Great Article in EyeCareProfessional by Dr. Warren McDonald!

[sharpstick777]

Reflections on the Future of Opticians

http://www.ecpmag.com/1webmagazine/2012/02feb/content/21_CenturyOpt/future-opticians.asp

If you don't receive a paper copy the article is above. Dr. Warren asks some very good questions in this very well written piece.

For those of you who don't know, Dr. Warren has worked tirelessly and thanklessly to advance Opticianry all over the country.
Thanks Warren! Your skill and passion for this industry benefit us all.

PS: Warren, you said in the article you were a "former" active participant on Optiboard? Are you leaving us?

[sharpstick777]

I pulled this quote from an OD forum I am on, It relates well to Warren's article.

One OD posted:
"As Optometry moves further toward medicine and way from the base it started from it will leave a void. That void will need to be filled. Opticians are disorganized as a profession and will not be in any position to take over this space. The question is, who will?"

[AustinEyewear]

I pulled this quote from an OD forum I am on, It relates well to Warren's article.

One OD posted:
"As Optometry moves further toward medicine and way from the base it started from it will leave a void. That void will need to be filled. Opticians are disorganized as a profession and will not be in any position to take over this space. The question is, who will?"

That is one O.D.'s perspective. There are some ODs that want to be MDs, just as there are some Optician's that want to be ODs. Sometimes I wonder why both types in these groups just don't go back to school and become what they really want to be. Its my "opinion" that most O.D. know their place in medicine, it is a role that has boundaries. Those boundaries are not going to be crossed. There won't be this so called "void" the respondent you refer to indicates. The only time a void will occur, is from a small subset group of these ODs. In Texas, at least in large metro areas, there already seems to be an oversupply of ODs. No voids here, and not for the foreseeable future.

[Barry Santini]

Yeah, wisdom....from the people who brought our industry VSP.

Yeah.

[wmcdonald]

That is one O.D.'s perspective. There are some ODs that want to be MDs, just as there are some Optician's that want to be ODs. Sometimes I wonder why both types in these groups just don't go back to school and become what they really want to be. Its my "opinion" that most O.D. know their place in medicine, it is a role that has boundaries. Those boundaries are not going to be crossed. There won't be this so called "void" the respondent you refer to indicates. The only time a void will occur, is from a small subset group of these ODs. In Texas, at least in large metro areas, there already seems to be an oversupply of ODs. No voids here, and not for the foreseeable future.

That is total BS, and the same thing ODs heard from Ophthalmology as they educated themselves to a higher level. Note the quote from the OD above. He is in the majority. You are either with us of against us, and you have made your opinion very clear. Some Opticians are content and see no need to change. Some wonder why we do not change. I, and many others, want to move ahead. I want to see Opticians improve their lot, and will continue to fight this kind of ignorance when I see it. Opticians can, and should do more, and only when we eliminate this kind of thinking will we. Education and training are what we need. My sorry for 30 years, and I am sticking to it!

[Judy Canty]

Warren, are Para-Optometric Assistants positioning themselves, through their certification and continuing education requirements, to step into the void?

[wmcdonald]

Reflections on the Future of Opticians

http://www.ecpmag.com/1webmagazine/2012/02feb/content/21_CenturyOpt/future-opticians.asp

If you don't receive a paper copy the article is above. Dr. Warren asks some very good questions in this very well written piece.

For those of you who don't know, Dr. Warren has worked tirelessly and thanklessly to advance Opticianry all over the country.
Thanks Warren! Your skill and passion for this industry benefit us all.

PS: Warren, you said in the article you were a "former" active participant on Optiboard? Are you leaving us?

