View Poll Results: Should Opticians Refract

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  • Yes (unequivocally, with no supervision or restrictions)- with formal training

    138 37.70%
  • Yes (with no supervision, but with restrictions as to whom can be seen)

    76 20.77%
  • Yes (with supervision)

    69 18.85%
  • No (because there is no need for Opticians to refract)

    69 18.85%
  • No (Opticians are not capable of refracting)

    14 3.83%
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Thread: Should Opticians Refract - The Poll

  1. #301
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Gold Supporter Judy Canty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by idispense View Post
    It wasn’t necessary for the greatest leaders of change in the optical industry to be opticians to control the direction of opticians.
    It was only necessary for them to believe they could.

    Would it make sense to identify and study those leaders ?
    Do this. Google the Vision Monday list of 50 Most Influential Women. Single out the opticians who are not affiliated with a manufacturer or vision insurance company. Who's left? Not many. Opticians can't or won't even promote or even nominate their own. Opticians talk a good game and talk is cheap. We either gather our forces and work toward a common goal or sit back and accept our fate.

    Like I said, January will mark 50 years in this industry and very little has changed. We are as fractured as ever. Our state associations are dying for lack of interest, which paralyzes our national organizations. I'm tired and frustrated and ready to call it quits.

  2. #302
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    And so you have identified part of the problem but not the solution . As Edison was attributed with saying : “I have not failed , I know 10,000 ways that don’t work. “ on the next attempt he made the light bulb.

    Judy, you should be tired because you have been batting your head against the same brick wall , the same way , for 50 years . Now study in earnest those that changed that brick wall and quit thinking like an old school optician, because your competition , foe or enemy is not old school boys club opticians.

    Start thinking like a billion dollar capitalization on line founder. Their thinking is not limited by what confines and restricts the thinking of old school opticians.

  3. #303
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Gold Supporter Judy Canty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by idispense View Post
    And so you have identified part of the problem but not the solution . As Edison was attributed with saying : “I have not failed , I know 10,000 ways that don’t work. “ on the next attempt he made the light bulb.

    Judy, you should be tired because you have been batting your head against the same brick wall , the same way , for 50 years . Now study in earnest those that changed that brick wall and quit thinking like an old school optician, because your competition , foe or enemy is not old school boys club opticians.

    Start thinking like a billion dollar capitalization on line founder. Their thinking is not limited by what confines and restricts the thinking of old school opticians.
    Let me be clear. I am tired of dealing with people like you who refuse to identify yourself, love to argue and still offer no solutions. I've done the work here in VA. I've taken leadership positions whether I wanted to or not, because someone had to do the work. We fought for and retained our license.

    What exactly have you done for the profession? I'll wait...

  4. #304
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    This isn’t a personal attack Judy, I’ve been in this as long as you and believe in licensure too. What I’ve done and who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is to recognize that a different approach is needed to motivate and engage those you wish to influence.

  5. #305
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Gold Supporter Judy Canty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by idispense View Post
    This isn’t a personal attack Judy, I’ve been in this as long as you and believe in licensure too. What I’ve done and who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is to recognize that a different approach is needed to motivate and engage those you wish to influence.
    Once again, no specifics. It's so very easy to say "something different must be done" without actually presenting an idea.

  6. #306
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    What would motivate those that do nothing to stand up and back your desire for licensure ? Why are those people in this business at all ? If they are already working in the field without licences then what’s going to be better for them ?

    If they already have licenses but won’t stand up when they might lose it then what’s their fear ? Why aren’t they motivated ?

  7. #307
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    - make refraction a mandatory course
    - make the failure rate higher , raise the bar , lower the supply , increase the demand, increase the motivating dollars
    - get rid of the lower bar entry points
    - remove licensing fees, quit taxing earned and learned education - higher education rewards = no license fees - that’s a motivator
    - get rid of self serving regulatory bodies they are stifling opticians
    - make shows and CE days on work days not weekends - the public needs to be unable to receive services during CE days during the week to be inconvenienced enough to realize the educational requirements expected of opticians

  8. #308
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    Yes just refraction only with supervision and in NY optiian should have a contact lens licence also..

  9. #309
    OptiBoardaholic CNG's Avatar
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    If you are an independent Optician there is no need to refract. In Florida it was a dream but with technology and telemedicine it is cheaper and more efficient to do teleoptometry. It is well taken and almost all the big boxes do...

  10. #310
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    I think there is an optician existential problem more so than a scope-expansion problem. Optometry should help.

