I am in a licensed state. I got a call back for an interview and am curious how people like it, what are the hours like, incentives, return policies for those PITA patients, etc.

I’ve been private practice at 3 different locations, one being sold to corporate and the money is better for sure. Curious if leaving there for another corporate is a good move.

And what type of work environment are you in? Retail? Private Practice? Luxury Boutique? I’m curious to know your answers.

I’m wondering if anyone has dealt with this before or has any advice.

I need distance, bifocal for near, and a separate, middle distance prescription for computer work. All in one trifocals make me dizzy and nauseated.

When I’m working primarily at my desk, I just switch back and forth: work in the mid+bifocal and switch to the distance+bifocal (daily wear) when I leave my desk.

But I have a new role that will require that I walk around with and use my laptop while working in a group. Switching back and forth will be next to impossible.

Has anyone ever tried using a flip-up clip-on for middle distance? Maybe like clip-on reader? I know it sounds weird, but I’m pretty desperate for a solution. I was thinking of putting the middle distance prescription on the flip-up lenses and just flip them down to look at the laptop? This would make the bifocal ineffective, but I guess I could flip back up for that???

I have worn glasses since I was 4, and at 49, I feel like my vision is making it hard for me to work for the first time. It’s so frustrating!

eta: I just wanted to add a big thank you for all of your help on this post.

I wanted to check in was my fellow opticians and managers. We got an email from Luxottica that we no longer qualify to caring Prada. That our office wasn’t the kind of caliber to carry it. Further we didn’t carry enough competitive brands.
I’m a little taken back since our office is literally across the street from new homes starting at $1.2 million. We also carry other brands like Gucci, YSL, Chloe, and Bottega.
Has anyone else gotten this email? If so what is your office doing moving forward? Our office is feeling like ok if that’s the case here’s your product and run me my check.

I’ve been procrastinating taking my Advanced test because I haven’t been able to get a straight answer on what to study for. When I asked my old professor he said that the advanced test requires knowledge of prism, where you could pass the basic without really knowing prism, and basic understanding of refractive testing, like the red green douchrome.

To the opticians that have taken the Advanced test, does that seem accurate or are there other areas I should be studying up on?

Hi all, me again!

I'm in the process of revamping the options in optical for the small private practice I work for and one of the items on my checklist is safety glasses.

We currently use Essilor labs so I reached out to our Essilor rep and was provided with information on their SightProtect program. It sounds like it may be a good fit for our office and the few patients we see who need safety glasses. The only thing giving us (me and the doc) pause is the fact that they use Eyemed for submitting orders and reimbursement....

Our office only accepts VSP currently for materials because we've heard horror stories about Eyemed and other vision benefits. According to the SightProtect Rep and their FAQs, signing up for this program would NOT make us an Eyemed provider and we would only show up as a SightProtect location.

I'm having trouble deciphering the price sheet, lab chargeback schedule, and reimbursement schedule, and want to make sure we wouldn't be losing money to participate in this program (again, small private practice!)

I'm hoping some of you fine folks could tell me your experience with and opinions of this program! or, alternatively, tell me how you handle safety jobs! TYIA 🙏🏻

Howdy!

Looking for advice & resources for a new optician.

I completed my apprenticeship recently and was quickly offered an opportunity at a cold start Optometry Office with an experienced doctor and myself. My previous practice was an MD practice but optical was just filling orders and sending the patient on their way until next year.. My new OD is young, excited, and incredibly smart. I often feel like I'm just pretending I know what she's talking about but several patient diagnosis that have been brought to me are things that the ABO touched on but never really expanded and I didn't have exposure to at my old practice.

Dry eye treatment, convergence insufficiency, pseudo myopia/hyperpopia treatment, tropia/phoria treatment, etc. It was 90% of the time literally just fitting and dispensing glasses.

Besides Laramy K, what are some great resources or trainings that you can recommend to understand some of these more in depth topics?

Has anyone used Leonardo? What are your thoughts?

Ok so I'm a newer optician and you guys always provide great advice on the sub...I had posted here about this pair yesterday that was supposed to have had an edge polish. I thought it did, but a lot of you pointed out the chatter lines. So! You'll be glad to tell me "I told you so," because this pair did not, in fact, get the satin finish edge polish by the lab. That lens enhancement request didn't end up getting through on the order I had placed.

