eyecare professional - august 2009 issue

August 2009 • Volume 3, Issue 20 • www.ECPmag.com

Magazine

A KALEIDOSCOPE OF COLORS / PAGE 6 INTERVIEWING FOR SUCCESS / PAGE 24

EEYECAREPROFESSIONALCome See Us at Vision Expo West Booth #18103

SUNGLASS COLLECTIONby GRIPPING EYEWEAR

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EDITOR/VIEW .....................................................................................................4

MOVERS AND SHAKERS.................................................................................16

DISPENSING OPTICIAN .................................................................................34

SECOND GLANCE ............................................................................................40

ADVERTISER INDEX .......................................................................................46

INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS ............................................................................47

LAST LOOK .......................................................................................................50

COLORFUL EYEWEARBrighten up your practice with the latest in a kaleidoscope ofcolorful eyewear and sunwear.by Amy Endo, ABOM, CPOT

MAKING SENSE OF PRESCRIPTIONSAccurately reading and filling a prescription is an essential part of dispensing.by Carrie Wilson, BS, LDO, ABOAC, NCLEC

EDUCATING THE AMERICAN OPTICIANOnly through an increase in education and licensure canOpticianry reach its full potential.by Warren McDonald, PhD

SALES REPS: DO’S AND DON’TSA good working relationship with your sales reps should be mutually beneficial.by Judy Canty, ABO/NCLE

OPTICAL JOB INTERVIEWSPreparation is crucial when applying for jobs in the competitiveeyecare marketplace.by Anthony Record. ABO/NCLE, RDO

DISASTER PROOF YOUR PRACTICEWith the proper planning your practice can overcome any natural disaster.by Lindsey Getz

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On The Cover:GRIPPING EYEWEAR 888-400-0166www.grippingeyewear.com

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Publisher/Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Smith

Production/Graphics Manager. . . . . . . . . . . Bruce S. Drob

Director, Advertising Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynnette Grande

Contributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Breen,

Judy Canty, Dee Carew, Alvaro Cordova, Harry

Chilinguerian, Amy Endo, Bob Fesmire, Elmer Friedman,

Lindsey Getz, Jim Magay, Warren McDonald,

Anthony Record, Ted Weinrich, Carrie Wilson

Internet Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Adler

Opinions expressed in editorial submissions contributed to EyeCareProfessional Magazine, ECP™ are those of the individual writers exclusivelyand do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EyeCare Professional Magazine,ECP™ its staff, its advertisers, or its readership. EyeCare ProfessionalMagazine, ECP™ assume no responsibility toward independently contributededitorial submissions or any typographical errors, mistakes, misprints, ormissing information within advertising copy.

ADVERTISING & SALES(215) 355-6444 • (800) [email protected]

EDITORIAL OFFICES111 E. Pennsylvania Blvd.Feasterville, PA 19053 (215) 355-6444 • Fax (215) [email protected]

EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ is published monthly by OptiCourier, Ltd.Delivered by Third Class Mail Volume 3 Number 19TrademarkSM 1994 by OptiCourier, Ltd.All Rights Reserved.

No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced in anyform or by any means without prior written permission of thepublisher.

OptiCourier, Ltd. makes no warranty of any kind, eitherexpressed, or implied, with regard to the material contained herein.

OptiCourier, Ltd. is not responsible for any errors and omissions,typographical, clerical and otherwise. The possibility of errorsdoes exist with respect to anything printed herein.

It shall not be construed that OptiCourier, Ltd. endorses, pro-motes, subsidizes, advocates or is an agent or representative forany of the products, services or individuals in this publication.

Purpose: EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ is a publication dedicated to providing information and resources affecting thefinancial well-being of the Optical Professional both professional-ly and personally. It is committed to introducing a wide array ofproduct and service vendors, national and regional, and the myriad cost savings and benefits they offer.

For Back Issues and Reprints contact Jeff Smith, Publisher at800-914-4322 or by Email: [email protected]

Copyright © 2009 by OptiCourier Ltd. All Rights Reserved

EEYECAREPROFESSIONALMagazine

“He really likes to be around glasses.”

Editor / viewby Jeff Smith

For those of you who occasionally get burnt out at your practice or get tired ofbeing surrounded by eyewear all day, please refer to this news story from lastmonth and consider how lucky you really are:

An Illinois man was accused of stealing more than $45,000 worth of eyeglasses fromsuburban Milwaukee stores because he enjoys being around eyewear. Jerry Lowery,38, was charged with three counts of armed robbery and one count of fleeing an officer. The charges carry a maximum penalty of more than 120 years in prison and a $310,000 fine.

Prosecutors said Lowery walked into three shops between April and July and said hehad a gun. They say he took more than 500 pairs of high-end glasses including Pradaand Gucci brands, but didn’t take cash.

The criminal complaint quotes Lowery as saying he “really likes to be around glasses.”He told investigators he tries them on in front of a mirror and then discards them.(by Ryan Smith, cbsnews.com)

It would be quite a tall order to top that story (I guess you could say he wasframed), but hopefully this month’s issue has something for everyone:

Amy Endo introduces the brightest and most colorful eyewear for the new season.Carrie Wilson illustrates the importance of properly analyzing and filling an eyeglass prescription.

Dr. Warren McDonald continues his longstanding analysis of the current state ofOpticianry and makes some enthusiastic recommendations for the future. JudyCanty uses her experience as both a sales rep and a dispenser to show how the twogroups can work together effectively.

Given the current economic uncertainty, proper interview strategy and etiquette is crucial should the unthinkable happen, as Anthony Record reveals. New contributor Lindsey Getz describes how one practice overcame the devastation of Hurricane Katrina with good planning and insurance.

This is only part of what this month’s issue has to offer, and please remember thatall of our articles are also available online at: www.ecpmag.com

4 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | AUGUST 2009

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One of the currents trends is alsotransparent fashion colors – where thecolorized eyewear is darker on the top

and gradually fades on the lower eyewire – it could also feature a cutout

like design on the temples, or it couldhave a clear zyl frame front with

colorized temples.

Bright colors currently in style

include fruits such as citrus,

mango, lime green and peach.

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1. Jee ViceMade with a modified

Grillamid (TR90) framematerial to achieve high flex

and durability, Spicy is both functional andstylish. Fashionistas will love these lightweight

shades, which can top off any outfit with a pop ofcolor. These rectangular frames are narrower, giving amore streamlined look, while the bright purple hue is

truly eye-catching. www.jeevice.com

2. MarchonInspired by the Emilio Pucci Spring/Summer 2009 runway

collection, the intricate design on the EP645SR features vibrantPucci prints accented with glittering Austrian crystals contoured

into a elegant fan shape. EP2116 is elegantly linked together forming the temples. Each link is contoured metal and displays

vivid colorations choice of brown, midnight blue, salmon or pinkenhancing the timeless rectangular shape. www.marchon.com

3. Revolution EyewearThe new True Religion line of eyewear takes aim at the hippie,

bohemian-chic-flare, with a vintage-feel-vibe, that their jeans emitwhile boasting the use of the industry's highest standard for frameand lens materials. The collection features a total of 13 styles – two

for men, six for women, and five unisex styles. All styles sport a metal True Religion Horseshoe or

signature logo temple tip.www.RevolutionEyewear.com

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Kaleidoscope of

Colorful Eyewear

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5. Enni MarcoStyle IV 01302 is a flat metal frame with a modified oval eye

shape that features the stained leaded glass medley templedesign inspired by Art Nouveau. The glass mosaic yields a

boundless palette, streaky glass emulates woody branches andcolor modulations in leaves and blossoms, and rippled glass

suggests water and approximates thick flower petals.www.ennimarco.com

6. Grant ItaliaAs an artist and with family traditions of thefinest shoe craftsmanship, Baldinini chose towork with Sover, Italy because of their expertisein handcrafting leather into beautiful eyewear.The sunglass model GK9040 was created usingleather combined with a modern decorativemetal detail as well as a strong red color.www.grantitalia.com

7. Brintech EyewearThe Ronit Furst Eyewear collection of handmade lightweight acetate colorful eyewear. Each frame isindividually and painstakingly hand painted by Ronit Furst and her staff of talented artists. Thedesigns reflect Ronit's artistic passion for bold and jubilant use of vivid colors. The frame shapes arerelaxed as the colors and patterns are bold and eye catching. www.ronitfurst-usa.com

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4. Prodesign DenmarkProDesign introduces a remarkable Zense-collection in acetate. Theambition has been to design a masculine and classic series with a strongand clean design. All eight shapes that vary a great deal both in shapeand color are characterized by the brilliant and beautiful hinge whichhas been highlighted. www.prodesigndenmark.com