Thanks for your kind comments. I receive a lot of positive communication on articles like these from all across the country. One of the most prized letters I received was a hand written note from an OD in his late 80s congratulating me for my articles and wondering why Opticians sit idly by as the world passes them. Our opposition to advancement comes not from without, but from within. Note that AustinEyewear below it is an Optician (the requirement to call yourself an Optician in Texas is a pulse) who appears to be against us doing anything except the traditional things we have always done. Those kind of folks are the enemy of this slowly dying profession that needs to be recussitated. It is not ODs (who largely wonder why we are so slow to act), or MDs, or corporate America who are the enemy, it is us. Ignorance of what could be, and rampant apathy kill us, and must be eliminated. I keep trying, along with many others, to make a positive difference. Several very capable folks in Texas, a state with 0 requirements, have developed their own voluntary registry which is recognized by the state, and they should be applauded. There are many others who have dome far more than I will ever do. If you really feel strongly about it, seek membership in the Society to Advance Opticianry. If you do not have the required educational credentials, let us show you how to accomplish that worthy goal. You will do yourself a favor, and at the same time improve your profession.

As to Optiboard, no I am not leaving, but do not post as much as I once did. I make my caase and move on. I do not join in the vigorous debates regarding issues unimportnat to me. I applaud Steve's efforts here, and will not be gone completely, just not as active.

[wmcdonald]

Warren, are Para-Optometric Assistants positioning themselves, through their certification and continuing education requirements, to step into the void?

Para-Optometric folks usually get those jobs from the want ads. It is not typically something one might seek as a career from high school. There are excellent programs for Ophthalmology Techs (COTs and COMTs) that require a rigorous program of study at excellent universities like Duke and NYU. Opticians.......well, we go through this work experience, and take a 125-question multiple choice exam, and expect to be treated as psofessionals! Are they being positioned? I challenge you to look in your local papers and online and see how many ads there are for Opticians. Most jobs now are looking for....."Optometric Assistant. No expereience required, will train". The paras can replace us very easily, and quite frankly if all we do is measure PDs, and take seg heights, why should we be paid 40K a year, which is what my research shows is the average, and is backed up by the annual NAO study. We must change to remain viable. I realize we bring far more to the table than that, but is there evidence? Can we prove the glasses we dispense are better than those from the docs office with the young lady who was at McDonald's last week? We think we do, but do we have proof? Just food for thought. Change must soon take place!

[Wes]

Warren, are Para-Optometric Assistants positioning themselves, through their certification and continuing education requirements, to step into the void?

My previous significant other was a CPOT. I trained her for the spectacles and cl portions of the exam. It wasn't as comprehensive as either the basic NOCE or CLRE exams, and that's the top level certification for paraoptometrics. The CPO exam is extremely basic and focuses mainly on office procedures. The CPOA has a good bit of pretesting and some info about spectacles and cls, but not much, compared to basic opticians' exams, and we know how hard those aren't.

[David_Garza]

I pulled this quote from an OD forum I am on, It relates well to Warren's article.

One OD posted:
"As Optometry moves further toward medicine and way from the base it started from it will leave a void. That void will need to be filled.....The question is, who will?"

Will it be the Bounty Hunters or Hutts filling that 'void'??

[AustinEyewear]

That is total BS, and the same thing ODs heard from Ophthalmology as they educated themselves to a higher level. Note the quote from the OD above. He is in the majority. You are either with us of against us, and you have made your opinion very clear. Some Opticians are content and see no need to change. Some wonder why we do not change. I, and many others, want to move ahead. I want to see Opticians improve their lot, and will continue to fight this kind of ignorance when I see it. Opticians can, and should do more, and only when we eliminate this kind of thinking will we. Education and training are what we need. My sorry for 30 years, and I am sticking to it!

With all due respect, your jumping to conclusions. I never mentioned that opticians should not get higher education, a highly trained optician is a valuable asset not only to themselves, and the patient, but also to an optometry practice. I am pointing out that OD's are not going to leave a void. OD's are not going to leave void because they are moving towards a pure medical based model, and saying otherwise IS BS.

[wmcdonald]

We should not wait for them or anyone else to give us anything. We must be agressive. But from my research, and many other articles, you are incorrect.

[AustinEyewear]

We should not wait for them or anyone else to give us anything. We must be agressive. But from my research, and many other articles, you are incorrect.