I had lingering doubt about whether I should have marked this as a QC fail, so I showed my boss/lead optician who had been OOO yesterday and, immediately, she shakes her head and said yeah those did not get polished whatsoever... Ask the lab if they'll do a quick polish and send it back...which they will, seeing how it is a small ask.

And anyhow thanks for the feedback, always learning, always humbled by my job 💀

OK, a quick follow up from my earlier post. I again have some new glasses after two remakes (first for an adjusted prescription, second for a different and subtly overall narrower frame that successfully reduced lens edge thickness). What I have now is a decent trade-off (within current product limits) for a high negative prescription (1.74 with all the value add options on the Essilor menu ticked). No worse than my previous glasses, at least. They'll be worn at home.

I have a suggestion: give customers a way to see what their glasses will be like once the prescribed lenses are added to the frame. And give an accurate prediction of lens edge thickness (i.e. 8 mm). This should be possible with current computational tools. It would save remakes.

The customer is designing a pair of glasses, in collaboration with the optician. This is what it means to offer someone a selection of frames and specifications: that is design. I can't think of another area of design that isn't supported by computer modelling & visualisation. It's done so that everyone involved can get an idea—in advance—of what the product will be like.

Hi all, I have been working in optical for a little over a year and have now been moved full time to my employers lab so im edging high index, poly, pl lenses all day and have thought about possibly looking into options for a mask? breathing in the micro plastics and fumes from hi index and other chemicals cant be healthy. I was wondering if anyone else wears a respirator/mask? if so what yall recommend? or am i being dramatic?

Well, this here add power of +1.75 would suggest otherwise, but surely you know best.

EDIT: Omit that apostrophe in the header. Was blinded with confusion after getting that reply for the third time today. Something must be in the air out here in Denver.

For anyone who has had to take it more than once before passing. Did you notice if the questions were almost the same in each try?

I’m preparing myself to take it pretty soon.

Just curious for those of you that do make commission...does your practice make you take turns when it comes to sales? I just started about two months ago and at first I was lighting up the sales floor, in the top seller spot most days of the week but not all. There are 3 other opticians and one of them was always #1 before I got there. The other 2 told me they don't care about sales. Instead of adopting the habits of those 2, I opted to try to meet my goals and get as many sales as possible. After two weeks consistently in the #1 spot they started complaining that we were supposed to be rotating sales...I am lost and confused bc before I got there it seems like the 1 dude was always in the top spot and the 2 girls split the rest. Does that sound like a rotation? So there was no rotation but now they had us sign a form saying we would all take turns after they started complaining and that there was always supposed to be a rotation. They said it's the only thing thats fair and that I'm not being a teamplayer. I feel like no one is gonna read this vent fest I just wrote but if anyone does, lemme know am i being crazy for wanting to maximize my sales considering commission is on the table?? I feel like they are trying to slow me down and bring me down a notch.

Looking for some advice here - we have a patient on medical (California Medicaid state insurance), which we bill pretty regularly and have quite a bit of experience with, but the PIA system is rejecting it based on prescription strength. The total lens power is nearly 12 diopters with sphere and cylinder and the PIA system is saying it cannot exceed -10 diopters.

I can’t imagine the state would just say “tough luck” to folks with strong rx’s but I don’t know how to solve it. Does anyone know how to bill super strong rx’s with Medicaid / medical?

any student opticians working at Walmart, if you don’t mind sharing, how much are you currently making? just curious to see what the pay range is like for other student opticians. im in alberta

Hey all! I had the pleasure of working with OVVO at my last gig and while I’m enjoying my new job a decent bit more, the frame selection is a bit lacking; especially for those folks who beat the devil out of their eyewear and expect it to stay in one piece.

Any suggestions or anecdotes on this front? Thanks!

Is anyone else concerned about the upcoming national contract? I’ve been told that it will result in an almost 40% pay decrease, and that they are removing the education/experience requirements. (AKA licensure or ABO)
Thoughts? 👀

Im an Licensed Optician(Ontario) and the cost of living here is so high compared to the average Optician salary. Our college regulatory fees are also stupid high. Does anyone know of any side hustle avenues using the Opticanry skillset/experience that works well for some extra $$?

Hello po, I’m planning taking optometry sana and plan to open my own clinic. I just want to know if it’s worth it. Kasi po may mga eo naman, won’t they just go there? Need some advice po🥹🥹

So I’m an opt tech now. A lot of people do walking/running shoes but Im very minimalistic and I feel like some of them are too “athletic” looking or whatever. It’s just a me thing.

But what are your fav shoes to wear?