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Luxottica

The Prada Fall/Winter 2009 Collection features the VPR22L,which is the optical version of the Shade, the sunglass modellaunched last season through the animated short FallenShadows. The curving, elegant acetate frame is unique withits original wavy arm featuring a metal decoration that runsalong its entire length. www.luxottica.com

FYSHThe F-3390 is a lively, semi-rimless combination frame thathas a thin retro temple design. The frame is both lightweightand comfortable and is available in black, violet, orange andlime green. www.fyshuk.com

Cinzia DesignsCinzia Designs’ Abracadabrafrom the Redeux Collection isa handmade tri-tone layeredacetate sunglass, and featuresUV400 purple gradient lenses.www.cinziadesigns.com

Europa International

The Boutique-120 is a laser-cut metal frame with springhinges, featuring an elongated butterfly shape and a 3/4 rim.The wide, square endpieces and tapering temples are embel-lished with a laser-cut mosaic pattern, partially filled in withshimmering enamel in complementary colors creating astained-glass effect. www.europaeye.com

Signature Eyewear

Michael Stars model "Journey" in Teal is the perfect colorfulframe for summer. The color is blended to a perfect saturatedhue that looks great on all skin tones. Accented with theetched and color-filled Michael Stars mod design, this printadds just a touch of island flair. www.sigeye.com

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helping you to grow your practice

More than 2.5 million eye injuries occur each year. By using the “Inquire. Inform. Introduce.” strategy you can help patients protect their vision, while at the same time expandingyour patient base and diversifying your revenue stream.

To learn more about the vision protection and how you can make a difference, visit www.thevisioncouncil.org/ecp or call (703) 548-4560.

Protect Their Vision. Diversify Your Revenue.

REGISTERfor “Priceless Vision…It’s a Trust Thing” at International Vision Expo West for an in-depth look at adding vision protection to your practice.

Friday, October 28:30 am – 10:30 amCourse 31-207-S

I’ve been in the optical business for 38 years, spe-cializing in safety eyewear for the last 13. One thing I’velearned is most people are not engaged by safety as asubject; they believe nothing will ever happen to them.Safety as a concept just doesn’t get traction in themarketplace. So why should they “push” this category?

Two reasons: over 40 percent of all eye injuriesoccur in or around the home while worksite injurieshave decreased by two-thirds since 1989. Home eyeinjuries are also more than double those that occur insports and on the streets of our towns and cities.

Why? One suggestion has been that since OSHAregulates eye safety in the workplace injuries have significantly decreased over time. This is not so in our homes.

Prevent Blindness America estimates that 90 percent of all eye injuries are preventable. The implica-tion is that we could significantly reduce injuries if wecould just get people to wear protective eyewear. Butthis is difficult to do if the prevalent thinking is “it won’t happen to me.”

So what can we do as professionals to help reducethese grievous injuries? Quite a bit if we have the mindto. But in fact most of us don’t. As professionals it isour obligation to not only improve the vision of thosewe are trying to help but to also protect that vision.

Today, there is a wide spectrum of products available in safety frame collections from inexpensivebasic designs to quite expensive titanium styles.Attractive styles, a wide range of sizes and safety functionality are readily attainable while providing aquality safety pair of eyeglasses to the public.

It’s important to note that today’s safety lens mustbe 2mm minimum thickness as long as it meets theANSI Z87.1 standard. Polycarbonate is the lens material of choice due to its high impact-resistance.This can also allow you to “sell up” as this material isnaturally a high index medium, UV blocker and incredibly impact-resistant.

Selling safety to patients other than industrialaccounts has never been easy. But it is important toreview our responsibilities, obligations and opportuni-ties to protect our patients.

Selling Safety is Never Easy but Incredibly Important By Mike Franz

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Rudy Project

As seen on Pellizotti, King of Mountains winner – Tour DeFrance 09, the NOYZ FLUO is the newest Rudy ProjectRxable masterpiece (Insert or RX Direct in Frame). RudyProject’s Italian wraparound sunglass incorporates core fea-tures for unsurpassed protection, superior optics and totalcomfort including total adjustability, lightweight design andreplacement lens guarantee. ww.rudyprojectusa.com

LBI Eyewear

ST. MORITZ model Lacey is a colorful update to a popularshape. Offered in either Black or Mocha, size 50 x 18 x 137mm, Lacey features a unique, translucent temple treatmentinspired by the sheer floral patterns of vintage scarves andelegant fabrics. www.lbieyewear.com

Oliver PeoplesThe retro-styled Zooey Sun is handcrafted of substantialplastic in beveled contours andfeatures a vintage-inspired, cus-tom Oliver Peoples metal plaquewith ridged detailing at the endpieces. www.oliverpeoples.com

IVKO

The Lillebi collection for little girls shows flowers and beauti-ful colors. Light and strong pink, turquoise and light greenare the predominant colors in the collection. The case, whichshows the same color-range has a mirror inside, where littlegirls can see their bright looking face with the beautifulframe. www.ivko.de

Celebrities in every fashion magazine or even stylish peopleyou pass on the street are wearing colorful eyewear. Be it sunglasses or eyewear, the brighter and more intense theframe, the better. Is extreme colored eyewear just for thosefollowing fashion trends or can the average person introducea pair into their wardrobe and not look too crazy doing it?Yes, colors add style and pizzazz to you dispensary, and will uplift the spirits of theperson wearing your frames.

Amy Endo, ABOM, [email protected]

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IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. A patientwalks into the dispensary after havinghis or her eyes examined, hands the

ECP the prescription and asks, “Whatdoes this mean?” Now, the fun begins. Theprescription is the main tool of the ECPand is usually the primary reason for thepatient’s visit. It is the power, as deter-mined by an optometrist or ophthalmolo-gist, which is needed in order for a patientto achieve the best possible correction. As a result, it is important toknow what makes up a prescription, howto analyze and interpret it, and how toexplain it to the patient in an easy to understand manner.

Showing the Power

Let’s start with the basics. A prescription for eyeglasses mayhave some or all of the following: a sphere power, a cylinderpower, an axis, a prism with a base direction, and an add power.The following is an example of a common prescription:

Eyeglass prescriptions are written in a standardized format inorder to minimize confusion and misinterpretation. The OD,or right eye, is always specified before the OS, or left eye. Thesphere, cylinder and axis are always written in that order, andthe prism must have a base direction accompanying it.

The Sphere

The sphere primarily represents myopia orhyperopia. Myopia, also known as near-sightedness, is the most common sphericalcorrection and is noted with a minus sym-bol. Myopia occurs when light rays comeinto focus in front of the retina. To correctthis, a concave surface is ground into alens, causing the light to diverge and cometo rest on the retina. Hyperopia is noted bythe plus sign and is known as farsighted-ness. Hyperopia is when the light rayscome into focus behind the retina and iscorrected by placing a convex lens in front

of the eye. The convex lens converges light, allowing it to comeinto focus on the retina. In some cases, the abbreviation pl orplano may be noted by the refractionist. This means that thereis no spherical correction in the prescription.

When there is no cylinder or axis present on the prescription,the prescription requires a spherical lens. A spherical lens hasthe same curvature throughout the lens.

The Cylinder and Axis

The cylinder represents the amount of astigmatism present inthe eye. The primary cause of astigmatism is an oval shapedcornea. A normal shaped cornea is spherical, like a baseball.An astigmatic cornea however, is shaped more oblong like afootball. An eye with astigmatism has two curves, one steep andone flat, that are typically 90 degrees apart. These two curvesrepresent the strongest and weakest powers of the eye and causethe light to split and come into focus on two separate points inthe eye. Astigmatism can be classified based on how the lightcomes into focus in relation to the cornea.

Through the LensCarrie Wilson, BS, LDO, ABOAC, NCLEC

Deciphering the Numbers:Making Sense of the Eyeglass Prescription

Sphere Cylinder Axis Add Prism

O.D. -2.00 -1.50 90 2.00 1.00 BO

O.S. -2.50 sph 2.00 1.00 BI

Continued on page 14

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• compound myopic astigmatism – occurs when bothpoint of light come into focus in front of the retina,ex. -3.00 -2.00 X 45

• compound hyperopic astigmatism – occurs when bothpoints of light come into focus behind the retina,ex. +2.00 +2.00 X 90

• simple myopic astigmatism – occurs when one ray comesinto focus in front of the retina and one ray comes intofocus on the retina, ex. Pl -1.00 X 135

• simple hyperopic astigmatism – occurs when one raycomes into focus behind the retina and the other raycomes into focus on the retina, ex. Pl +2.00 X 90

• mixed astigmatism – occurs when one ray comes intofocus in front of the cornea and the other ray comes intofocus behind the retina, ex. +1.00 -2.50 X 180

The cylinder can also be noted in plus or minus form, depend-ing on who performed the refraction. An optometrist usuallywrites the prescription in minus form and an ophthalmologistwrites the prescription in plus form. Both forms are acceptableand mean the same thing; however, since lenses are ground inminus cylinder form, it is easier to transpose a plus cylinderprescription to a minus cylinder prescription.