ODs see optical as an important component of any healthy practice, to themselves and to the patient. They are not about to throw this out the door and leave the so called void so that they can focus purely on the medical aspects of their practice. The medical aspects are driven by early detection providing better outcomes in patient care, not because ODs want to be MDs and toss out their optical. Yes, there are a few that want this, but most know their boundaries and limitations as an OD and choose to be in that position and are happy to be in that position for varying personal reasons.

Many ODs I know would love to have a full blown practice, including optical. The only thing preventing them from doing so are financial issues. Once those issues are cleared, they are in. The ones that don't, just don't want the headaches associated with it. But there are plenty to go around that do, and there is no void coming.

The other thing that is slowing down young OD's to transition to their own practice with a full setup including optical is the online space. This space will continue to eat into margins, making it ever more difficult to operate an optical, and ever more difficult to pay opticians what they are worth. Opticians in licensed states have this same problem, and this is their main enemy. If an optometrist is having trouble doing this, its going to be even more difficult for an optician because they don't have the medical aspects of the practice to help them along. I continue to stand by this: the OD is not the opticians enemy, its online that is. Its everyone's enemy, including the patient.

[sharpstick777]

I provide practice consulting and one of the discussions I have with OD's is that they need qualified and licensed staff to move advance their practice. My motto has been your practice is only as good as your least qualified staff member. Years ago this was met with scofflaws and harumps, however the last couple of years the OD perspective has shifted. One office we worked has seen both the Drs stress drop and revenue increase through actively supporting licensure for the staff, and the Dr. spoke about this experience at a CE class she was teaching. It was met with great interest.

In many very busy clinics I try to move the OD's out of doing contact lens fittings and hire NCLE or LDO's to provide this in clinic service, the profits are so low on contacts that thier is really no money if the Dr performs these services. It has in every case been successful the practice. More Drs are recomending this model to their peers.

As well, 3 practices have openned recently that are co-owned by the Doctor and Optician. Every one of these Co-owned practices is thriving immensly despite the economy. This is a great model.

There is door open for Opticians that has has been closed for many years. If we are smart, and willing to work hard, we could sucessfully ressurect a dying field. Its really up to us. The quote I listed above list "organization" as the key to advance our field. Warren lists education. They are both right.

[AustinEyewear]

I totally agree with your philosophy. A well trained, and apprenticed optician is valuable and preferable. Same for paraoptometric. I just don't want to see opticians misled. I believe it is a little misleading to tell opticians that OD's are leaving a void and that if they go pay for all this great education that their salaries will skyrocket to the moon. Its a little reminiscent of some issues heard on the news, (get your graphic designer degree and you will be making 100K/year, but they can't even find a job, let alone one that is paying that well). Saying that OD's are going to leave a void smells of a hidden agenda. When an optican works for someone else, their salary is always going to hit a wall, just as in any other profession. That salary is going to be less than a OD's salary who works for another OD, regardless of how much optician education they get. Open up their own place, and that is another story. Want to figure out what average optician salaries should be when employed by someone else, then just go figure what an OD is getting paid when employed by someone else. We're all worth a lot more money that what we make, but business finances end up dictating what we can actually pay someone in reality. In the end, market forces will always dictate salaries. There are some pretty smart people, who have years of university training, that don't get paid very well due to the profession they have chosen.

[sharpstick777]

ODs see optical as an important component of any healthy practice, to themselves and to the patient. They are not about to throw this out the door and leave the so called void so that they can focus purely on the medical aspects of their practice. The medical aspects are driven by early detection providing better outcomes in patient care, not because ODs want to be MDs and toss out their optical. Yes, there are a few that want this, but most know their boundaries and limitations as an OD and choose to be in that position and are happy to be in that position for varying personal reasons.

.... there is no void coming.

