Undercover testing at Valley eyeglass stores
Eyewear is a billion dollar industry. You pay a lot for the right pair, so you don’t want the wrong fit.
While your optometrist may get your prescription correct, the optician may get it all wrong.
The optician is the person who measures you and makes sure your glasses were made correctly because if they aren’t – that can be a big headache, literally.
Kara White wears prescription eyeglasses.
The ABC15 Investigators went undercover with her help.
Kara ordered eyeglasses with the same prescription from five major eyeglass chains in the Valley: EyeMasters, LensCrafters, America’s Best, Nationwide Vision, and Eyeglass World.
Then, we had the glasses tested by seasoned opticians James McClafferty and Paul Benedetti, who currently work as inspectors for the Arizona State Board of Dispensing Opticians.
For the first part of our test, they used a state of the art machine to check the prescription, and then they each inspected the glasses manually.
They did not know from where the glasses came.
Their results show NONE of the glasses were made exactly according to the prescription.
Most were within an acceptable range, but every one had some portion wrong.
One pair from Eyeglass World on Tatum and Thunderbird was off by a lot.
Our expert said the problem was so obvious that the licensed optician should have caught it before Kara walked out of the store.
“She would probably have trouble wearing that pair,” said McClafferty.
“It’s that far out. It’d cause eyestrain and fatigue.”
Eyeglass World refused to go on camera but told us that "occasionally things go wrong."
They offer a guarantee and will fix the problem, but that’s only if you say something.
So, if it doesn’t feel right - the best advice is to actually say something.
“You figure, if I could see better than I did when I had them off, then they must be right,” said Kara.
For the second part of the test, we asked the inspectors to review each of the opticians on our hidden camera video.
Opticians are supposed to help pick out the right frames based on the prescription and measure your pupil distance.
They are in charge of making sure what you get is correct.
State regulations require opticians to check fit, make sure pupils are centered, make adjustments and offer care information.
None of the opticians in our test followed all of the state regulations.
One of them adjusted the glasses by hand and did not even use the proper tool.
Four of the opticians didn’t inspect the fit of Kara’s glasses when she tried them on.
Two of them spent less than a minute with Kara.
“As far as, just hand a pair of glasses to somebody and dispensing them that way, that’s alarming,” said Benedetti.
Because of our investigation, America’s Best said they will review training with their opticians.
Our experts’ advice? Make sure the optician follows these rules and follow up with your doctor to make sure the eyeglasses are correct.
The ABC15 Investigators, along with our experts, have put together a list of duties you want to make sure your optician does every time you get new glasses.
Arizona state statutes and regulations
There must be at least one Licensed Optician at each shop. In addition to testing, that person is also required to have continuing education.
Here are some of the duties listed in the state statute:
§32-1671. Definitions
3. "Dispensing optician" means any person, except as provided in section 32-1691, who dispenses lenses, contact lenses, frames, artificial eyes, optical devices, appurtenances thereto or parts thereof to the intended wearer on written prescription from a duly licensed physician or optometrist, and in accordance with such prescription interprets, measures, adapts, fits or adjusts the same for the aid or correction of visual or ocular anomalies of the human eye or who duplicates, replaces, reproduces or repeats the same without prescription when there is no change in refractive value, provided that contact lenses shall never be dispensed without a written contact lense prescription being on file in any optical establishment, office of an optometrist or office of a physician or verbal confirmation of that written prescription. The dispensing optician shall advise the intended wearer at the time that contact lenses are delivered to return to the prescribing physician or optometrist for evaluation and follow-up care.
The following is a state regulation that covers unprofessional conduct and substandard care:
R4-20-118. Unprofessional Conduct
1. Substandard care as specified in R4-20-119;
2. Failing to maintain a copy of the customer’s prescription and failing to prepare and maintain a record of optical devices dispensed for at least three years. The record of optical devices dispensed shall include the brand, style, and size of the frame, if any, and the style, material, and all other information necessary to accurately reproduce each lens. The record shall be separate from optometrists’ or physicians’ records;
3. Failing or refusing to make a copy of a prescription or record described in subsection (2) promptly available to the customer, who is the subject of the prescription or record, the customer’s designated representative, the customer’s prescribing practitioner, or the Board or its investigator, when requested. Notwithstanding this provision, a dispensing optician need not make the record of contact lenses dispensed on a trial basis available to the customer;
4. Failing or refusing to take corrective action or investigate a customer complaint concerning the manufacture or fit of eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other optical devices dispensed at the establishment by which the dispensing optician is employed if there is a substantial basis for the complaint;
5. Failure of any person, corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society to maintain an active optical establishment license as required by R4-20-110; and
6. Failure to comply with a Board order.
R4-20-119. Substandard Care
A. It is substandard care for a dispensing optician:
1. To dispense improperly manufactured eyeglasses or contact lenses. If a complaint indicates that eyeglasses or contact lenses dispensed by a dispensing optician or other employee of an optical establishment may have been improperly manufactured, the Board shall be guided in its determination of the facts by referring to the standards incorporated by reference in subsection (B) with regard to the individual parameters listed in the standards and considering patient wear, care, and usage;
2. When interpreting written prescriptions, to fail to follow standards incorporated by reference in subsection (B) in determining lens powers due to differences in vertex distances, base curvatures, special lens requirements, and facial fitting problems, or to fail to comply with special instructions of the vision practitioner or optometrist shown on the prescription without the full knowledge and consent of the customer, the physician, or optometrist;
3. To fail to follow manufacturer’s guidelines regarding usual and customary lens thickness of eyewear;
4. To intentionally or negligently injure a customer during the course of optical dispensing; or
5. To fail to give the customer appropriate instructions on the care, handling, and wearing of an optical device.
Related Articles
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment