What points shall be contained in an Ethical, Fare and sustainable contract between an Optician and an Optometrist ?
Please give most importance to Strengthening the faith of General Society on Optometrist working at Optician's premises.
Also suggest Do's and don'ts to be observed on day-today basis.
This is too important an issue to discuss with all of the "barroom lawyers" found here. Contact an attorney who practices in your jurisdiction for legal advice.
I would also recommend a lawyer draw up the contract. In the US some states forbid partnerships between OD's and opticians. This would also include landlord/tenent relationships. Your local area may or may not allow such an arrangement.
I would be careful not to include anything that would restrict the scope of optometric practice. Some unethical opticians discourage OD's from doing anything other than producing a script for glasses.
Let us know what your lawyer says.
-Brendan
The only thing ethical and honorable is two separate businesses. With no econnomic ties but a symbiotic relationship from referrals.
Anything else is not ethical but probably legal and defenseable under the "There are many like us." axiom.
Chip
Every one on this planet is economicaly tied to one another irrespctive of his Nation,State and Place & whether you see or realise, or like it.chip anderson said:
The only thing ethical and honorable is two separate businesses. With no econnomic ties but a symbiotic relationship from referrals.
Anything else is not ethical but probably legal and defenseable under the "There are many like us." axiom.
Chip
The working, irrespective of physical proximity, should be meaningful & commited to the Society at Large.
Symbiotic relationship cannot be defined on basis of mere Separation. There may be millions of other like those.
Simply working Saperatly but smartly indulging and practising unethical ties where ever possible and boasting that it's the Order of the Day is other side.
There may be farer exotic exceptions as well.
When a Patient is having a freedom to make Spects any where else , an order can be booked from prescription from anywhere,
and Clinic Incharge is not getting Cut for spects dispensed and Optician is not getting Cut for refering Cataracts and other "Non Optician" Cases, I think, there is fare amount of Foundation for a good trustworthy relationship, their Geography is immaterial.
These would constitute the Essence of such a Contract.
Those who belive in these line of thought and themselves are
welcome to suggest other points to strengthen this type of relationship.
Sandeep
:cheers:
Sandeep,
Very well put. I don't believe that having a setup with an optical shop & OD is enethical if both parties are there for the patient's best interests. It simply allows greater convenience for the consumer. It would be self righteous to pass judgement on a business/professional relationship without knowing all the parties involved. Well, you know what they say about opinions.......
-Brendan
Sandeep & Excell:
I have beaten this dead horse until it's dry and I think this will be my last post on this for some time but I will try to explain why it's unethical.
Everyday I see one of my old patients telling me they felt like they had to buy thier glasses in the doctor's shop because they were afraid the doctor (who they love as a doctor, not a merchandiser) would be mad with them.
I have seen records at one of my former places of employment that once had physician ghost ownership, and the things that were precribed that patient's didn't need (like welding glasses with .12 cylinder) were terrible. And this was before we had all the high tech stuff to sell. Appearently even the most ethical of men are tempted whether conciously or subconciously, to promote things from which they benefit especially ecconmicly.
The patient ususally doesn't know in a "next door" operation that the doctor gets a piece of the action. Can they trust the Rx if this is the case, Can they even trust the doctor's recommendation of where to have thier Rx filled if he gets money out of the recommendation? I think not.
I admit this is common practice now, but it is not ethical or honorable.
Chip
chip anderson said:
Sandeep & Excell:
I have beaten this dead horse until it's dry and I think this will be my last post on this for some time but I will try to explain why it's unethical.
Everyday I see one of my old patients telling me they felt like they had to buy thier glasses in the doctor's shop because they were afraid the doctor (who they love as a doctor, not a merchandiser) would be mad with them.
I have seen records at one of my former places of employment that once had physician ghost ownership, and the things that were precribed that patient's didn't need (like welding glasses with .12 cylinder) were terrible. And this was before we had all the high tech stuff to sell. Appearently even the most ethical of men are tempted whether conciously or subconciously, to promote things from which they benefit especially ecconmicly.
The patient ususally doesn't know in a "next door" operation that the doctor gets a piece of the action. Can they trust the Rx if this is the case, Can they even trust the doctor's recommendation of where to have thier Rx filled if he gets money out of the recommendation? I think not.
I admit this is common practice now, but it is not ethical or honorable.
Chip
It is unethical. We have an MD do eye exams a couple days a week in our office (it is against the law here to have an OD and optician work together, yet OD's can dispense or delegate their employees whom they pay min wage to to dispense). Our eye doctor hands the customer the rx, the customer then can do what they want with it. However, I bet some still feel that they have to buy here.
Unfortunately, our governents have allowed OD's to dispense and have not kept it a seperate entity. So you have to do what you have to do to keep no scripts coming in your door.
I understand your concerns and have been in similar circumstances. I own an optical shop in a low income neighborhood which has a large hispanic population. People come to us because they know they can trust us and by offering eye exams in our office it offers a great convenience to them.
Most of our clients come in to schedule appointments and have decided to buy a certain pair of glasses prior to having their eyes checked. We were trying to refer to an MD but found they were aggressively trying to fill the RX. I stand strong that what I am doing is ethical. Money is never the issue!!
I could double my income by working for an MD but would rather work in a smaller, tight knit setting. The OD's we have doing exams are caring people and wouldn't write a script that wasn't needed (they wouldn't last long if they did). They have no financial interest in eyeglass sales which I understand some OD's have in corporate settings. In fact, we like to schedule appointments for people that have no intention of buying new glasses (eye infections, Glaucoma treatment, cataract eval.s etc.....)
I hope others won't consider what I do unethical, and if they do they're wrong
:finger:
-Brendan
Chip,
Of course I understand your point, but...
If an OD or an MD are unethical, (prescribing .12 for the sake of a sale) owning, or not owning a dispensary will not make them any more or less ethical.
Johns
Johns:
The point is this, if the only motivation for prescribing something could be the betterment of the patient. It will be the only reason that things are prescribed.
Chip
Just because some act unethically in this situation doesn't mean that the situation is unethical.
Excel-Lentes,
You are not doing anything unethical. You are providing a service to your patients. Always do what is right for the patient and you will be successful and sleep well at night.
Right..
chip anderson said:
Sandeep & Excell:
Everyday I see one of my old patients telling me they felt like they had to buy thier glasses in the doctor's shop because they were afraid the doctor (who they love as a doctor, not a merchandiser) would be mad with them.
I have seen records at one of my former places of employment that once had physician ghost ownership, and the things that were precribed that patient's didn't need (like welding glasses with .12 cylinder) were terrible. And this was before we had all the high tech stuff to sell. Appearently even the most ethical of men are tempted whether conciously or subconciously, to promote things from which they benefit especially ecconmicly.
The patient ususally doesn't know in a "next door" operation that the doctor gets a piece of the action. Can they trust the Rx if this is the case, Can they even trust the doctor's recommendation of where to have thier Rx filled if he gets money out of the recommendation? I think not.
I admit this is common practice now, but it is not ethical or honorable.
Chip
Thanks Chip , The Light house,
You have rightly told what MUST NOT be doen in such realtionship.
I will now Superconseously avoid subconcious temptetions. Already it's my way of life since generations.
Once I asked Eye Surgeon as to why did he writes 0.12 Cyl.
He said, if I do not write, the person will go to other Dr. and so, I have to write it ! Now, that's also true, Placibos are to be dispensed to Unavoidable cases.
Please keep OB warning about every thing wrong such relations keep on doing.
:cheers:
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