The void is there because with the more medical CE classes OD's take it become impossible to keep up on all the advancements in diseases of the eye and opthalmlic lens products... even contacts. OD Colleges have already replaced advanced Opthalmic Optics with medical courses. Practice revenue is now on average 40% medical, so that is only going to shift more the medical side. The OD's have waged a successful and hard fought battle to perscribe occular meds. The patients love not having to go to an MD for basic conjunctivitis so its been well received in the marketplace. Medical OD's are here to stay.

As a result OD don't have the time to devote to every area of Optical. It may vary by OD, but they simply can't stay on top of every new contact, progressive lens, frame line or insurance change that now hits the market monthly.

There is a void... I see it and the OD's see it. The door is open but whether we walk through it will depend on us.

[wmcdonald]

I do have an agenda, and it is widely known......I want Opticians to improve through education. What is yours, to support the ODs? You do not even refer to yourself as an Optician in the tag line, so you must not be one. What is your dog in the fight if you are not? ODs ARE moving to a more medical model, opening the door for Opticians to expand their base. There are many articles written by ODs that mention this possible void, and I stand by that statement. Further, I do not feel apprenticeship is a viable method of training any longer, and my study indicates that most of them are little more than cheap labor. We must expand our knowledge base through a formal education process, as every other allied health profession has done except Opticianry. It is obvious you feel differently. I enjoy a good debate, however, and look forward to it!

[sharpstick777]

I just don't want to see opticians misled. I believe it is a little misleading to tell opticians that OD's are leaving a void and that if they go pay for all this great education that their salaries will skyrocket to the moon. Its a little reminiscent of some issues heard on the news, (get your graphic designer degree and you will be making 100K/year, but they can't even find a job, let alone one that is paying that well). Saying that OD's are going to leave a void smells of a hidden agenda. When an optican works for someone else, their salary is always going to hit a wall, just as in any other profession. That salary is going to be less than a OD's salary who works for another OD, regardless of how much optician education they get. Open up their own place, and that is another story.

I think Pharmicists are the best example of a career field that has improved their salaries immensly with an education only strategy. About 15 years ago it only took a Bachelor of Science degree BSpharm to be a Pharmacist, now it requires a PharmD which is a Doctorate. I don't think my pharmacy experience is any better because of it and I have RX's to fill every month.

However, the average Pharmacist now makes $113,600 per year working for someone else, which has increased from about $44K per year over that span.

The pharmacy industry used to dominated by independants, now its not. Just like our industry. Pharmacists are not that different from Opticians. The Doctor writes the perscription the Pharmacist or Optician fills it. The parallels are striking.

Personally, I think it requires more skill to be a good Optican. When someone has trouble with their meds all the pharmacist will tell them is stop taking them and call your MD. When someone has trouble with their eyewear, its usually the Opticians job to find the cause and create a solution. That cause can come from a myriad of sources too. When a MD finds and issue or reaction with medication they just stop that one and go down the list of approved meds, they don't have to figure out why. Only in Optical do we have to figure out the cause before we can move to a solution.

I agree with Warren that education is the key. I don't agree with others that apprentices should be left behind.

But I want to qualify that, I don't agree with others that class room only education is the key, I think an Opticianry education requires a mix of class room, labs, and mentoring to be fully effective. The only model that fits this is the Electricians educational classes. The Europeans practice this for many technical fields, however, in the US there is educational bias against credit earning mentoring/apprenticeship.

Although there is not a high return on investment for a college educated Opticians now, this will change as the college degree becomes a basic requirement like the high school degree was... only 20 years ago.

Austin you are correct in pointing out the cost effectiveness issues of Opticians obtaining degrees. Regrettably the costs associated with College are increasing at twice the rate of inflation. I am also college instructor so please know that that these increases are NOT going to my salary.

My only solution is education, but specialized education, where a degree is earned but the path includes credit earned mentoring where Opticians can get paid and earn credits at the same time. I don't think the "classroom only" formula that many degree programs use is as efficient as we need.

One issue faced by Academia is that many colleges focus on the quantity of what studied, not the quality. For Warren's goal to be successful and reach the cost effectiveness Austin and the industry needs, I think we need to develop a new and highly efficient quality educational model. Anyone else in?