The axis also helps in classifying astigmatism. The axis is theorientation of the cylinder in degrees. It gives the direction ofthe primary meridians, or curves, of the cornea. These meridi-ans are typically 90 degrees apart. The axis can let the ECPknow the direction of the steepest and flattest meridians andhelps to classify the astigmatism according to those locations.These classifications are:

• with-the-rule astigmatism : axis is between 0 and 30 or 150 and 180 degrees

• against-the-rule astigmatism : axis is between 60 and 120 degrees

• oblique astigmatism : axis is between 30 and 60 or 120and 150 degrees

Although astigmatism is commonly caused by a corneal imper-fection, it can also be caused by a crystalline lens imperfection(lenticular astigmatism) or from scarring (irregular astigma-tism). Irregular astigmatism – which is astigmatism with theprinciple meridians in areas other than 90 degrees apart – isimpossible to correct with glasses. This is because the only wayto use lenses to correct for astigmatism is by grinding a sphero-cylinder lens. A spherocylinder lens is usually made by grindinga spherical curve on the front of the spectacle lens and a toricor cylindrical curve on the back of the lens. The toric curve creates two principle meridians on the lens 90 degrees apart.

The Add Power

The add power is the power that needs to be “added” to theother part of the prescription to allow the patient to see clearlyat near. Although it can be seen in prescriptions for youngerindividuals to help with focusing problems, it is more com-monly seen in individuals known as presbyopes. Presbyopes areindividuals, usually over the age of forty, who have lost the abil-ity to accommodate. Accommodation is the process in whichthe crystalline lens changes its shape to allow the eye to easilychange focus from far to near and back again.

There are two main options to provide the patient with theneeded near power. The first way is to prepare reading onlyglasses. Using the example above, the prescription for readingonly glasses would be:

The other option is to use a multifocal. There are many multifocal types and designs available to the ECP, but the maintypes are flat top bifocal, flat top trifocals, and progressive lenses. Multifocals allow the patient to wear one pair of glassesto meet most of their distance and near visual needs.

Prism

Prism and base are very rarely seen on a prescription. Whenone is prescribed, it implies a muscle abnormality that results indouble or blurred vision due to a poor eye alignment. Prismrefers to a displacement of the image through the lens and thebase refers to the direction of displacement.

Common Abbreviations

• SPH Sphere power• DS Diopters sphere; sphere only• CYL cylinder power • X axis; X 45 means axis 045 • PL plano; no power• O.D. Oculus dexter; right eye • O.S. Oculus sinister; left eye• O.U. Oculi uterque; both eyes• NV/NVO near-vision or near-vision-only • P.D./PD pupillary distance; the distance

in-between the right and left pupil inmillimeters

Sphere Cylinder Axis Add Prism

O.D. plano -1.50 90 1.00 BO

O.S. -0.50 sph 1.00 BI


AUG2009.qxd 7/29/09 10:12 AM

Beyond the Numbers

There is much debate as to what else needs to be on an eyeglassprescription: Does it need the PD, is a two year expiration datea federal requirement, who can fill a prescription, etc.The answers vary from state to state. It is up to the ECP tocheck with the state regulatory board to determine what islegally required to be on a prescription. There are some things however, that are usual and customary throughout all thestates. These are:

• The doctor’s information such as practice name, licensenumber, address, and contact information

• The doctor’s signature

• The exam date and an expiration date. The expirationdate can vary from one to two years unless there is a med-ical reason that requires more frequent examinations

• Recommendations for lens materials and treatments

The eye care professional’s primary responsibility is to help thepatient see better by accurately filling his or her prescription. Inorder to fulfill this duty, it is important that the ECP learn toanalyze the prescription correctly and be able to explain to thepatient what the prescription is intended to correct. By doingso, not only does the ECP satisfy the needs of the patient, buthe or she also sets themselves apart from the order takers. ■

Check it out. Visit www.opticom-inc.com, click on Web Connect Ordering / Matrix Display Ordering, enter TEST for a user name and 999995 for a password.

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of your lens orders electroni-cally in one convenient step. Our services, supported by these manufacturers, are available at no cost to you.

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VistakonVistakon®, Division of Johnson & Johnson VisionCare, Inc., has named Dave Brown, President,VISTAKON® Americas. In his new role, Mr.Brown will be responsible for the VISTAKON®

U.S. and Canadian businesses. In 2006, Mr.Brown joined Johnson & Johnson Vision Care as

Vice President, World Wide Vision Care Franchise.

Leybold OpticsAntonio Requena, President of Leybold OpticsUSA, announced that Kevin Cross has joined thecompany. Cross will lead the sales & marketingefforts for the US Ophthalmic division, andcomes to Leybold from Carl Zeiss Vision, Inc.where he was involved in sales and business development activities. Cross was also the former

National Sales & Marketing Director for Northeast LensCorporation.

Will be Missed...

J. Pat Cummings, OD, vice president, profession-al development group, Americas region, forVistakon, and former president of the AmericanOptometric Association, died July 11 when a private plane in which he was a passenger crashedin St. Johns County, Fla., killing the pilot as well.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be madeto a scholarship fund established by the AOA in Cummings’honor. Donations may be sent to: Dr. Pat and Patrick CummingsMemorial Fund, Optometry’s Charity, AOA National Office,243 N. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63141.

Elmer H. Eger, OD, FAAO, passed away in Ithaca, NY, on June26. Elmer is the father of Academy PresidentMark W. Eger and grandfather of AcademyFellow Noah Eger. Elmer was a Life Fellow of theAcademy, and served 10 years on the AdmittanceCommittee. He invented the logMARComparison Pocket Screener, and patented the

Eger Macular Stressometer, a hand-held clinical instrument forearly detection of macular problems.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the AmericanOptometric Foundation, 6110 Executive Blvd., Suite 506,Rockville, MD 20852; or to the Cayuga Medical Center at Ithaca,101 Dates Dr., Ithaca, NY 14850.

Dave Brown

Movers AND Shakers

Kevin Cross

J. Pat Cummings

Elmer H. Eger

Gripping Eyewear launchesParis Hilton Collection at

Vision Expo West

“Paris Hilton has an amazing eye for sunglass style anddesign,” says Jimmy Jongebloed, President and CEO ofGripping Eyewear Inc. (GEI), the worldwide exclusivelicensee of the Paris Hilton Sunglass Collection launchingFall 2009. The new, remarkably innovative sunwear collection will be the highlight of GEI’s presence at thisFall’s Vision Expo West. “Her focus on her own personalfashion, combined with an unmatched marketing ability, is the key to why she is so successful and her products aresought after worldwide. Together, we are a powerful teamand our intent is to make a lasting statement in the retailand optical industry internationally.”

Paris Hilton will appear at the GEI booth at Vision ExpoWest on Friday, October 2, 2009 to reveal the glamour andelegant feminine appeal of her new sunglass collection forGEI. Eyewear is a natural extension of Paris’ already success-ful collections, including fragrances, handbags andfootwear. “The Paris Hilton brand is recognized worldwidefor beauty and elegance, and her sunglass line, will lead thecategory with innovation and sophistication,” observesHenry Rothschild, GEI President of Optical Division.

No one knows the Paris Hilton customer better thanParis herself. Idolized by fans of all ages, she is genuinely intouch with her following, making her input exceptionallyvaluable. She has been working behind the scenes with GEIto sketch designs and closely direct the look for her newsunglass collection. Says Ms. Hilton: “Anyone can enhancetheir look with the right sunglasses. It’s all about fashion andhaving fun with your look.”

She will also introduce at Vision Expo West the accompanying line of accessories that includes patentedlens wraps, sunglass stands and visor clips, all designed toallow the consumer to store, display and protect their sunglasses. Pretty and playful, the collection is all aboutaffordable fashion.

AUG2009.qxd 7/31/09 2:43 PM

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AUG2009_SIGNET.qxd 6/24/09 6:28 PM Page 1


The 21st Century OpticianWarren G. McDonald, PhD

Professor of Health AdministrationReeves School of Business / Methodist University

Educating and Training of theAMERICAN OPTICIAN:

Where Do We Go From Here?

For the last many months,this author has written about theneed for changes in the way Opticiansare educated and trained.