  11. #311
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    Opticianry has an identity problem. We are not the big boxes or the online sellers nor the employee that multitasks as a receptionists and files insurance. We wanted to refract because it was hard to fill the void now the void is easily filled. We have now another competitor that does not follow state laws in states where license is required and that is PE companies. That is opticianry and to some extend independent optometry pebble on the shoe...they just do not know that yet.

  12. #312
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Barry Santini's Avatar
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    Opticians dont need to know refraction
    They need to know how to be an optician

  13. #313
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    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Santini View Post
    Opticians dont need to know refraction
    They need to know how to be an optician

    Gold! Pure gold!

    Most opticians don't have a FUNDAMENTAL understanding of prism or how to read/measure it when doing lensometry! Heck, most can't grasp basic fitting concepts!

    How the hell are they going to understand refraction?

  14. #314
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    This world is going to suffer an acute shortage of optician services like never before. McTicianry is NOT going to cut it. Technology is NOT going to replace the human, here.

    What's more, ODs aren't going to fill the gap. I doubt they teach optics anymore.

  15. #315
    OptiBoardaholic CNG's Avatar
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    Opticians lack identity. Basic certification without practical testing is to blame. Title protection useless.

  16. #316
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    I'm in a state where certification and license is not required. Barry is right. Opticians need to know how to be an optician. When opticians get minimal training and are paid minimum wage, you can forget about having them refract. When opticians are paid low wage, they don't care about learning to be a good optician. It's just a job. More and more, I am seeing new people in the field that have zero interest in getting certification. It's just a job and not a career.

  17. #317
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    That means opportunity.

  18. #318
    Master OptiBoarder CCGREEN's Avatar
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    Opticians should be good at what they do. Assist the pt in selection of proper frame and lens materials and coatings. Be aware of the latest goods on the market and know where to send the pt if they are not able to help them.
    They should also be able to trouble shoot and understand a Rx and what a pt should expect from that Rx. Far as I am concerned they should be able to refract because when they can do that they SHOULD of learned to be a damn good optician. We do not need to recognize and diagnose all eye conditions. Just the power of the needed lens is enough.
    Seems everyone wants a Optician like that but they want to only pay for a beginner Optician. Not for one who is well seasoned and experienced and knows their stuff book and practical. When the pay for a seasoned good Opticians starts reflecting their worth that will then motivate others to gain knowledge and experience.
    In a state that needs a license, a employer is only interested in a licensed person, not a experienced well qualified Optician....and that right there is were the the interest stops at learning.
    I went to college and got a Associates Degree and have had my Florida license and Board Certification, ABO & NCLE Certifications for the last 40 years, never went for the Masters because I have yet to see where that would of benefited me monetarily. After all, is that not why we work? I was in the first class here in Florida to be certified to do what I want with a contact lens and I have yet to have anyone ask me if I was board certified or even offer more money because of it.
    Its disheartening to see new Opticians come along and get paid really chump change and a seasoned good dependable Optician get just a few bucks more.
    Pay should commensurate with experience and knowledge gained and education accomplished along with dependability that the pt will be cared for but for some reason it has yet to do that.
    I am not saying that we should get OD pay but we should get more then we do and if any of you out there think you are being over paid for no more then you do....lets talk. I want in on your gig.
    Last edited by CCGREEN; 05-24-2022 at 03:08 PM.

  19. #319
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    You're right. When the person who is the "optician" can actually make more working at the grocery store or a Target (not optical), something is wrong. You're right, we shouldn't be making what an OD makes, but a good experienced, certified optician should make more that someone at Target! It all comes down to the owner and managers. So opportunity is there... but the opportunity is for the owner to encourage the proper environment (pay, education etc).

  20. #320
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    Quote Originally Posted by mervinek View Post
    You're right. When the person who is the "optician" can actually make more working at the grocery store or a Target (not optical), something is wrong. You're right, we shouldn't be making what an OD makes, but a good experienced, certified optician should make more that someone at Target! It all comes down to the owner and managers. So opportunity is there... but the opportunity is for the owner to encourage the proper environment (pay, education etc).
    I agree completely. Where I am currently residing, optician is a profession in which no credentials or certification is required. There is however a 3 year course that definitely teaches and hones skills relating to refraction.

    After that it's mostly up to the person. Pay in the low 2k Euro) salary is not uncommon, so rarely is there a fool like I am that steps forward and tries to really immerse in optics. The salary just does not motivate people unless there's a (sometimes slightly unhealthy) passion for the field of eyecare.

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