unfair? unprofessional? anti-competitive?

[optigrrl]

My New Prescription Policy

Dear Valued Client:

Our licensed opticians are specialists in filling eyewear prescriptions written by optometrists. We are highly trained to ensure your glasses are measured, ground, verified and fitted accurately and properly. We strongly recommend you purchase your eyeglasses from us to avoid complications with your vision.

Please understand that if you have difficulty seeing with your new glasses because your optometrist prescribed the wrong lens powers, we CANNOT provide you with free replacement lenses. For your convenience, we will be happy to request payment from him/her. However, in the event your optometrist refuses to pay for his/her mistake, you must cover the cost.

Isn't it the lab who pays the cost on the 1st Dr. Redo? I've never worked with a lab that didn't.

[CNG]

I think the idea of the optometrist rechecking the eyeglasses for free is not right unless he/she has some working relationship with the optician. On the other hand, the optician should be free to charge the customers for remakes without being criticize by the OD/ OMD. I am starting to think we should charge for everything we do. The OD just followed the subjective respond of the patient and Optician just followed indirectly the same, so the only thing to do is charge the patient for his/her inadequacy in responding two simple question...which one is better one or two...:bbg:

CNG

[IndianaOD]

I think the idea of the optometrist rechecking the eyeglasses for free is not right unless he/she has some working relationship with the optician. On the other hand, the optician should be free to charge the customers for remakes without being criticize by the OD/ OMD. I am starting to think we should charge for everything we do. The OD just followed the subjective respond of the patient and Optician just followed indirectly the same, so the only thing to do is charge the patient for his/her inadequacy in responding two simple question...which one is better one or two...:bbg:

CNG

I think refraction is a bit more than that.

[optowalt]

I think everyone lost site of the issue. If a patient has a problem, we have to inverstigate and find out what the prob is. An OD that just says it's not his problem because he didn't make the glasses is not serving the patient. The Optician is not always wrong. OD's make mistakes too. So to charge to look at how the Rx works outside the exam room is wrong. Can the OD flatly say it's not his fault without even looking? It's not the patient's fault if the Rx is either prescribed or made wrong. They just want to see. Everyone has to look at their own work and come up with an answer.

[IndianaOD]

I think it is fair to say the OD's time will be free if it was their mistake and there is a charge if its a problem with the outside frame/lenses.

[optowalt]

How about the optician's time if it was an Rx error?

[IndianaOD]

How about the optician's time if it was an Rx error?

Our lab provides a remake like most do. It is also impossible to determine if the OD or the patient created the problem.

[jherman]

not sure why i laughed at that but i did

Our lab provides a remake like most do. It is also impossible to determine if the OD or the patient created the problem.

[eye tests uk]

It is not illegal but it should not happen as well.It is upto the patient discretion whether he wants to buy the glasses from the doctor or somewhere else.

[opticianbart]

Isn't it the lab who pays the cost on the 1st Dr. Redo? I've never worked with a lab that didn't.

what's your lab? cause i wanna use it! we only get that on a progressive change. best we can get on a normal dr rx change is 50% and not always then.

[IndianaOD]

what's your lab? cause i wanna use it! we only get that on a progressive change. best we can get on a normal dr rx change is 50% and not always then.

Find a new lab. This applies to cut and edged by the lab for us. If we do the edging we only get 50% or less back.

[optowalt]

How about the half hr working to figure out the problem only to find out the Dr overplussed the Rx or wrote axis 80 not 180? The Dr can charge for time where there are no materials and you counter with free materials. The Optician has time involved too.

[optowalt]

Our lab provides a remake like most do. It is also impossible to determine if the OD or the patient created the problem.

And how is it impossible to determine if it's the Dr's fault? I do it often.

[optifocus]

Thanks for sharing & giving advice that "purchase your corrective eyewear from prescribing Optometrist to avoid complications with your vision"

[Bill West]

A few months after I opened an OD 3 miles away changed the rx form to include a "warning" if you purchase your eyewear elsewhere. The people keep coming and boy are they upset about it.
I think the NC Board of Optometry would tell them to stop it but I won't be the one to report it. They are losing folk and that is good enough for me.
I also think it is in violation of the 1994 rx release law as well but it has never been enforced either. I just keep putting it in my advertising.
One day, some smart consumer will rip them by reporting it. It does not pay to upset the people spending their $$$$ with you.

[IndianaOD]

And how is it impossible to determine if it's the Dr's fault? I do it often.

Well the Optician is profiting from the materials MUCH more than the OD is from the refraction.

I absolutely believed that most patients are best served by purchasing their prescription eye wear from the prescribing OD. The OD knows the patient's visual status and needs the best. It is also much easier to troubleshoot the problem because I am familiar with everything.

Of course if the OD uses crap product or has terrible opticians then the above does not apply.

[Johns]

Well the Optician is profiting from the materials MUCH more than the OD is from the refraction.

Although the cost of goods for a refraction is slightly less...;)

[Barry Santini]

Well the Optician is profiting from the materials MUCH more than the OD is from the refraction.

I absolutely believed that most patients are best served by purchasing their prescription eye wear from the prescribing OD. The OD knows the patient's visual status and needs the best. It is also much easier to troubleshoot the problem because I am familiar with everything.

Of course if the OD uses crap product or has terrible opticians then the above does not apply.