At this juncture, it is time to offer suggestions on ways toimprove the profession from that standpoint. All of these articles have been directed towards Opticians, but I have beensimply amazed at the number of ODs, and even anOphthalmologist who emailed or wrote in support of my concept from an earlier series on the American Optician. Insummary, the hypothesis of the articles, and the study uponwhich they were based, states that we need to improveOpticians from the foundational level. Some feel Opticiansneed to be licensed and certified and pedigreed at any numberof levels. I often see optical speakers with an alphabet soup ofletters behind their names, and if you really look, there is not asingle college degree among them!

These inter-professional certifications may mean something toother Opticians, but will never substitute for a formal educa-tion. I will state for the record...we will NEVER go beyondwhere we currently reside professionally until we wake up andstart improving ourselves educationally. It is imperative that weseek to standardize education and training across this country,and then, once we are all on a level playing field, we will beginto take the shape of a true profession, with common bondsacross state lines. Here are my suggestions:

Recommendations for Improvement

It is clear from the research conducted earlier that Opticiansneed to change the way they are educated and trained to be ableto utilize new technology and expand into new areas of prac-

tice. If not, they will soon cease to exist as a viable profession.Technicians in doctor’s offices now do a great deal of whatOpticians do and the data here strongly suggests that licensure,certification, technology or any of the variables described in theearlier study data can be utilized with little or no training. Inmany jurisdictions, Opticians have no requirements for education and training, or licensure, and that must change forthe profession to meet the demands of practice in the future,particularly if they want to increase scope of practice. Based on

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AUGUST 2009 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | 19

technological developments, Opticians can assume more professional responsibility, but cannot do it maintaining current levels of education and training. The Optician of todayis different from state to state and similarity of training shouldbe a goal for the profession and its leaders.

Opticians need to begin planning now for more advanced levels of service to the public, including refraction, moreadvanced contact lens practice and low vision management.These can provide a role for the future if Opticians are prepared adequately, and courses in business and management should bea part of the Opticians education as well.

Interestingly, the Opticians Association of America, over adecade ago, decided in a resolution that the Associate Degreewas to be the entry-level requirement. Nothing was done tocarry that resolution to fruition. The final question on the questionnaire indicates that a strong political voice is necessaryfor Opticianry to move forward. Unfortunately in the past, thishas not been the case. Political infighting and lack of leaderswith a vision have kept Opticians from advancement.

As a recommendation, the members of the profession mustelect leaders who can help the profession make the transitionfrom the current level to the future; leaders who place the profession above self and individuals who value the issuesmade clear in this research. It is the feeling of this researcherthat Opticians, due to a lack of education, typically do notunderstand the issues. They must be made to understand whatan Optician can be in the future and someone of strong leader-ship ability will be required to undertake that task.

Someone who can work with the other two ‘Os’ to garner theirsupport for the profession’s advancement is also a considera-tion. Opticians depend on eye doctors to write prescriptionsfor them. If they do not support this transition it will not hap-pen. This is a two-fold issue: financial and educational. Eyedoctors glean a large portion of their income from the sale ofoptical appliances. Opticians are competition. In the past,Ophthalmologists did not dispense, and were the Optician’sbiggest ally. This is not true today and must be considered inasking them to support this change. Leadership and a strongnational voice is needed to move Opticians to the next level,and modeling some of the other professions mentioned in theresearch will provide a framework for their efforts; particularlyOptometry.

Where to go from here? Opticians can choose their own path.But it is clear that change must occur if they are to continue toexist as a viable profession. Only 22 states license Opticians, andin the jurisdictions where certification or licensure is notrequired, there is little to no benefit to seeking higher levels ofeducation or achieving certification. Anyone can work high

levels of technology in doctor’s offices and seemingly be suc-cessful as a well-trained and educated Optician if income isconsidered a viable measure of success. This must change forOpticians to become recognized as professionals and it isentirely in their hands.

Summary of Recommendations Based on Study Data

Planning at the national and state levels needs to begin imme-diately to develop/implement programs for the education andtraining of future Opticians. Based on this research those plansshould include the following:

1. Increase the levels of education and training required forOpticians in the United States beyond current limitations.

2. Maintain apprenticeship in the early phase of thesechanges, but require a formal education component as apart of this method of training. Once those are firmlysituated, requiring a degree will be the next step.

3. Develop programs that provide education and trainingrelated to the advanced areas of practice; refraction,advanced contact lenses, and low vision.

4. Develop programs that provide training in management.

5. Continue to educate and train Opticians in the traditional areas of service and responsibility, but alsoprovide them with the tools to move into new areas ofpractice, particularly those made possible through newtechnology.

6. Develop a stronger national voice to representOpticianry to outside interests, particularly other eyecare providers whose support will be required forOpticians to advance.

Next month we will be moving to a new and different topic.I am always enthralled with issues of organizational change,and clearly Opticians are in need of help, but we can’t beat thishorse too much longer for fear it may become ineffective. As Imove about the country, I often see you. I am always open todiscussing my ideas and concepts for this profession. Someoneasked me recently why I was concerned. I have now moved intoteaching as my full-time professional activity, but I remain anOptician. My goal is to make the profession better before Iretire, and I truly feel education is the path to that goal. I hope,whether you agree with me or not, that I have at least stimulat-ed you to think about where we can go as a profession...if wejust try! ■

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Here’s my view of what’s COOL and what’s NOT COOL.

COOL: Reps who make appointments. This is a win-win.

• As an ECP, I can schedule my day around any fixedappointments. I can choose how many reps to see andwhen I see them.

• As a Rep, I can schedule my day to maximize my availabletime and of course, avoid burning fuel unnecessarily.

NOT COOL: ECP’s who cancel appointments as the Rep walksin the door.

• As a Rep, I’ve scheduled my day to maximize my time andmanage my expenses. I have multiple accounts to see anda finite number of hours in a day to see them. I under-stand that circumstances can change, but a quick phonecall to cancel or reschedule would be greatly appreciated.

• As an ECP, my day can go from 0 to Mach 1 in a very shortamount of time. Patient eyewear emergencies, shortstaffed and equipment failures all seem to conspire tokeep me off-schedule. Perhaps it’s time to reconsider howI schedule my Reps appointments; before working hours,a working lunch or the Doc’s day off.

NOT COOL: Reps who walk in the door with bags of framesand no appointment.

• As an ECP, seriously? I don’t have enough time to eatlunch, much less spend an hour or two looking at newreleases. At the very least, call and ask if I have time to seeyou. If I don’t, make an appointment.

• As a Rep, you never know. Your office wasn’t on my list tosee today, but I was close by. I’ll take your card and call foran appointment.

COOL: ECP’s who keep notes on issues to be discussed with the Rep.

• As a Rep, I really appreciate that you took the time tomake some notes for us. If there are problems, questionsor other issues, I need to know about them. I’ll alwayscome in with the latest information and your notes willkeep us both on track.

• As an ECP, small issues can build into large ones if I don’tkeep track of them. If I write them down, perhaps a pat-tern will emerge and together we can address it. I’ll prom-ise not to yell, if you promise not to “tap dance” aroundthe issue.

Managing OpticianJudy Canty, ABO/NCLE

Sales Reps: Cool / Not CoolI’M BACK HOME after a week of selling on the road. What went well? What didn’t?

What can I improve? HAVING SPENT 34 YEARS on the dispensing side of the table, I’ve seen the best and the worst of reps. On this new (to me) sales side of the table,

I’ve been able to observe the best and worst of my peers.

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NOT COOL: Reps who fail to follow up on problems or requests.

• As an ECP, if it’s important enough to bring to your atten-tion, it’s IMPORTANT! Believe me, I’ll keep you on trackif it’s a problem and I’ll thank you if it’s a request.

• As a Rep, failing to follow up is inexcusable. I’ll write itdown, but sometimes I forget. You can yell at me. Ideserve it.

COOL: ECP’s who value the business relationship with their Reps.

• As a Rep, I have a vested interest in your success. By pro-viding quality products and excellent customer service, Ican make your day a little less stressful. Increasing yourbusiness will increase mine. Please draw on my experi-ence and expertise; it’s an important part of what I offeras your Rep. A healthy practice is good for both of us.

• As an ECP, I have to watch every dollar, especially in thecurrent economy. I expect you to be honest with meabout pricing, back orders, turnaround times and returnpolicies. I also know that new technology is expensive. Iexpect to pay a fair price for quality and service.

NOT COOL: ECP’s who only order enough for the “gift withpurchase”, the “complimentary lenses” or to use me to negoti-ate better pricing from someone else.

• As an ECP, doesn’t everybody do this? It’s just business,right?

• As a Rep, no, everybody doesn’t do this. A good businessrelationship is built on trust and mutual respect. Thelong-term benefits of a good relationship will far out-weigh the short-term “gotcha.” I’m far more likely to keepmy good accounts at the top of my list when a new pro-gram or benefit is available. If you need a favor, a rush job,a backordered frame, I’ll be there for you.

