What do you do with patient old lenses?

[brianatleff]

I have a little old lady who is eating me alive over her music glasses. Definate confidence shaken situation. One of her problems with me seems to be the fact that I did not give her her old lenses back and apparently every place she has ever been has given them back in a little bag. What does your office do?

1. Return all lenses.
2. Have sign requiring patient to ask for old lenses.
3. Trash them.
4. Other...

Surely one of you guys has a wise solution to this problem. I just want to create a policy in my office to me in this situation. I think in my 3 years as an optician I have only been asked for them a handful of times.

[Judy Canty]

Give them back. They belong to the patient.

[CME4SPECS]

Give them back. They belong to the patient.

+1

[pseudonym]

The only thing we throw away are old nosepads- nobody wants an old nosepad. If we put on a new temple, they get the old one in a baggie. I even clean the build up off the edges of the old lenses before putting them in a baggie. No idea why. If they have the old lenses and you made new lenses from their existing frame, it can be a lifesaver if for some reason they can't adapt to the new lens and you have to go back to the drawing board.

[harry888]

When dispensing the frame, we hand over the old lenses. "Do you want these, or do want us to throw them away?"

[brianatleff]

I would never dispute who owns old lenses. In fact, if they want more old lenses I have plenty.

Its ok I think I would probably clean the edges of the lenses too before I bag them. I have tried to give back so many spare parts over the years very seldom does someone want them.

[cocoisland58]

You know how the car repair shop used to give you back your old spark plugs in a baggie? Well lenses are like old spark plugs, it shows the patient that you actually did change the lenses and every now and then someone does want them. I always offer.

[chip anderson]

A: Keep them in the patient's file envelope. Then if he should get badly scratched or cracked but wearable, I have the old lens to send to the lab for shape, same with new Rx but wants to use old frame and can't do without glasses while new lenses made.
B: The make excellent dishes for mixing paints when I paint prosthetic eyes.

[Plausible]

I have a little old lady who is eating me alive over her music glasses. Definate confidence shaken situation. One of her problems with me seems to be the fact that I did not give her her old lenses back and apparently every place she has ever been has given them back in a little bag. What does your office do?

1. Return all lenses.
2. Have sign requiring patient to ask for old lenses.
3. Trash them.
4. Other...

Surely one of you guys has a wise solution to this problem. I just want to create a policy in my office to me in this situation. I think in my 3 years as an optician I have only been asked for them a handful of times.

Blame your lab and say they lost them and they will make you another set!!!

[Judy Canty]

Blame your lab and say they lost them and they will make you another set!!!

Yeah, that works so well at keeping costs down.

[iiiiisoptom]

Always offer them back to the patient. And yes, I usually clean them up for them.

Most patients don't want them, but it's a real good idea to take note of the lens type, especially if you have changed the design or form of the lens, just in case they are a non-adapt.

We usually throw them out straight away, but perhaps you could keep them for a certain period (say a month), by which time a non-adapt should have presented, and then throw them away.

[John@OWDC]

We keep two trays on the counter next to the edger.
One says: POL This Month
One says: POL Last Month

Every two months the one tray gets tossed in the trash.
If the patient has not been back in 60 days then I figure I'm safe to toss them out.

If I KNOW the patient is a potential problem I usually put them in an envelope and write their name on it.

Having POLs has saved my butt about three times in nearly 20 years.

[DragonLensmanWV]

Always, always, give them back. If they say they don't want them, give them to them anyway and point out a nearby trash can and let them throw them away themselves if they don't want them. Do not throw them away yourself.
And, no, I don't clean their old ones. If they express dismay over how dirty they are, give them some tips to avoid getting them so yucky. Easiest one - have them take them in the shower with them.

[Uncle Fester]

After spending time 2 days after dispensing digging through the trash can I learned early on to always give them back.

I tell them to keep them until they are certain the new lenses are working well and then do with them as they wish.

On the rare occasion they don't take them I keep them in a drawer and every year or so toss the small collection.