[AustinEyewear]

Thanks for explaining the "void". I think it really is "closing the gap", rather than a void being created. OD's have been counting on opticians to do this for quite sometime now, nothing new there. Yes, with technology advancements, come more required studying, and opticians better keep up, or they will be left behind by other opticians that do keep up. Formal education is excellent, not giving you any argument there. It must be priced right, so that it can be paid for after graduating for the field of study. I think an apprenticeship in addition to course works is very valuable. Engineers do it all the time. So do a lot of professions.

So in terms of today's rates, I'm curious what you consider cheap labor. I'm also curious on where you think optician salaries should be? Should they be at the same level as an engineer?

[AustinEyewear]

I think Pharmicists are the best example of a career field that has improved their salaries immensly with an only education strategy. About 20 years ago it only took a Bachelor of Science degree BSpharm to be a Pharmacist, now it requires a PharmD which is a Doctorate. I don't think my pharmacy experience is any better because of it.

However, the average Pharmacist now makes $113,600 per year working for someone else.

Are you proposing that Opticians should go to a university for 8 years like the pharms do now?

[sharpstick777]

Thanks for explaining the "void". I think it really is "closing the gap", rather than a void being created. OD's have been counting on opticians to do this for quite sometime now, nothing new there. Yes, with technology advancements, come more required studying, and opticians better keep up, or they will be left behind by other opticians that do keep up. Formal education is excellent, not giving you any argument there. It must be priced right, so that it can be paid for after graduating for the field of study. I think an apprenticeship in addition to course works is very valuable. Engineers do it all the time. So do a lot of professions.

So in terms of today's rates, I'm curious what you consider cheap labor. I'm also curious on where you think optician salaries should be? Should they be at the same level as an engineer?

Engineering failures result in death, sometimes a lot of death. It doesn't happen in the US as much, but in the third world bridges fail and buildings fall all the time where many people are killed, even new ones. I have actually seen it happen myself. So engineers should be highly regulated and with that well paid.

In licensed states, Opticians can earn over $60K a year without a degree... and in those states... the Drs don't really complain about paying it because they make more as a result really. In my opinion, good Opticians should be making from $65K to $75K. I live in a licensced state and OD's are dying to practice here.

[sharpstick777]

Are you proposing that Opticians should go to a university for 8 years like the pharms do now?

If you read my post above, I believe a good Optician education involves an efficient mix of class room time, followed by labs, followed by credit earning structured mentoring/apprenticeship that involves deliberate follow up and actual hands on testing. This is what the Electricians do in many states and they can earn about $90K a year, except they provide a certificate not a degree.

[AustinEyewear]

Engineering failures result in death, sometimes a lot of death. It doesn't happen in the US as much, but in the third world bridges fail and buildings fall all the time where many people are killed, even new ones. I have actually seen it happen myself. So engineers should be highly regulated and with that well paid.

In licensed states, Opticians can earn over $60K a year without a degree... and in those states... the Drs don't really complain about paying it because they make more as a result really. In my opinion, good Opticians should be making from $65K to $75K. I live in a licensced state and OD's are dying to practice here.

A really good optician that is in a practice making a lot of money that has been with the practice for a long time maybe. But I doubt they walk into a job interview and get that much unless they are well known. A practice just starting out could never afford that, and there are new practices starting out all the time. Ability to pay is going to be a big factor, and as online increases, there is going to be downward pressure on this line of work. (called margin compression ) I won't hold you to the figures, salaries are always hard to talk about, but I think your figures may be high, avg engineering salaries are in the range you state. OD's are making in the range of 80-100.

[sharpstick777]

A really good optician that is in a practice making a lot of money that has been with the practice for a long time maybe. But I doubt they walk into a job interview and get that much unless they are well known..

My $60K a year was for a licensed Optician with at least 6 years of experience, not a new one.

A A practice just starting out could never afford that, and there are new practices starting out all the time.