The ECP/Rep relationship can be very complicated; about ascomplicated as the ECP/Patient relationship. Probably becausewe’re so interdependent. Those ECP’s who pride themselves onnever seeing a rep, doing all of their information gathering andbuying either online or from a catalogue run the risk of miss-ing valuable information. The Reps who ignore a practice,deeming it too small or too much trouble to find, risk missingthat “diamond in the rough” practice just waiting for the rightcombination of Reps to help it shine.

Make the most of your appointments.

• Choose a day to see your Reps. You can maintain controlof your schedule and it can become self-limiting, keepingyou from trying to see everyone who walks through thedoor.

• Communicate your needs when you make the appoint-ment. If you only want to see new releases or a specificcollection, say so. If there is a new product or service youneed information about, say so. This allows your Rep tobring the right tools to the appointment.

• Be prepared. If you are returning merchandise, have itseparated, cleaned and ready to go. If you have questionsabout an invoice, have it ready and, if possible, make acopy for the Rep.

• Be honest. If a line isn’t working for you or you need tochange labs, explain why this is necessary. Reps need toknow if there are issues that they can or cannot control.

• Be considerate. If you can’t keep the appointment, callahead and reschedule. Most Reps work on a 6-8 weekrotation, so if you can’t reschedule for the same week, askif information can be sent to you and then schedule yourappointment for the next trip.

The relationship you have with your Reps doesn’t have to be anadversarial one. It should be a working partnership. Everyonewill benefit. ■

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24 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL |AUGUST 2009

Optical Job MarketAnthony Record, ABO/NCLE, RDO

SHOULD YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF in that unenviableposition, here are a few suggestions that will hopefully give youan advantage in finding employment before those extended unemployment benefits run out.

1. Make Sure Your Resume Outshines All the Others. Yourresume should be kept updated at all times. Scrambling toupdate your resume when you have lost your job can be astressful and inefficient experience. Here are a few tips that willhelp your resume stand out from the crowd:

• KISS – Keep it Short and Sweet. A one-page resume is notunreasonable.

• List your personal contact information at the top of theresume, not the bottom. If you are including an e-mail

address as part of your information (and you should),make sure it is professional, not cute.“optichick” might becute to your friends and family, but not to a prospectiveemployer.

• If you include an “Objective” section, stress what you willadd to the practice or organization, not what you will takeaway from it.

• In listing previous positions held, list them chronological-ly, unless the last job was not the most impressive. If thatis the case, list them in order of significance.

• Make sure their our know eras in grammar and no mispelled words. (By the way, there are five such errors inthe previous sentence.)

“I need a job” are four words none of us look forward to saying.Unfortunately, with the national unemployment rate in double digits,the likelihood that those words will find their way out of the mouths of even the best ECPs increases with each passing day.


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2. Networking Trumps All Else. According to Sherry Shuller,president of Zaboo Communications, writing for the career-building website about.com, “With at least 60% of job seekersfinding employment through networking, it’s no wonder thatpeople are turning to their colleagues and acquaintances...” intheir quest to finding a job. Based on personal and anecdotalexperience, I was surprised the figure was that low! My wife,son and daughter all obtained their current positions throughnetworking. The old cliché, “It’s not what you know, it’s whoyou know,” is absolutely true.

So while you will still have to bulk up your resume, scour theclassifieds, and pound the pavement, never underestimate thevalue of your personal relationships. Maybe it’s time to call in a favor. With more than 60% of jobs coming as result of pastrelationships and referrals, why should you be any different? If networking is so important, perhaps we should take a littlemore seriously the old advice about not unnecessarily burningbridges.

Always give over-adequate notice when leaving a job, and neverspeak negatively about a previous employer. The internet canbe a good source of networking. Check out optiboard.com.

3. Prepare for the Interview. No really...prepare for the interview. This is where you can really get a leg up. Sadly, mostmanagers and business owners do not prepare as adequately forthe interview process as they should. Use this fact to youradvantage and your unemployment will be short-lived.

First, a few no-brainers: Arrive a few minutes early. Dress onelevel above the position you seek. Do your homework – befamiliar with the organization, and if possible, the person whois interviewing you. Be ready for some of the most common questions you will likely be asked. You will most certainly be asked what you think are your strengths and weaknesses. Be honest, but overstate neither. You will also beasked why you left your job.

Again, be honest, making sure you say nothing negative aboutthe past company or manager. You will likely be asked something that is prefaced by, “Tell me about a time...” Mostmanagers feel that past behavior and performance is a goodindicator of your future actions, so be prepared with a razzle-dazzle answer here. The key is that it doesn’t sound like arehearsed, razzle-dazzle answer, so include a bit of self-depre-cation here. Be ready with a couple of real-life examples whereperhaps you saved a refund, or resolved a patient conflict.

You will also probably be asked about your worst mistakes andgreatest accomplishments. When it comes to mistakes, be ready

with one or two examples – but be sure to include what you didto resolve or overcome the mistake. With accomplishments donot be vague – give specific, quantifiable answers. For example,“While I was the Vision Center manager, gross sales increasedan average of 18% a year.”

At some point you will be asked the obligatory, “So...do youhave any questions for me?” Do not take this lightly. While youmay be in need of a job, this is your golden opportunity to discover if this person is really the kind of boss with whom youwould want to work. Ask about the other people you would beworking with. Does he speak of them in a positive manner?Does he know about them as individuals? Is he upbeat, or doeshe seem negative and frustrated? Does he mention a highturnover rate?

If he does, that might tell you more about him and the workenvironment then it does about the other employees. Ask him how he measures success and what he is looking for mostin an employee. How are accomplishments measured and/orrewarded?

Another good question to ask is what his ideal employee wouldbe like. If he describes someone who works long hours at amoments notice; don’t be surprised when the same is asked ofyou. If his ideal employee implements change and follows procedures without questioning authority, be prepared to putyour creativity on the shelf. Maybe this job’s not for you afterall. But if you think it is, move on to number four.

4. Set yourself apart. Of course, the more you take seriouslyyour resume and preparing for the interview, you will havealready done that. But now, let’s really kick it up a notch, withtwo final suggestions – one standard, one radical.

The standard suggestion: As soon as you leave the interview,mail the interviewer a thank you card. Thank the person for hisor her time, consideration, and offer an assurance that if hiredyou will work to make sure that the hiring decision will neverbe regretted. This could be the best 44¢ investment you ever make.

The radical suggestion (and this one, I can assure you workedonce for me): Offer the prospective employee a “money-backguarantee.” I once told an optical lab manager that if he hiredme, after two weeks, if he was not completely satisfied with hishiring decision, he did not have to pay me for my two weekswork. His response...can you start tomorrow morning? Good luck. ■

Email any comments to: [email protected]

AUG2009.qxd 7/31/09 11:22 AM

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WHEN HURRICANE KATRINA hit in August2005, it became the most costly catastrophe inUnited States history. Many business ownerscouldn’t financially survive after the destruc-

tion the Category Five hurricane caused. When Elmo Spellman,ABOC, owner and president of Esplanade Optical in Metairie,La., got warning that the storm was coming, he did everythinghe could to prepare his practice. “I came to my shop and pickedup everything humanly possible in case of a flood, boarded thewindows for wind damage, and secured as much as possible,” hesays. “I secured records and frames, and raised furniture anddisplays off of the floor, as high as I could get them. And I tookas much with me out of the shop as I could.”

When Spellman assessed the damage after the hurricane, itbecame apparent that a long road to recovery was ahead. “Wehad 12 to 18 inches of water in the shop plus wind damage tothe ceiling,” he recalls. “The shop was also filled with mold,mildew, and stagnant mud and dirt. Many of the frame displaysand furniture were damaged and hadto be discarded.”

Spellman spent three months work-ing out of his home and trying toretain as many of his customers aspossible while preparing to reopen hisshop. He got the word out that he wasoperating out of his home. When hedid reopen, the biggest challenge wastrying to regain his formerly robustclient base. While business is bettertoday, Spellman says the combinationof the financial loss his local clients

suffered, plus the current recession, has prevented him fromgetting back to where he was pre-Katrina. But he’s been muchmore successful than some businesses that couldn’t even get back on their feet. He says the difference came down toinsurance. “Having good insurance is the number one key,”he stresses.

Crucial Coverage

To prepare for a hurricane or any other potential disaster, theInsurance Information Institute (III) recommends being veryfamiliar with your insurance coverage. Don’t wait until disasterstrikes to realize you don’t have enough coverage. You shouldunderstand what your policy includes—and what it doesn’t.

