Where's your Prescription?...IT'S ON THE BOX!!!

**Aarlan** · 07-20-2005, 05:38 PM

Now I don't know about y'all, but this absolutely drives me ballistic...The RX IS NOT ON THE BOX...THE LENS SPECIFICATIONS ARE. This is akin to Pfizer of Merck telling folks their hypertension meds RX IS ON THE BOTTLE!!! You'd be sent to prison for a marketing scheme like that, or trying to duplicate an RX that's expired.

I also got a kick out of a patient today... she wanted an exam for glasses. We asked her if she wore contacts, and she responded in the affirmative, but she didn't need to have the 'contact' portion of the exam, since she had enough lenses. I enquired as to why she would need a new eyeglass exam if she had recently updated her contacts...She told me she just ordered new contact through 1-800 a few months ago. Her last exam (elsewhere) was 2001!!!!!! How on earth did she get lenses from a 4+year old RX?????

I understand the FTC wanting to increase competition as a matter of policy, but for health and safety issues, this is a bit much. What about preserving the consumers health and safety???

AA

**chip anderson** · 07-20-2005, 06:59 PM

I had a better one yesterday. Young lady that I fit with toric contact 2 years ago, hadn't seen since she got her first 6 pks. Her mother calls and tells me how much happier her friends are now that they were wearing a specific brand. Wanted to schedule an appointment to get fitted with that brand.

I asked if she had still been wearing the same lenses she got two years ago.
Mother said she had been getting new lenses on line.
I told her that the on line company was now responsable for here fitting and care, ask them for help.

Chip
P.S. My office had never been contacted for anything from the on line company.

**mlm** · 07-21-2005, 01:28 AM

A "patient" called last week to order another 2 pairs of conventional contact lenses.

Her last exam with us was in 1998; notes said she absolutely refuses to consider disposable lenses. The notes continue with an entry in 2002 that she went to an ophthalmologist for her exam "because she could get a free exam with him" (this was less than a year after exams were deinsured in BC); all she wanted from us was more contact lenses, but the OMD hadn't done a refraction so we had to, as well as rechecking the fit (ended up doing that for free). That was the last we heard from her till now.

So, I tell her she needs a full eye exam and contact lens evaluation. She says all she wants are her contact lenses. I say I can't dispense any more CL until she has an exam done either here or at another clinic that gives her a written CL prescription. She tells me that it should be her choice whether or not to have an exam, and I must be scamming her into paying for something she doesn't need. I told her that even if she didn't care enough about her eye health to replace her lenses at least yearly and have her eyes checked every two years, I had a legal and ethical obligation to care on her behalf. She hung up on me.

That whole conversation took about 15 minutes.

There are days when I wonder why I even bother to get out of bed...

**Myoptic33** · 07-21-2005, 02:44 AM

Maybe they feel their pescription has not changed in years so they feel an exam for a stable pescription is a waste of $50, $70 or even $100. I know a yearly eye exam is reccomended to check if your eyes have any disease in addition to possible refractive changes. I have a pescription that expires in a year so I guess ill get another eye test then if I want new glasses

**culland** · 07-21-2005, 12:11 PM

That is absurd! It's not about the Rx! An annual examination is needed for so many more reasons than that. Your eye health is what the real issue is. The refraction is just a portion of the exam. Wearing a device on the surface of your eye has it's risks if not worn correctly. Doctor's need to make sure that the eye health both on the surface of the eye as well as interior are healthy. To assume you are fine because you don't notice a change in your vision and don't want to spend the money is ridiculous! Myoptic how can you be in this field and not believe in this yourself and educate your patients on the importance of this? You have had some of the most ridiculous posts I've ever seen! It's hard to believe you are in this profession. (you're all for buying glasses online or the 2 for $99, yearly exams are optional, vision requirements for drivers licenses should be different.) The list goes on and on with you doesn't it? The last time I spoke out on your post about online purchases of complete pairs of glasses you gave me a negative rating. Maybe I'm the one who is too strict but aren't we as optical professionals supposed to be looking out for our patient's best interest? Would someone else let me know if I'm being too critical with Myoptic's posts?

