Expired Prescriptions

[Trina]

Back when I was taking the optician course at NAIT, my instructor mentioned that if patients didn't have a current prescription but desperately needed glasses, he would just take a measurement off their current glasses and make lenses based on that. Is this something that we as opticians are allowed to do?

[Lab Insight]

Back when I was taking the optician course at NAIT, my instructor mentioned that if patients didn't have a current prescription but desperately needed glasses, he would just take a measurement off their current glasses and make lenses based on that. Is this something that we as opticians are allowed to do?

Yes. There is nothing wrong with neutralizing a pair of eyeglasses and making a new pair based off of that. Even if the patient says its older than 2 years, all you can do is recommend they are due. If they decline, go ahead and make a new pair up, because if you don't somebody else will.

The days of playing by the rules and being squeaky clean are long gone. Do what you have to do to survive as a retailer.

[AngeHamm]

Yes. There is nothing wrong with neutralizing a pair of eyeglasses and making a new pair based off of that. Even if the patient says its older than 2 years, all you can do is recommend they are due. If they decline, go ahead and make a new pair up, because if you don't somebody else will.

The days of playing by the rules and being squeaky clean are long gone. Do what you have to do to survive as a retailer.

I can't say I agree that there's "nothing wrong" with doing this, but I agree that you should probably just do it. They absolutely will find someone who will, and they will do a much worse job at it than you will. You may want to have some boilerplate waiver of responsibility for them to sign if you plan on doing this regularly.

[Quince]

My office gets a lot of business from duplicating and filling expired RXs. I always tell the patient that is it important to get regular exams, for the health reasons, but that they are free to continue with an old Rx if they are happy with the script. I can't tell you how many times someone comes in with a very similar Rx to what they are wearing. They want to fill it because it is new, but often times, they end up switching back to the previous Rx.

[rbaker]

My office gets a lot of business from duplicating and filling expired RXs. I always tell the patient that is it important to get regular exams, for the health reasons, but that they are free to continue with an old Rx if they are happy with the script. I can't tell you how many times someone comes in with a very similar Rx to what they are wearing. They want to fill it because it is new, but often times, they end up switching back to the previous Rx.

Must be a Maine thing. Back in the day we had the summer complaint to tend with as we were up to our eyeballs with tourists. The broke their glasses, lost their glasses, forgot their glasses and, as you know, the bottom of Lake Sebago and Lake Winnipesauke are covered with glasses. In as much as there aint no law that overrules common sense we were happy to neutralize their old scratched glasses and crank out a new pair for them. The same holds true with new Rx's that that the customer is unhappy with dispite numerous encounters with their eye care team. Remember, you are working for the customer not the refractionist.

I think that the reluctance to duplicate lenses is the inability to accurately neutralize a pair of lenses. This factor generates "corporate" policy which prevents most opticians from practicing their craft.

[Trina]

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate the replies.

[Quince]

Must be a Maine thing. Back in the day we had the summer complaint to tend with as we were up to our eyeballs with tourists. The broke their glasses, lost their glasses, forgot their glasses and, as you know, the bottom of Lake Sebago and Lake Winnipesauke are covered with glasses. In as much as there aint no law that overrules common sense we were happy to neutralize their old scratched glasses and crank out a new pair for them. The same holds true with new Rx's that that the customer is unhappy with dispite numerous encounters with their eye care team. Remember, you are working for the customer not the refractionist.

I think that the reluctance to duplicate lenses is the inability to accurately neutralize a pair of lenses. This factor generates "corporate" policy which prevents most opticians from practicing their craft.

Oh Sebago... I have some sunglasses down there that were my designated lake pair for a reason- I put very little money into them. Now I have a wooden pair to test the buoyancy of this year!

You brought up a really good point that I almost went back to touch on, so I will do it now. I have a hesitance with duping, not because of incompetence, but because I don't know who made it and how much they follow tolerances (especially with tourists). I will always tell people, if they have a written version- even if it is expired- I would rather work off of that then dupe.

[Trina]

Oh Sebago... I have some sunglasses down there that were my designated lake pair for a reason- I put very little money into them. Now I have a wooden pair to test the buoyancy of this year!

You brought up a really good point that I almost went back to touch on, so I will do it now. I have a hesitance with duping, not because of incompetence, but because I don't know who made it and how much they follow tolerances (especially with tourists). I will always tell people, if they have a written version- even if it is expired- I would rather work off of that then dupe.

