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According to the definition of World Council of Optometry (WCO), an
organization which represents over 250,000 optometrists
worldwide, “Optometry is a healthcare profession that is autonomous,
educated, and regulated (licensed/registered), and optometrists are the
primary healthcare practitioners of the eye and visual system who provide
comprehensive eye and vision care, which includes refraction and
dispensing, detection/diagnosis and management of disease in the eye, and
the rehabilitation of conditions of the visual system”.
Your role as a professional
As a healthcare professional you have a responsibility to ensure the care
and safety of your patients and the public and to uphold professional
standards. You are professionally accountable and personally responsible for
your practice and for what you do or do not do, no matter what direction or
guidance you are given by an employer or colleague. This means you must
always be able to justify your decisions and actions. If someone raises
concerns about your fitness to practice, we will refer to these standards
when deciding if we need to take any action. You will need to demonstrate
that your decision making was informed by these standards and that you
have acted in the best interests of your patients. Making the care of your
patients your first and overriding concern the care, well-being and safety of
patients must always be your first concern. This is at the heart of being a
healthcare professional. Even if you do not have direct contact with patients,
your decisions or behaviour can still affect their care and safety.
The key to success in optometric practice today is balancing medical eye
care and optical dispensing. Optometrists are in a unique position to provide
both vital vision care services seamlessly, which, in turn, can result in
extremely high levels of patient satisfaction and loyalty.
In this article, the second installment of our series, back to the Basics, we
will discuss how to make optical dispensing a huge stimulus for your
practice growth.
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During the past 30 years, as the scope of optometric practice has rapidly
evolved and expanded, two factors have created an urgent need for better
optical care.
The first factor is the shift away from optical dispensing services provided
directly by optometrists. While one would never know it by observing
practice patterns today, optometrists once actually performed some optical
duties themselves. They assisted with frame selections, measured seg-
heights, adjusted eyewear and handled many other fundamental tasks.
The second factor is the unprecedented growth of retail optical stores
especially those owned by discount corporations. In an effort to provide
eyewear at the lowest possible price, it is difficult to find enough highly-
skilled opticians to handle the huge volume of eyeglasses sold in such
venues. Optometrists in this mode of practice have little or nothing to do
with the selection and fitting of eyewear.
A basic tenet of good business is to find a need and capitalize upon it; I see a
need to provide higher quality optical products and services.
While optometrists have become complacent about eyeglasses and are
increasingly more interested in providing medical eye care, patients often
fail to make the same distinction. Consumers think eyeglasses are very
important visual aids, but some individuals also have a very poor
understanding of ophthalmic lenses. Quality eyewear is expensive and
people want to find a professional advocate whom they trust when they
make the purchase. Eyeglasses that do not fit or work properly can undo all
the efforts the doctor put forth to achieve the best vision possible for the
patient. Private-practice optometrists are perfectly positioned to fill the
void. Here is how you fit in.
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Today, the primary role of the optometrist in optical dispensing must be considered from a
business standpoint. For an optical dispensary to reach its full potential, the Optom.should be
an active leader in all aspects of the operation. In reality, there is often very little management
occurring in any area of optometric practice, especially the optical department. It is typically on
autopilot.
The Management and Business Academy, an educational program sponsored by CIBA Vision
and Essilor of America that studied over 850 highly successful optometric practices since 2005,
found that more than 80% of the typical optometrists work week is spent performing eye
exams.
While that may be acceptable in smaller practices, larger practices need the owner to work on
both the business and clinical aspects. An optometrist should be integrally involved with the
following management duties of the optical department in a private practice:
1. Lead the customer service culture of the optical department by setting the tone for how
people are treated and how complaints are handled.
2. Develop and review sales policies and warranties.
3. Examine the frame inventory. Consider number of frames, range of styles and price points.
4. Work with optical staff members to create a strategy for frame buying, including what lines
to carry.
5. Set and monitor optical prices.
6. Monitor vision plan participation and profitability.
7. Supervise and approve frame/ lens displays and merchandising.
8. Manage all staffing issues.
9. Develop and lead training programs for staff.
10. Review quality control procedures.
11. Develop a process for ordering, receiving and delivering eyewear.
12. Supervise in-office laboratory services and equipment.
13. Meet with lab, lens and frame representatives to remain current with lens technologies.
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Optometrists can become focused so intensely on the medical aspects of an eye
exam that optical needs are completely overlooked. In some cases, O.D.s are so
self-conscious about not wanting to be perceived as product salespeople that they
overcompensate and ignore optical products altogether. In truth, optometrists
should play an important role in the selection of optical products.