“Be sure to read your policy thoroughly,” advises M. BethParquette, president of Parquette & Associates InsuranceServices, an agency based on the South West Coast of Florida—about three miles north of where Hurricane Charley did some

major damage. “If there are somethings you don’t understand, make alist and call your agent. That’s whatthey’re there for. Also, pay particularattention to the coverage’s affordedto you under your policy and also theexclusions, such as windstorm andhurricane coverage. If you find thesethings are excluded, call your agentand ask why and where you canobtain this coverage.”

It’s important to realize that typicalproperty insurance policies do not

Practice ManagementLindsey Getz

Surviving a CatastropheYou may have no way of knowing when or if a disaster might strike,

but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared.


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cover flood or earthquake damage. Ifyour business is based in a flood orearthquake zone, you need to considerthis additional coverage. “If you are ina state that is prone to sink holes orearthquakes, which are most oftenexcluded from a business owner’s policy, find out how you can ‘buy’ thatcoverage back,” adds Parquette.“Similarly, if you are in an area proneto flooding, make sure that you havecurrent flood insurance.”

It’s also crucial that you have enoughcoverage for the indirect costs relatingto a disaster such as the disruption toyour business.“Make sure that you have‘Business Income Coverage’ and that the limit of coverageand/or time frame of that coverage will enable you to keep on paying for your rent or mortgage, key employees’ salaries,utilities and other on-going expenses or additional expensesyou may incur, such as moving to a temporary location whilerepairs are being made,” advises Parquette.

The III also recommends developing a written emergencyresponse plan that employees are familiar with. Employeesshould know what measures to take to preserve life and limitproperty losses. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s(FEMA) website has some great resources for developing a disaster plan for your business(http://www.fema.gov/plan/index.shtm).

When the Storm is Brewing

Most business owners buy insurance policies that cover a natu-ral disaster with the hope of never having to use that coverage.But in the case that a catastrophic event is actually coming, andyou’re able to get some advanced warning, the hours or daysleading up to it can make a big difference in your level of pre-paredness. By paying attention to the storm warnings forKatrina, and taking them seriously, Spellman was able to pre-pare his shop as best he could before the storm actually struck.

While you can only do so much to prepare, Parquette saysdoing what you can does make a difference. “It’s always impor-tant to take everything off the floors and move items away fromany building openings,” she suggests. “Make sure you havesecured your office equipment in a safe place. And, if necessary,make sure that you have storm shutters or window protectionand that the drainage areas around your building are free ofdebris.”

It’s also crucial to make sure that all important documents,including your business owner’s insurance policy, are in a

secure, waterproof bag or box that youcan take out of the store. Parquettealso recommends having cell phonescharged and ready to go, and ensuringthat you turn off the electricity beforeleaving your building. “And of course,make sure that no one goes back toyour office during or after the event,until the authorities have announcedit is safe to travel,” she emphasizes.

The Aftermath

The aftermath of a natural disastercan be overwhelming, but the sooneryou start taking the necessary stepstoward recovery, the better. Parquette

says that downed phone lines can make it difficult to reach youragent if they are based in the same area as you, so it’s importantto have the phone number for the claims department of yourcarrier in advance. “More often than not, they will not be in thearea affected by the event and you can call them directly toreport your loss,” she says. “Make sure to have your insuranceinformation and proof of ownership of items in your officeready to supply to the adjustor.”

As far as proof of ownership of items, it’s always best to have thereceipts available but business owners can also have photos ofthose items that are missing a receipt. After the storm,Parquette also advises clients to take photos of their place ofbusiness and keep them in a lock box in the bank along withany receipts for new purchases, replacing lost or damageditems. This can help speed up the claims process. “It may takesome time for the adjustor to get to you, especially if there werea lot of areas damaged,” she admits.

Though it may take some time before you can even return toyour place of business, once you do, it’s important to secure thebusiness as best as possible to prevent theft or further damage.Re-board windows, add locks where you can, and take anyremaining critical items out of the store and to a safe place.Patient records, office equipment and merchandise are likelythe three most important items to secure.

While the thought of preparing for an unknown disaster can be stressful, the more you do in advance, the better off you’ll bein the long run. Parquette says the simplest way to think of it isto treat your business as you’d treat your home. Preparing forthe worst will give you the peace of mind that you did everything you could—to the best of your ability—to protectyour business. ■

Email any comments to: [email protected]

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LET’S FACE IT, the trend of online eyewear ishere and it’s not going anywhere. Do these onlinevendors offer anything tangible to the consumer?As they say, the devil’s in the details. Most onlinevendors position their products as either cheap,convenient, or both. Well, let’s take a look at theirproducts from the consumer’s standpoint.

Low cost eyewear seems to be a major draw to online eyewear.The contributing factors to this mentality are the perceived highcost of eyewear, but are the costs really that high? The averagesale in an optical shop is $242.00. The average purchase intervalis 2.4 years, so that breaks down to less than 28 cents a day. I

went through the steps of picking an average frame and lensesfrom one of the largest online vendors, and the cost of anAristar 6022 with polycarbonate lenses came to a total of $166.73. Now I have to admit that’s not bad for a pair ofglasses, but what am I getting?

The lenses come with their 100% accuracy guarantee;this means that the lenses will be made to my exact prescriptionand measurements. The measurements come from where? Thisparticular site recommends:

“A PD Measurement or Pupil Distance can be taken at any optical store or from your doctor, and many optical stores will provide this service free of charge.”

This Achilles heal is handled quite well by many online vendors.This service has never been free of charge – most opticalsinclude this as part of their fitting process, which is incorporat-ed in the price of the eyewear purchase. Is their value to a PD?Well of course there is, it has to cost something to measure andtake on liability for the proper fitting of eyewear. It seems that the most common approach is to demonize the brick and mortar optical by making the consumer believe that themeasure is FREE. Most small independent business ownerspride themselves on the way they do business, I am sure manydon’t like being told what part of their services is or should beFREE by their competitors.

Even with the proper measurements, there is no guarantee theglasses will fit properly. This particular site also recommends:

“It’s helpful to know what size frame will fit you. You can find thisinformation easily by looking at a pair of frames you may currently own, or by visiting a local optical store.”

Again the patient needs to come into and visit an optical store.I’m starting to get the feeling that the brick and mortar dispen-sary or “show room” has a value.

The proper fitting of eyewear isn’t complete once the proper sized frame is chosen, frames don’t come one size fits alland neither do patient’s faces. This is why optical shops spendtime choosing the right frame for the patient and their pre-

Dispensing Optician

The Truth about Online “Discounts”

Harry Chilinguerian, ABOC-AC, NCLE, AC

AUG2009.qxd 7/28/09 1:54 PM



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AUG2009_3Rivers.qxd 2/13/09 2:19 PM Page 1


scription, as well as fitting them upon dispense. This particularvendor has no recommendation for how to get this eyewear fit properly once they arrive.

In order to realize the potential savings of internet eyewear, thepatient must be able to keep this pair for up to 2.4 years, whichis the average purchase period for internet eyewear. Since thecompany offers no warranty on the frames or lenses, the patientis in a position where they need to carefully care for their eyewear and hope for the best. The downside to online eyewearis going to be the disposable nature of this product with little tono service, unless the patient truly believes that they can walkinto any shop and have their online eyewear serviced, which isa fallacy that many online vendors continue to perpetuate.

Well, what about convenience? Wow, you wake up and decideto roll out of bed and purchase your eyewear while still in yourpajamas – can’t beat that for convenience, right? Well can we?The patient will more than likely have come from the eyecarepractitioner who provided the exam. If they’re lucky, theyremembered to ask for their PD. If the patient is really lucky theoffice took this measurement and if the moon, the planets, andthe sun line up in perfect harmony they may have even gottenthis measure done properly by a qualified professional.

Let’s make the assumption that all these things came together inperfect harmony and the patient was diligent in their office visitand received everything they needed to process this orderonline in a proficient manner. They go to the website and try onglasses, as this particular site boasts a virtual frame system,which allows the patient to upload their photo and superim-pose various frames onto their image. Now as nice as this feature may sound, didn’t they just leave an office where theycould have actually tried on the glasses and seen how they really look on them? Virtual doesn’t trump actual, does it?

So after they virtually try on a few pairs without the guidanceof a professional, they decide on a frame. Now they need tomake a decision on the various lens options. This particular siteoffers a short 150 to 200 hundred word paragraph that sums upthe benefits of each material and option, and since there are

many to choose from, the patient will require time to read theseand must ultimately make a decision as to what they think willwork best for them. Professionals spend their career developingmethods and questions to streamline their process for helpinga patient chose the right combination of lenses and options tosuit their particular lifestyle. We even came up with a nifty nickname for that process called “lifestyle dispensing” whichinvolves getting to know your patient more intimately, by probing them for details about their hobbies and habits.