Besides- This way when they come back complaining with a POF "these new lenses reflect at such and such a place and my old ones never did" you can surreptitiously pop the old lenses in and hear them say "Yes- That reflection is driving me crazy". Then look at their expression when you tell them these are your old lenses. (Be careful who you do this to as it may backfire with the type A personality.) :)

[THE MEB]

We have lots of old lenses, since we cut lenses while patients wait from their old frames. When we dispense their new lenses we ask them if they want them back, or, can we give them to the Lions Club. 99% of the patients say give them to the Lion's Club. Half say they have no use for them, while the other half says "I have old glasses that are just dust cathcers at home and I was looking for a place to give them to. It is incredible to me how patients get a feeling of contributing and belonging by being able to offer their old eyeglasses, it promotes a heap of goodwill! We have a man from the Lion's Club who religiuosly comes every month to retieve the old glasses and lenses. Just a real win win for us.

[Uncle Fester]

Hijack Alert!!!

Do the Lions Clubs' really use old lenses without a frame?

[THE MEB]

I can answer that, since I saw an article in a trade journal which influenced us to us them. It said they have 3 different places where they sort out the lenses, and send them along to third world countries. It also said that they can use %20 of what is given, but, in talking many times with the man that not only collects our lesnses only jobs as well as full pairs, but 3 other of our towns opticals as well, they(Lion's Club) won't tell him what it can use and what it can't. They tell him just to colect as much as he can and they will sort them out. That's good enough for me.

[Sam Pelican]

Our club throws the old lenses we collect away. It is almost impossible to match lenses to frames anyway. I had a company that would send me a box to collect lenses a number of years ago. It turned out they didn't really want the lenses they used that to get their foot in the door to try and solicit a donation. We don't even send the old cases to the recycling center due to the extra weight and bulk for shipping purposes. When we go on eyeglass missions we want to take as many glasses as possible so we don't need cases taking up the space.

[Uncle Fester]

Thanks for the info.

---Now back to the thread--- Do you give back old lenses...

[carriew]

we ask the patient at dispensing if they wish to keep there old lenses or should we toss them. I would say about half keep their lenses.
on a side note our Lions club will not accept lenses only just complete frame and lenses.

[THE MEB]

We are fortunate in that regard, from what I am hearing. The reason is that I know the local Lion's Clubs have to pay the postage to send them to the collection houses. Our Lion's Club collects all, even though the postage is twice as much.

[Happylady]

I always give them back. If the patient doesn't want them, they can throw them away.

[Craig]

We throw them away once the patient leaves the store! Who wants them anyway?

[DanLiv]

I have learned from a few painful incidences to keep patients' old lenses myself. I keep every lens I replace in a baggie with their name and throw them in a box in vague chronological order. Whenever the box starts to get full I go through and toss anything over a year old.

It has saved me a couple of times when people came in complaining about Rx months after and just wanted to go back to their old ones. If you have several opticians, can you guarantee you gave their lenses back to them if the patient claims you didn't? I keep better track of the lenses than they do, so if they need them, I got them. The few patients who ask for them back get them but then I document in the file that I returned them so there is no confusion down the line.

Seem like a lot more than anyone else does, but it's not very taxing. All it takes is that one patient who needs their old lenses, and I sift through my box and find them, to make it worth the effort.

[kcount]

I have learned from a few painful incidences to keep patients' old lenses myself. I keep every lens I replace in a baggie with their name and throw them in a box in vague chronological order. Whenever the box starts to get full I go through and toss anything over a year old.

It has saved me a couple of times when people came in complaining about Rx months after and just wanted to go back to their old ones. If you have several opticians, can you guarantee you gave their lenses back to them if the patient claims you didn't? I keep better track of the lenses than they do, so if they need them, I got them. The few patients who ask for them back get them but then I document in the file that I returned them so there is no confusion down the line.

Seem like a lot more than anyone else does, but it's not very taxing. All it takes is that one patient who needs their old lenses, and I sift through my box and find them, to make it worth the effort.

+1