As the premier expert on ophthalmic lenses, coupled with data from the eye exam,
the doctor is in the best position to advise and educate the patient while still in
the exam room.
This service is part of good eye care no matter where the patient decides to
purchase eyeglasses. If the patient chooses to buy glasses from the practice, this
consultation is the beginning of a sale.
The role of the O.D. in optical products begins with the case history. In addition
to the medical aspects of a history, optometrists are trained to analyze how the
patient uses his or her eyes at work and play in order to properly prescribe lenses.
Ideally, this service not only extends beyond arriving at the best prescription
power, but also should result in recommendations for lens design, including
optional lens features. Multiple pairs of glasses are often a consideration. This
prescribing service is best done in consultation with the patient. Through patient
education, interview and discussion, the doctor can recommend the products that
will best serve the patient‟s needs.
It is important to distinguish between simply listing options for the patient to
choose from and recommending what you think is best. Patients prefer the latter.
Take a stand and tell the patient what you think will best serve his or her visual
needs and prescription. Do not prejudge based on cost. Time and time again, we
have been proven wrong when trying to decide from appearance how much a
patient can afford. If the patient does not want to follow your best advice or
cannot afford it, you can easily help him or her come up with plan B. However,
patients usually want your expert opinion, and they will often follow it.
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The optical department in my practice is simply an extension of my
office, with a retail look and feel. While the goal in this department is to
sell optical products and produce an excellent profit, that effort coexists
nicely with our mission to develop and maintain a long-term
relationship with the patient and his or her family. We build our whole
practice by maximizing patient loyalty and cultivating patient referrals.
Success in optical sales can certainly be influenced by the optician.
Hiring people with a natural personality for selling and providing
additional sales training and there are many factors that affect how well
your practice generates sales. In the real world, we face a wide range of
sales skill levels among employees and associate doctors. Therefore, it
is valuable to develop an office system that is bigger than any one
person the system can sell even if the individuals do not.
Building a powerful office system that attracts patients and drives sales
upward requires a significant investment in time and money, but it
produces the best return you can find. Once this type of practice is
established, it attracts non-vision plan patients and out-of-network
patients, and it stimulates vision plan patients to purchase products
beyond their covered allowances. This is what consider the
infrastructure of an ideal optical dispensing system within an
independent optometric practice.
As a dispensing optometrist you will dispense and fit spectacles and
other optical aids, to both adults and children, working from the
prescriptions written by optometrists and ophthalmologists.
You'll advise patients on various types of lenses and spectacle frames,
including style, weight and color. You'll also advise on how patients
should wear and care for their spectacles and, with further training as a
contact lens optometrist, their contact lenses.
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As a dispensing optometrist, you'll need to:
Interpret optical prescriptions written by optometrists or
ophthalmologists.
Give advice to patients on lens type, frames and styling
With further training, fit contact lenses and give advice on their
care and use.
Take frame and facial measurements to ensure correct fit and
positioning.
Advise partially sighted patients on the use of low vision aids
Advise patients when adjustments or repairs to spectacles are
needed.
Select, manage and order a range of optical products.
Order lenses from prescription houses.
Check lenses on delivery to ensure that they meet the required
specifications
Arrange and maintain shop displays
Liaise with sales representatives from vision care product
suppliers
Supervise and train trainee dispensing opticians.
If you're a store manager, you'll also need to:
Recruit staff and manage their training and professional
development.
Undertake the day-to-day management of the practice.
Plan and administer the development of the business, including
marketing activities.
Keep accurate patient and business records.
You'll need to dress smartly and maintain a high level of courtesy
and professionalism with customers.
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You'll need to show:
An aptitude for science and maths.
The ability to handle ophthalmic
instruments.
A strong commitment to customer
care and confidence in dealing with
people.
Communication skills to give clear
advice to customers.
Sales skills and the ability to inspire
customer loyalty.
Commercial awareness.
Team working skills.
Manual dexterity and attention to
detail.
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New entrants to the profession may have
experience working in an optical environment
in roles such as optical assistant, receptionist or
sales assistant.