**Snitgirl** · 07-21-2005, 03:22 PM

mlm,

I am sure you are very aware, but sometimes you can't please everyone, even when you are killing them with kindness, or going the extra mile for them.

I don't have time at the moment to type more re: your post, but will later letting you know about an observation I had and how we changed things.

:D

Originally Posted by mlm

A "patient" called last week to order another 2 pairs of conventional contact lenses.

Her last exam with us was in 1998; notes said she absolutely refuses to consider disposable lenses. The notes continue with an entry in 2002 that she went to an ophthalmologist for her exam "because she could get a free exam with him" (this was less than a year after exams were deinsured in BC); all she wanted from us was more contact lenses, but the OMD hadn't done a refraction so we had to, as well as rechecking the fit (ended up doing that for free). That was the last we heard from her till now.

So, I tell her she needs a full eye exam and contact lens evaluation. She says all she wants are her contact lenses. I say I can't dispense any more CL until she has an exam done either here or at another clinic that gives her a written CL prescription. She tells me that it should be her choice whether or not to have an exam, and I must be scamming her into paying for something she doesn't need. I told her that even if she didn't care enough about her eye health to replace her lenses at least yearly and have her eyes checked every two years, I had a legal and ethical obligation to care on her behalf. She hung up on me.

That whole conversation took about 15 minutes.

There are days when I wonder why I even bother to get out of bed...

**Myoptic33** · 07-21-2005, 07:52 PM

ive already said other reasons for an annual eye exam. Please re read my post. Not all of us here are optometrists, but we all have an interest on the subject of eyes and optics. I never gave you a negetive rating nor anyone else. The needs of glasses depends on the person, NOT everyone needs $500 glasses and you know this :)

**JennyP** · 07-21-2005, 09:19 PM

Before anyone gets in a dither about the sensibility of a post, or the knowledge of the poster, just click on their public profile. As long as the person posting isn't lying or exaggerating, the occupation listed should give some clue as to their understanding of the topics being questioned or commented on. And their location may hint at the technology available in their area.
This is a public forum. Please don't ridicule those who come here seeking information and stay to experience our community.
I've been in optics as a dispenser for 10 years, (ABO certified for 8. NCLC for 7, and licensed in TN for 5.) I don't get to "make the lenses" but I deeply appreciate the information our lab trained opticians and technicians and lens developers share here. We've seen several young people decide to begin careers based on what they found here on Optiboard, but you don't have to be young to find a new interest for your life! Lighten up! Don't kick the "puppies" for wanting to see what's up here on our table! ;)

**Ed_Optician** · 07-21-2005, 09:34 PM

Has anyone looked at the phase of hte moon? Every time we get a discussion like theis there seems to be a full moon out.

As a matter of professional ethisc, I will not fill based on boxtops only on a written Rx, copy of an Rx, or a verbal verification from the refracting doctor's office. I will not stick my neck out for anyone because my license is valuable to me. Some states send investigators out to try these things on opticians and will nail you for it

Ed

**culland** · 07-21-2005, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by Myoptic33

ive already said other reasons for an annual eye exam. Please re read my post. Not all of us here are optometrists, but we all have an interest on the subject of eyes and optics. I never gave you a negetive rating nor anyone else. The needs of glasses depends on the person, NOT everyone needs $500 glasses and you know this :)

I've never said everyone or anyone needs $500 glasses! I'm just stating that by saying that if you think your vision and glasses are fine, that this means you don't need an eye exam your very much wrong. I never once said anything about glasses in my post. I don't sell glasses! I'm an ABOC Optician that has transfered to owning a lab.