But, even with the fatter profit margins of yesterday, let alone the downward pressure we're seeing now from online sales, what refracting owner was/is willing to pay for truly competant dispensers, such as Harry C, Fezz, other optiboarders, or myself, at a salary range of $75K to 100K, which is what the top talent costs?

So...does that mean the above people need to become independant entrepreneurs on their own, to enjoy such a living?

If so...can we please have the opportunity to be able to fill the Rxs the public receives?

I'll peg anyone in the above group against *any* poorly-paid dispensers in the employ of any refracting office, and let's see where the superior eyewear experience is delivered.

The bottom line: Despite what the public and others (even w/i the industry feel), there is just not sufficient profit in a typical pair of (especially insurance-subsidized) eyewear to cover the salaries of competant staff, overhead and a fair and reasonable share to the owner - OD, MD or Optician.

Cause one of the three "O's" HAS to be working directly in the dispensary, carrying their weight, earning their fair share, in order the skilled dispenser(s) to enjoy a reasonable living for the skills they bring to the table.

That is, of course, if one agrees that these dispensing skills are, in fact, valued.

For today's snapshot in time, the online buyer, obviously, does not. (or last least hasn't been exposed to a first class eyewear experience with which to compare).

Please understand, no disrespect is intended to ya all!

Barry

[Barry Santini]

Oh, and another thing:

There really is not sufficient frequency of eyewear redo (for *any* reason), even at a lofty 20% (which is close to what we experience in my shop at times), to try to determine and allocate blame and fault for redos.

In eyewear, it's part of the total human condition, especially if one tries to ensure that every client receives the excellence we're committed to.

B

[Barry Santini]

I think the idea of the optometrist rechecking the eyeglasses for free is not right unless he/she has some working relationship with the optician. On the other hand, the optician should be free to charge the customers for remakes without being criticize by the OD/ OMD. I am starting to think we should charge for everything we do. The OD just followed the subjective respond of the patient and Optician just followed indirectly the same, so the only thing to do is charge the patient for his/her inadequacy in responding two simple question...which one is better one or two...:bbg:

CNG

Way, way too simplistic...

In the "chair", which is better, one or two, IS COMPLETELY DIVORCED FROM THE SUBSEQUENT FABRICATION, ADJUSTMENT, FIT AND PERCEPTUAL COMPARISON THAT HUMANS MAKE WHEN THEY GO THROUGH THEIR DAILY VISUAL DAY.

Never forget that...IMHO

Also - If the public was actually charged more than just the minimum co-pay for every pharmeceutical they received that didn't "do the job satisfactorily", or "didn't feel better after taking", you'd see just as much indignation regarding "why they have to be charged" as eyewear clients do in the same situation.

Food for thought, yes?

Barry

[LandLord]

Well the Optician is profiting from the materials MUCH more than the OD is from the refraction.

Refraction $75 each x 4 per hour = $300 / hour.

Opticians raise your hand if you net $300 / hour.


[...crickets chirping]

[Johns]

Refraction $75 each x 4 per hour = $300 / hour.

Opticians raise your hand if you net $300 / hour.


[...crickets chirping]

Correction: There's no "h" in "week".

[Golfnorth]

Prescription Policy

"At (name withheld) Optometric Centre, our doctors determine the prescription that will give you the best possible vision for your personal needs as discussed during your eye examinations. We strongly recommend you purchase your corrective eyewear from our prescribing Optometrist to avoid complications with your vision.

If you choose to purchase your eyewear elsewhere:

Please take into consideration if you have difficulty seeing with your new eyewear because the above prescription recommendations are not followed or improper measurements, frame selection, or lens choice is the cause of your vision problems, there will be a charge of $29.00 for checking your eyewear."

Send a copy of the form to the College of Optometrists would be my advice.

Regards,
Golfnorth

[Oedema]

Refraction $75 each x 4 per hour = $300 / hour.

Opticians raise your hand if you net $300 / hour.


[...crickets chirping]

Net? That would be gross! Deduct any overhead from that amount and you have net. 4 patients per hour is especially difficult if you don't have much staff, further eroding net income, and 4 per hour is really unrealistic for most optometrists anyways. Also consider that most patients in an optometric practice are old as hell, they're slow, inconsistent, never understand that "which one is better" routine, and under OHIP they reimburse only about $45...

I will see between 2-3 per hour, which I feel is an agonizingly slow pace, but I personally feel that there is a whole lot more to it than a refraction (unlike so many other doctors out there that miss the boat on dry eye, and early detection of glaucoma, etc :angry:). I would love to increase it to 4 an hour but I'd have to drop the small talk and niceties or make my staff dilate all patients first to achieve it.

[optowalt]

Well the Optician is profiting from the materials MUCH more than the OD is from the refraction.

I absolutely believed that most patients are best served by purchasing their prescription eye wear from the prescribing OD. The OD knows the patient's visual status and needs the best. It is also much easier to troubleshoot the problem because I am familiar with everything.

Of course if the OD uses crap product or has terrible opticians then the above does not apply.

I beleive I know much more about eyeglasses than the majority of OD's. After 40 yrs I have seen more glasses than most OD's have seen eyes. The patient, in my Humble opinion, is better served by buying glasses from an Optician. I also beleive the patient is receiving a better refraction from an OD rather than an MD. How much training in glasses and optics did you receive in Opto school?