I work with new practices all the time, and I convince them that hiring a compentant licensed Optician at $60K per year is the most profitable money they will spend. They will on average reach profitablity much faster with high paid skilled staff than low paid rookies. A good Optician is worth an extra $250K in total practice revenue.

Ability to pay is going to be a big factor, and as online increases, there is going to be downward pressure on this line of work. (called margin compression ) I won't hold you to the figures, salaries are always hard to talk about, but I think your figures may be high, avg engineering salaries are in the range you state. OD's are making in the range of 80-100.

Actually, OD's make an average of $160K per year around the US in a recent study, and if they are in a multi Dr practice that average goes up to $290K a year. I do know OD's making $400K. It may be less in Texas, but not in other places.

Curently after many years online contact lens sales are only 18% of the market, most people are still buying thier contacts where they get their eye exams. I don't think online sales will impact the glasses side very much, glasses that don't look for fit well are worthless, where contact lenses are much more of a commodity. Sure I can order a pair of glasses online, but will I look terrible? Probably. I am actually greatful for online sales because it will only serve to enhance the value of the dispenser even more. There are simply a small amount people we don't want to serve and online sales will actually do us a favor.

Every generation of Optician has seen the sky falling. When I started B&L and American Optical were going to eliminate us (but where are they now). Then it was Lenscrafters (it was empty the last time I went by). Then it was Disposable Contacts. Then it was 1-800-Contacts. Then it was Essilor and VSP. Now its online eyewear. I am sure in 5 years it will be something else, maybe VSP will buy Essilor? Who knows.

We will always have challenges, but its not the challenges that define us, its being ready for them that should. Warren is correct in education being one tool that we can use to face those challenges sucessfully.

[optical24/7]

Annual Optometrist Salary by State

Data from May 2009

State	Employment(1)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage(2)
Alabama	270	$45.13	$93,870
Alaska	60	$54.87	$114,120
Arizona	800	$57.40	$119,380
Arkansas	300	$36.06	$75,000
California	2620	$48.92	$101,750
Colorado	740	$41.65	$86,640
Connecticut	150	$51.65	$107,430
Delaware	110	$35.71	$74,270
D.C.	70	$46.74	$97,220
Florida	1100	$53.97	$112,260
Georgia	600	$43.14	$89,730
Hawaii	290	$44.29	$92,120
Idaho	170	$33.74	$70,170
Illinois	1800	$48.70	$101,300
Indiana	610	$47.93	$99,690
Iowa	360	$45.81	$95,270
Kansas	380	$62.22	$129,420
Kentucky	320	$56.67	$117,880
Louisiana	250	$68.53	$142,550
Maine	120	$52.13	$108,430
Maryland	420	$50.60	$105,250
Massachusetts	650	$53.21	$110,670
Michigan	900	$54.61	$113,580
Minnesota	540	$58.57	$121,830
Mississippi	280	$42.98	$89,390
Missouri	630	$47.51	$98,810
Montana	90	$29.51	$61,380
Nebraska	230	$49.22	$102,370
Nevada	140	$43.81	$91,130
New Hampshire	110	$56.47	$117,460
New Jersey	510	$53.46	$111,210
New Mexico	170	$48.05	$99,940
New York	1790	$54.43	$113,220
North Carolina	700	$60.33	$125,490
North Dakota	110	$54.14	$112,610
Ohio	890	$61.08	$127,040
Oklahoma	490	$44.76	$93,110
Oregon	500	$36.63	$76,190
Pennsylvania	1560	$49.63	$103,230
Puerto Rico	130	$27.16	$56,490
Rhode Island	80	$51.92	$108,000
South Carolina	370	$46.87	$97,480
South Dakota	120	$53.77	$111,830
Tennessee	330	$65.97	$137,220
Texas	1680	$56.88	$118,300
Utah	200	$48.55	$100,980
Vermont	50	$46.34	$96,390
Virginia	600	$53.57	$111,430
Washington	440	$61.96	$128,880
West Virginia	130	$55.81	$116,070
Wisconsin	570	$49.85	$103,680
Wyoming	80	$35.24	$73,310