Originally Posted by Myoptic33

I have a pescription that expires in a year so I guess ill get another eye test then if I want new glasses

I'm making the point that you said you might not get an exam unless you wanted new glasses. This isn't the right way to look at eye exams. I just want to express the fact that obviously you as well as others believe that if they don't have vision problems there's no need for an exam. Not true. Many problems can go unnoticed by the patient until the doctor is able to thoroughly examine the eye. I'm not blasting you either as the other poster said, but when someone comes on to the forum and states things that I disagree with I believe that I should be able to disagree with them and that is what I have done with my posts.

Also I apologize to who started this thread for getting off track.

**mlm** · 07-22-2005, 12:03 AM

Originally Posted by Snitgirl

mlm,

I am sure you are very aware, but sometimes you can't please everyone, even when you are killing them with kindness, or going the extra mile for them.

I don't have time at the moment to type more re: your post, but will later letting you know about an observation I had and how we changed things.

:D

Thanks for the kind words Snitgirl. Guess I just needed to vent a bit. My primary duties are pretesting and contact lenses, but I also do front desk, billing, filing, recalls, reminder calls, appointments, registration and on and on and on. That phone call came on a day when I was already being run off my feet, and I started wondering why I do all this.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

Has anyone else had this problem: patient takes the diagnostic lenses home in the blister, usually because they've just gone through the DFE and need to wait for their vision to return to normal. Then I get a phone call from said patient asking me how to find the base curve or diameter on the label. I know exactly what they're up to and they know I know what they're up to, but they brush off my explanations that the fitting is not yet complete until the doctor sees the lenses on their eyes.

I had one go so far as to waste my time by phoning and asking the difference between the toric lenses we were fitting her for and Night and Day lenses. I made the effort to discuss the pros and cons about both types of CL and what would work with her prescription. Even after I told her that I could not authorise any change without an appointment with the doctor, I got a prescription verification request from an internet company within half an hour. For supplies of both types!

For every one of these yahoos, I get dozens of patients who appreciate the work we do, but I always seem to dwell on the former. :hammer:

**SarahMP584** · 07-22-2005, 01:14 AM

:p Dont you guys love it around halloween when all these people come in in search of the wild eyes or crazy eyes lenses? "Uhhh, Yeah I wanna buy a pair of those red contacts..." Then they waste their money and our time...Most of the time they are too chicken to even get them on their eye. Amusement every year.
Yeah so I went to one of those contact lens sites and I CANT believe how easy it is to get lenses without approval! ARG it drives me NUTS!
I had a 15 year old pt, wearing AV adv, SLEEPING IN THEM for TWO WEEKS (not approved for overnight wear) and her mom just "didnt understand" WHY on EARTH her little precious had a nasty case of Giant papillary conjunctivitis... I dont get it. These people know that we only get one set of eyes right? Anyway she came in for a med check and she hadnt been seen in two years but had PLENTY of lenses left... Gee i wonder where she got them?

**shellrob** · 07-22-2005, 01:27 PM

Culland....you are absolutly correct and I agree with you totally. Despite what some people think out there, yearly eye exams aren't done to get as much money out of people as possible. A lot of people think that and of course we all know that's not true. A lot of patients out there think that if their vision hasn't changed, then they don't need a new eye exam, just new glasses. Well, most of the time, the patient THINKS they see ok, but are very surprised come exam time just how much their vision did change. The same goes for those people that think just because they passed the driving test with 20/40 vision that they don't need glasses. Unless someone has an eye infection, sudden loss of vision, or somem type of nmedical reason that their primary dr sends them in, they think their ok. A lot of people just need the proper education on healthey eyes and how important it is. Once explained to them, most of them then understand where you're coming from. The contact lens patients are more difficult expecially if they have an insurance plan that only pays once every 2 years. That's hard to deal with, but essentially, it should be the same answer and same education for everyone.

If they can get an oil change on your car every few months, why do they fuss on getting an exam on their eyes once a year. I'll never understand it. A car is replaceable, your eyes are not.

I won't even touch the comment on the price of glasses.