Just as an aside - have you tried the new Dragon Float sunglasses? As long as you put trivex in them, they float! Perfect for lake season. :)

[CCGREEN]

Interesting I come across this today. Me being from Florida ( a licensed state) where a eyeglass Rx is good for 5 years unless it has a expiration date on it, here in Maine (a unlicensed state) I just got a spanking this morning from the office manager for filling a Rx that was a few months past 2 years old. I honestly didn't know where to look in their EMR to find dates. I was taken aback, TWO YEARS! I had to look it up in and sure enough it is a state statue.
None the less each state will have its own expiration date for contacts and eyeglasses but when you look up those rules make sure you are looking at a Optometry board RULE or a Opticianry board RULE or a STATE STATUE. And then each practice will have its own little guide lines.

[Trina]

Interesting I come across this today. Me being from Florida ( a licensed state) where a eyeglass Rx is good for 5 years unless it has a expiration date on it, here in Maine (a unlicensed state) I just got a spanking this morning from the office manager for filling a Rx that was a few months past 2 years old. I honestly didn't know where to look in their EMR to find dates. I was taken aback, TWO YEARS! I had to look it up in and sure enough it is a state statue.
None the less each state will have its own expiration date for contacts and eyeglasses but when you look up those rules make sure you are looking at a Optometry board RULE or a Opticianry board RULE or a STATE STATUE. And then each practice will have its own little guide lines.

I called my association to clarify for this very reason! Thanks!

[Quince]

Just as an aside - have you tried the new Dragon Float sunglasses? As long as you put trivex in them, they float! Perfect for lake season. :)

Just looked these up- very cool! Thanks for the recommendation. The wood ones we have tried are fun but tend to be problematic when switching out lenses. I've been contemplating different replacement lines and this is at the top of the list.

[Robert Martellaro]

Back when I was taking the optician course at NAIT, my instructor mentioned that if patients didn't have a current prescription but desperately needed glasses, he would just take a measurement off their current glasses and make lenses based on that. Is this something that we as opticians are allowed to do?

Trina,

Wisconsin makes no mention of expirations, but addresses duplicates, and to some degree neutralization, although we need to give some thought to the statement "not requiring optometric service", and our professional responsibility to the patient.

(2) Dispensing opticians. A dispensing optician is one who practices optical dispensing. The practice of optical dispensing comprises the taking of necessary facial measurements and the processing, fitting and adjusting of mountings, frames, lenses and kindred products in the filling of prescriptions of duly licensed physicians or optometrists for ophthalmic lenses. Duplications, replacements or reproductions not requiring optometric service may be done without prescription. Nothing herein contained shall change the responsibility of physician to patient, or optometrist to patient.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/449/_1?up=1

However, best practice says to call the prescriber for the Rx. This eliminates errors from neutralization, and errors in the existing eyewear. We should strongly encourage our clients to travel with a spare pair of eyeglasses, and easy have access to their Rx (the cloud might work for most folks). That said, I'll neutralize for a nursing home resident when the prescriber is unknown and the need is high, but I'll strongly recommend that they see an eye doctor ASAP.

Best regards,

Robert Martellaro

[rbaker]

Oh Sebago... I have some sunglasses down there that were my designated lake pair for a reason- I put very little money into them. Now I have a wooden pair to test the buoyancy of this year!

You brought up a really good point that I almost went back to touch on, so I will do it now. I have a hesitance with duping, not because of incompetence, but because I don't know who made it and how much they follow tolerances (especially with tourists). I will always tell people, if they have a written version- even if it is expired- I would rather work off of that then dupe.

When you neutralize a pair of glasses you are not concerned with errors or tolerances. You are duplicating a pair of lenses not diagnosing the refractive error second guessing whoever made the lenses in question.

You are responsible to insure that the new lenses are within tolerance with your neutralized findings.

[fjpod]

I would add that state laws govern this and you should check what they are. But in a pinch you should do what's best for the patient...i.e. what's better? They have a pair of glasses that off by 3% or no glasses at all?

In NY, there is no limitation on duplicating eyeglasses and no expiration dates on the prescription.

[tmorse]

Back when I was taking the optician course at NAIT, my instructor mentioned that if patients didn't have a current prescription but desperately needed glasses, he would just take a measurement off their current glasses and make lenses based on that. Is this something that we as opticians are allowed to do?

Can't believe this question is from an actual NAIT graduate. Of course this procedure is within our Optician scope of practice... it is called lens 'duplication' and if someone presents with even a scratch on a lens, we duplicate that lens power using lensometry.