As the online patient chooses their lenses and options and placesthe order, the patient is met with a prompt to make sure to faxthe prescription to this particular vendor. The patient hopefullyhas a fax machine or scanner handy to scan and email the prescription. Once the fax or email is sent, one to two weekslater a box arrives with glasses in them. If the patient is lucky theglasses fit, if not this particular company is gracious enough tooffer a one time replacement, but the patient will have to shipthem back on their own dime and wait another 2 weeks. Oncethey finally arrive there is still a matter of being fitted properlyand again with luck there is a shop that will provide this serviceand hopefully they won’t know that it was purchased online sothe patient can get away with their savings.

This whole ordeal could end up with at least 2 to 3 trips to abrick and mortar optical for various supposedly FREE services.When it comes to convenience, most shops can match thatnumber of trips and often only require only 1 to 2 visits.

I personally don’t understand the allure of online eyewear,but in its current form saving $75.00 by navigating through thevarious land mines like PD’s, properly sized frames, measure-ments, fitting, and warranties seems to be more inconvenientand potentially more costly. These potential savings are alsorealized by deceiving local eyecare providers out of profession-al services. Call me crazy but I like my patients enough to actually take care of them, especially when the savings is only$75.00. I won’t allow my patients to sell themselves short, theydeserve better quality and service and if it costs $75.00 more I am here to help them realize the value in that. ■

AUG2009.qxd 7/28/09 1:55 PM

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GettingPatientsto Listen

For most of us it is frustrating when patients do not follow our advice or instructions. We expectpatient cooperation, when in fact there is strong evidence to the contrary.

This situation should improve, given the increased emphasis onpatient education by manufacturers of eye care products andthird party payers. Subscribers to eye care provider programsare empowered with information and self-help action to helpthem become better utilizers of the vision care services availableto them. We must influence our patients to comply and adhereto the methods in order to improve patient satisfaction andinsure successful outcomes to their cases.

Areas of concern for the eye care provider include instructionsabout contact lens care, i.e. wearing time, solutions and theneed for follow up visits. Proper use of eyewear for designatedvision tasks, like recommended care of the glasses, is anotherconcern. Some experts claim that there are five basic key pointsrequired to accomplish ideal patient compliance. Whether weprofessionals like it or not, there is an approach practiced inother fields from which we can learn. We must first recognizethe opportunity to help the non compliant patient. We canbend it to make it meaningful to the patient and indicate thenecessary urgency for the patient to change his negative habits.Keep in mind that we are forming a partnership with thepatient based on trust and understanding. In a sense, we areengaged in “selling” the patient on a set of ideas that not onlywill produce patient satisfaction but will also improve the doctor-patient relationship.

Reflecting the patient’s own words whenever possible states thatyou understand the conditions and problems. Avoid the techni-cal jargon and emphasize the patient’s feelings. Researchersfound that patients were less happy when doctors asked abouttechnical topics and felt better when questioned about psy-chosocial topics. It is the language of feelings that seems to be thevenue through which the doctors and patients can discover theircommon grounds. Case results are also improved through thelanguage interaction. On the other hand, one study reveals thatstrong feelings expressed by the doctor had a positive effect oncase results since the patients may have interpreted the doctors’reactions as a sign that they cared. This indicates that improvedoutcomes benefit the patients provided that they take the oppor-tunity to explain their feelings, whether positive or negative.

It can be said that patient empowerment is based on adherenceand not necessarily compliance. The patient is encouraged tobecome a decision maker and assume a share of the responsi-bility for managing his/her problem. The subject can be trainedin self-care, goal setting, problem solving, stress management,

Second GlanceElmer Friedman, OD


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coping, social support and motivation. Mutual respect is con-sidered an important factor concerning doctor-patient rapport.Doctors are asking about patient preference regarding involve-ment in the decision making agenda. This is a key aspect in cul-tivating respect for the patient. Patients today vary in theirdesire to participate and interact with the doctor. There arepatients who desire little or no involvement in the dialogue.Often, these patients are older and are satisfied with the tradi-tional care they have been receiving. These patients are passiveand tend to listen to the doctor and try to comply to the best oftheir ability. Other patients who fall into this category are thosefrom other cultures in which it is considered disrespectful to askquestions or express concerns to an authority figure such as thedoctor. They will require encouragement so that the profes-sional can bring his expertise into their lives.

At the other end of the spectrum are the patients who seek tobe involved in making decisions about their care. They are usu-ally younger, better educated and tend to be less satisfied withthe existing manner of health care. They utilize the vast amountof information from printed and electronic sources to form anintelligent base for their decision making. Some of the gatheredinformation may be misleading or worse. Just as any goodteacher would do, it is the professional’s role to correct badinformation.

Sometimes unexpected irritations can occur.

Examples are: The patient who desires an authoritarian doctormismatches with a doctor who wishes to share decision making;the patient who requires a doctor who affords a parental rolemismatched with the doctor whose role covers only the scien-tist’s aspects of the case; the doctor who wishes to connect withthe patient as a whole person, but the patient wants only to expe-rience the technical know how. In those cases, mutual respect ishard to cultivate. It is important for the doctor and the patientto fulfill their roles and expectations. If the patient is new andthe doctor is unfamiliar with the history, then it is recommend-ed that the doctor should simply ask. In this way the doctor isbetter equipped to tailor an approach that would be best suitedtoward a successful conclusion of that respective case.

Eye care providers will find that adherence, instead of the failedexpectations of the compliance mindset, will increase patientloyalty. Four suggestions are given to help establish adherencein your practice.

• Examine the patient’s perspective: Listen for the patient’smeanings, language and values as they respond to you. Makesure the technical language is reduced to terms that the patientwill understand.

• Discover the patient’s feelings: Listen carefully and react sothat the patient is confident that you know how he/she feels


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aug2009_National.qxd 6/23/09 3:29 PM Page 1

about the matter under discussion. Demonstrate your own feelings, as well, about the discourse.

• Base goals on the patient’s expectations: Encourage thepatient to participate in the decision making as much as they

are willing to do so. Guide the patient regarding realistic goals,steps to be taken and barriers that may exist that would hindera successful self care regimen.

• Support the patient’s education: Explore the different sourcesthat the patient has examined and try to maintain the accura-cy of that information and eliminate any errors that may exist.

According to a 2003 World Health Organization study, half ofall chronically ill patients do not follow instructions about tak-ing medication. This same group refuses to change theirlifestyle habits in order to improve their health. A glaring complication has reared its ugly head. Patients who have losttheir jobs, insurance coverage and have money problems willnot seek care since they feel they cannot afford it. The doctorsmust face this challenge by supplying the information that willpropel the patient to alter the harmful path he/she has beenenduring and seek the more productive road of improved ben-efits. It is not an uncommon practice to refer this beleagueredpatient to cooperative pharmaceutical or optical vendors andlocal and national government assistance programs.

All of us have encountered the patient who complains endless-ly, yet will not adhere to our recommendations. The doctormust draw the boundary that exists between a merely difficultpatient and one that is disruptive, abusive or belligerent.Patients who continually break appointments as “no shows”should be considered for termination. It is a rarity to dischargea patient. It is necessary, sometimes, to jolt them into reality andperhaps they will learn that negative behavior is a poor basis fordoctor-patient relationships and accounts for the unsuccessfulgoals that result.

Discharging a patient is a last resort when attempts to ferret outthe reasons for the disruption and non-compliance remain hid-den. There are sample letters that are available from your liabil-ity insurance company to reduce the possibility of legal actionfrom a discharged patient. This addresses the situation of doc-tor abandonment or discrimination. Records should indicatethat the patient was warned of the consequences of continuednon-compliant behavior. The letter of termination ought to besent by certified mail with return receipt requested. It is impor-tant to give this patient sufficient time to respond to your warnings and the final notice of discharge. Check with yourinsurer or local society for help in this matter. Finally, refer thepatient to the listings of other providers furnished by local orstate organizations with the offer to transfer the patient recordsto the offices they have chosen. Written authorization shouldaccompany the patient’s request. ■

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Advertiser IndexADVERTISER PAGE # PHONE # WEB SITE

21st Century Optics 27 800-221-4170 www.21stcenturyoptics.com

B&G Optics 45 800-360-5367 —

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Balester Optical 29 800-233-8373 www.balester.com

