and other FTC optical acquisitions and consolidations during his watch, the precedents leading to this point were established.

[braheem24]

This may prove Warren McDonald wrong, You may not need a pulse after all.

[AustinEyewear]

Does anyone have a link to something "official" that 800-Contacts is pushing for this? I can't seem to find anything.

[Chris Ryser]

I looked too, could not find anything relating to the question.

Also saw that they operate..............................http://www.glasses.com/

[Chris Ryser]

AMENDMENT TO UTAH OPTOMETRY PRACTICE ACT
2 2012 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: James A. Dunnigan
5 Senate Sponsor: ____________
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 Committee Note:
9 The Business and Labor Interim Committee recommended this bill.
10 General Description:
11 This bill amends the Utah Optometry Practice Act to permit certain people in limited
12 circumstances to sell eyeglasses without being licensed under the chapter.
13 Highlighted Provisions:
14 This bill:
15 . allows a person in certain circumstances to sell, fit, adjust, and dispense eyeglasses
16 or spectacles without being licensed under the chapter;
17 . requires a prescription for eyeglasses; and
18 . specifies the activities that the unlicensed person may engage in regarding the sale
19 or dispensing of eyeglasses or spectacles.
20 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
21 None
22 Other Special Clauses:
23 None
24 Utah Code Sections Affected:
25 AMENDS:
26 58-16a-305, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2000, Chapter 160
27 58-16a-501, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2005, Chapter 71
--------------------------------------------------------------


140 [(2)] (3) Nothing in this section may be construed as requiring a person to be licensed
141 or certified in any way under this or any another chapter of this title to sell contact lenses in
142 accordance with Subsection (1), or to sell eyeglasses or spectacles in accordance with
143 Subsection (2).


http://le.utah.gov/~2012/bills/hbillint/hb0039.htm

[Chris Ryser]

SpecBox Coming Soon?

The Utah Optometric Association is very worried

“Use of Optical Scan Machines” H.B. 409 Utah State Legislature 2012

The Utah Optometric Association is very worried about H.B. 408 which is being introduced for the 2012 legislative session. I know they must be worried because a volunteer optometrist from the association called me, and I’m not even a member of the UOA.It turns out they are rightfully worried because while the title, “Use of Optical Scan Machines,” might seem innocuous, what is really behind the curtain is pernicious.
While there is currently no text on the le.utah.gov website for H.B. 409, sources say that the bill’s sponsor, Greg Hughes, from Draper, UT (home of 1800Contacts) intends to allow the current prescription law to be changed to allow a person to buy glasses based on the reading of an autorefractor.
Apparently, the plan is for a company, like 1800Contacts, to set up a Glasses Kiosk in a popular store, like Walmart. (By the way, 1800Contacts has been selling glasses for a while.) The person puts their head in the machine, the autorefractor spits out some glasses numbers, a pupilometer measures a p.d., the person selects their frame and lens options, then they slide their credit card and wait for their glasses to arrive in the mail. (Maybe a nicer kiosk would measure the Rx in your current glasses and have you look at an eye chart, and factor those measurements into the numbers the kiosk “prescribes” you.)

Continue --------------------------> http://www.optoblog.com/2012/02/09/u...islature-2012/

[PhiTrace]

Sounds like a great idea I would invest in one of those when they become available. It's a no brainer initially everyone will try it just for the novelty and the low prices will strangle all the local B and M competitors. So within a year or two the only choice will be online or the box, similar to redbox and the B and M movie rental shops.

I would think if this iteration of the bill doesn't pass they'll take it back through with just the ability to dispense eyewear without the capability for refraction. That would be a whole lot easier to pass in almost every state and once 800 establishes the boxes, they could always do a hardware or even software upgrade to add the refraction later.

[MasterCrafter]

But because of GWB, and his FCLCA and other FTC optical acquisitions and consolidations during his watch, the precedents leading to this point were established.

i agree B .. I blame GWB for everything that is wrong in the world

[kcount]

Uli, Looks like Opticians will be doing refractions legally sooner than later in Utah!

[idispense]

Did this trickle down from Canada?

Mr Fezz :

Really now Fezz , I think this stuff started in your country .

If you look back 30 to 40 years ago in the rear of Popular Science, Mechanix Illustrated magazines etc. I think you will find advertising there that proves the modern day evolution of unauthorized mail order dispensing started in your very own state of Florida.

What you see now is just the result of one gutless Regulator after another burying their no brainer heads in the sand refusing to do their jobs and uphold the laws.

Internetters




next Regulator Please ...


The internetters have several things that Colleges and Regulators do not have , an action plan , guts to get the job done, backbone to go the distance. fortitude .


We are being sucked dry by useless regulators who fail to take action on illegal dispensing . If they are not part of the solution then it is clear they are part of the problem .

Many regulators hide behind something ridiiculous called "Governance" which is a new excuse to do nothing and continue burying their heads .

[Chris Ryser]

We are being sucked dry by useless regulators who fail to take action on illegal dispensing . If they are not part of the solution then it is clear they are part of the problem .

Many regulators hide behind something ridiiculous called "Governance" which is a new excuse to do nothing and continue burying their heads .

Your regulators have proven that they will not move. You do not know the reason as all the complaining does not seem to move the mountain.

On another thread I have given you a link to a page I have set up on my website with every Canadian Parliament members e-mail address. Over 350 of them. All you have to do click on them and copy them and then contact the members in your area and tell the and ask them to help...........or you will actively campaign at the next election against them. You want a response within a certain time limit or send them a second one. If enough opticians from coast to coast will do it it might just work.

I have never heard a response on my demand to Health Canada which I posted a while ago this year. Even this official government arm does not respond.

If that don,t work you have to find other solutions to survive the avalanche that is rolling over the optical retail industry. The large corporations will not help as they have already actively joined the other side, they are playing the no looser game.

[PhiTrace]

I think the big corporate angle is tired. They are just doing what makes sense. I no longer side with losers on a fight myself, the main reason is that there of usually nothing to gain for me and our industry has no backbone. Look at these bills and measures that the corporations are putting into place and as a small business take advantage of the fact that you can act quicker that the big boys and cash in.

[Uilleann]

Some interesting info coming down from the hill the past few days - will post more when I have more solid specifics. Utah's backwards, often theocratic legislative body never ceases to amaze.