CNS Frame Displays 21 877-274-9300 www.framesdisplays.com

Corning 5 800-821-2020 www.corning.com/ophthalmic

EastWest Eye Conference 15 800-999-4939 www.eastwesteye.org

Enni Marco BACK COVER 866-648-2661 www.newlineoptics.us

Eyevertise 46 847-202-1411 www.EyeVertise.com

FEA Industries 11, 25, 39 800-327-2002 www.feaind.com

Grimes Optical 48 800-749-8427 www.grimesoptical.com

Gripping Eyewear FRONT COVER 888-400-0166 www.grippingeyewear.com

JW Engineering 47 845-354-8025 www.jtac.com

LBI 41 800-423-5175 www.lbieyewear.com

Long Range Systems 22 800-250-8189 www.pager.net/eye

ADVERTISER PAGE # PHONE # WEB SITE

Luzerne Optical 31, 35, 51 800-233-9637 www.luzerneoptical.com

My Vision Express 47 877-882-7456 www.myvisionexpress.com

Nassau Vision Group 17 800-668-2411 www.nassau247.com

National Lens 43 866-923-5600 www.national-lens.com

Nellerk Contact Lens Cases 49 607-748-2166 —

Opticom 15 800-678-4266 www.opticom-inc.com

Optogenics 44 800-678-4225 www.optogenics.com

Safe-Lite Optical 23 800-342-9339 www.safe-lite.com

SEIKO Eyewear INSIDE FRONT COVER 800-235-LENS www.seikoeyewear.com

Tech-Optics 47 800-678-4277 www.techopticsinternational.com

Three Rivers Optical 36, 37 800-756-2020 www.3riversoptical.com

US Optical 13 800-445-2773 www.usoptical.com

The Vision Council 9 703-548-4560 www.thevisioncouncil.org

Vision Expo West 32 800-811-7151 www.visionexpowest.com

Vision Systems Inc. 33, 38 866-934-1030 www.Patternless.com

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AUG2009.qxd 7/30/09 10:57 AM


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Toll Free: 1-800-233-8373Fax: 1-800-548-3487www.balester.com

INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS EEYECAREPROFESSIONALTo

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Drivewear lensesuniquely combine two of themost advanced technologiesfound in the industry today:Transitions™ PhotochromicTechnology and NuPolar®

polarization. Drivewear is thefirst polarized photochromiclens to darken behind the

windshield of a car.

www.drivewearlens.comStep into Three RiversOptical’s “O” Zone.

Our “Free” Lens Series offersone-of-a-kind bifocal designsthat fill a void in the opticalindustry. With our unique,

patented “Round Seg” technology, your patients will experience the best

in bifocal lenses.

Get in the “O” Zone Today

800.756.2020www.threeriversoptical.com

OPTOGENICS= In House ARsTel: 800-678-4225Fax: 800-343-3925

VSP, VCP, VBA approvedFree UPS pick-up (min. 3 Rx’s)

➧ $2 Credit for ALL e-orders placed on Optogenics.com

➧ $3 Credit for ALL AR e-orders placed on Optogenics.com

➧ 24/7 extra e-order $$Good through Dec. 31st

OPTOGENICSwe make eyeglasses

Go to Optogenics.comfor more special offers!

Green Bay, WI 54308800-678-4266/Fax 920-965-3203

email: [email protected]

Click, click, click, your lens order is done.

Use one website to order all of your stock lenses electronically. With no usage or ordering fees!

Interested in sharing your

Optical insight with fellow ECP’s?

If you would like to write for the fastest growingpublication in the industry, email a brief descriptionabout yourself and your areas of expertise to: [email protected]

AUG2009.qxd 7/31/09 11:23 AM


Op-Tags™, Labels & Bar Code Systems...

Your most cost effective merchandising tools!

Arch Crown, Inc.460 Hillside AvenueHillside, NJ 07205

Toll Free: 1-800-526-8353Fax: 973-731-2228

e-mail: [email protected]

INC.

TM

Rudy is Sport RX. Rudy Project is Italian for cutting

edge technology and innovations inplano & RX eyewear/sunwear.Increase your sales to athletes!

Contact us.www.rudyprojectusa.com or

888-860-7597

National LensAmerica’s Leading Discount

Contact Lens Distributor

Phone 1-866-923-5600Fax 1-866-923-5601

www.national-lens.com

Framedisplays.comis the leading provider of opticalframe displays for ophthalmic

dispensing professionals. Productsinclude optical eyewear and

sunglass displays in addition tolockable, rotating, standing, wall

mount and slatwall frame displays.Call 877.274.9300

for info and catalog.

LOW PRICE LEADER SINCE 1949

Factory Direct Savings on Fully Stitched Slip-in Cases

Clamshell Cases Lowest Pricesin the Industry

Molded Plastic & Children’s Cases

Huge Saving on Microfiber CleaningCloths and Spray Cleaner

Call: 800 249-1058See our complete case catalog at:

http://www.LBI.biz

INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS EEYECAREPROFESSIONALTo advertise please call 8

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NELLERKCONTACT LENS CASESNELLERKCONTACT LENS CASES

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607-748-2166 Fax: 607-748-2273

A case with a double lock & your name imprinted on it!


CEABO/NCLE APPROVEDCONTINUING EDUCATIONDry Eyes and Its Effects on Contact Lens Wear$12.99 for 1 NCLE Credit Hour

Available at: www.ecpmag.com/CETake the course online and receive your certificate within 5 days!

WHEN SKILLED HANDS usingstate of the art technology come

together the result is precision bench work. We pride

ourselves in producing edge workthat is light years ahead of our

competition.

(800) 221-4170www.21stcenturyoptics.com

RECONDITIONED SPECIALS!!EdgersBriot Accura CX RC . . . . . . . $13,950Essilor Gamma RC . . . . . . . $12,950Essilor Kappa RC . . . . . . . . . $17,950

Safety bevels and Grooves!

InstrumentsReichert Keratometer . . . . . . . . $595Chart Projectors starting at . . . . . $395Marco Radiuscope . . . . . . . . . . $695

Optical Finish Equipment and SuppliesGrimes Optical Equipment

Co.800-749-8427

www.grimesoptical.com

National Lens, a leading independentdistributor of Contact Lenses is pleasedto announce their Exclusive Distributionrights of Impression Colored ContactLenses in the U.S.A.

According to the director of sales David Roberts, these Opaque Lenses areextremely comfortable are available innine colors and offer a major priceadvantage over the leading competitor’slenses.

For more information they can bereached Toll Free: 866.923.5601 or you can go the website: www.national-lens.com

AUG2009.qxd 7/31/09 11:28 AM


“HOW RAINY WAS IT,” you ask? It was so rainy even the mosquitoeswere flying around with umbrellas.What do you call a sunny day follow-ing two rainy days? Monday! How canyou tell if it is going to rain? You cansee the mountain – if you can’t see the mountain, it is already raining.(Q) What’s worse than raining buckets? (A) Hailing taxis!

As I write this in late July, our temper-atures are approaching May averages— tomatoes aren’t doing well. Theconstant downpours are slammingflowers and hail has been a factor as well.

Customers are coming back frombeach and camping vacations in very grumpy moods. Nothinglike spending $2000.00 to $3000.00 to rent a cottage for a weekat Cape Cod in the rain – no wonder there are so many shop-ping malls down there.

Naturally, this was to be our summer of sunglasses at the store.We added new lines and amplified our selection. So, where’s theSUN? With all that – sales have been fair, probably due to ourgood selection and tireless perseverance.

Most of our sales are in the Rx category (usually as a secondpair). Even good contact lens customers are opting for lowerend (cheapo) Plano sunwear, “I lose them so often – I don’twant expensive ones!”

We are mentioning sports and active outdoor activities as a lead-in to a conversation about quality sunwear. We stress the

safety aspect as well as the long-termproblems with sun exposure –cataracts, macular degeneration, astick in the eye, a soccer ball in theface, etc. Motorcycling is anothergreat generator of wrap sunwear sales– some terrific choices out there thatkeep the wind out of the eyes, not tomention June bugs, and rocks. Andthey look so cool! When you spend(sorry, “invest”) upwards of 20 largein a new Harley you must maintainthe image!

We’ve had good sales with Drivewearlenses, both for drivers and golfers.The unique blend of polarization andspecial Transitions features makethem unique and we applaud Younger

Optics for making them in several lens styles. I wear the PALversion most of the time and the SV version for golf – with mygame I need all the help I can get!

Generally speaking Polaroid Rx lenses are our most popular sunlens outselling non-polarized by about one hundred to one.

Sunwear is one of those feel-good sells; you help your client ina demonstrable way while helping your bottom line.

While looking out the window – chanting rain, rain, go away –just remember:

God made rainy days, so gardeners could get the houseworkdone. ■

Jim “Rain Man” Magay

Last LookJim Magay, RDO

Rain, Rain, Go Away!Hope your summer is going well. Here in the Northeast it has been

alternately rainy, then foggy, rainy again, a burst of sun, and rainy again!

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eyecare professional - august 2009 issue

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