Sending speculative applications to
independent practices or large multiple chains
can be a good way to find out about work
experience opportunities.
The majority of dispensing opticians work in
high street outlets for large, multiple-chain
optician stores or for independent practices.
There are also a number of dispensing opticians
who are self-employed or in partnerships.
A small number of dispensing opticians work in
hospitals where you're more likely to specialize
in areas like low-vision aids. It's also possible to
work in prescription houses or for
manufacturers of frames, lenses and other
vision aids.
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After qualifying, many dispensing opticians choose to take on additional
management responsibilities. Opportunities to move up the management ladder
are most often found in high street multiple chains or independent practices. It's
also possible to take on a supervisory role - supervising trainee dispensing
opticians.
After gaining experience, you can enter self-employment or partnership, running
your own practice or a franchise business. However, competition from the large
multiple chains can make setting up in private practice challenging so some
dispensing opticians are now opting to take on a franchise with one of the major
chains.
Refractive error services provide a practical entry point into the eye health
system for those needing correction. With 88.2% of blindness avoidable in India,
it is important to provide a comprehensive ocular health examination alongside
the refractive error services.
Fully qualified optometrists with a minimum of four years of training are
qualified to:
Prescribe the latest advances in spectacle lenses including progressive,
aspheric, and safety/protective spectacles based on the visual needs of the
patient.
Prescribe rigid and soft contact lenses including orthokeratology, frequent
replacement, and extended wear contact lenses.
Conduct complex contact lens fitting for paediatric eye conditions,
keratoconus, postsurgical complications, eye trauma, and corneal ectasia.
Prescribe vision therapy, vision training or orthoptic treatment for children
with learning problems or common binocular vision disorders, including
strabismus and amblyopia.
Provide low vision and rehabilitative services-vision aids assisting visually
impaired people to use their functional vision more effectively.
Detector diagnoses ocular conditions and associated systemic health
conditions, and refers them to appropriate health care professionals.
Offer counseling services on preventive vision care.
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The standards as an optometrist or dispensing optician you must know:
1. Listen to patients and ensure that they are at the heart of the decisions made
about their care.
2. Communicate effectively with your patients.
3. Obtain valid consent.
4. Show care and compassion for your patients.
5. Keep your knowledge and skills up to date.
6. Recognize, and work within, your limits of competence.
7. Conduct appropriate assessments, examinations, treatments and referrals.
8. Maintain adequate patient records.
9. Ensure that supervision is undertaken appropriately and complies with the law.
10. Work collaboratively with colleagues in the interests of patients.
11. Protect and safeguard patients, colleagues and others from harm.
12. Ensure a safe environment for your patients.
13. Show respect and fairness to others and do not discriminate.
14. Maintain confidentiality and respect your patients‟ privacy.
15. Maintain appropriate boundaries with others.
16. be honest and trustworthy.
17. Do not damage the reputation of your profession through your conduct.
18. Respond to complaints effectively.
19. be candid when things have gone wrong.
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You will need to use your professional judgment in deciding how to meet the
standards. To help you in doing so, the next section provides more detail about
what we expect of you in relation to each standard.
1. Listen to patients and ensure they are at the heart of
the decisions made about their care
1.1 Give patients your full attention and allow sufficient time to deal properly
with their needs.
1.2 Listen to patients and take account of their views, preferences and concerns,
responding honestly and appropriately to their questions.
1.3 Assist patients in exercising their rights and making informed decisions
about their care. Respect the choices they make.
1.4 Treat patients as individuals and respect their dignity and privacy. This
includes a patient‟s right to confidentiality.
1.5 Where possible, modify your care and treatment based on your patients‟
needs and preferences without compromising their safety.
1.6 Consider all information provided by your patients, including where they
have undertaken research in advance of the consultation. Explain clearly if the
information is not valid or relevant.
1.7 Encourage patients to ask questions and take an active part in the decisions
made about their treatment, prescription and aftercare.
1.8 Support patients in caring for themselves, including giving advice on the
effects of life choices and lifestyle on their health and well-being and supporting
them in making lifestyle changes where appropriate.
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2. Communicate effectively with your patients
2.1 Give patients information in a way they can understand. Use your
professional judgment to adapt your language and communication approach as
appropriate.
2.2 Patients should know in advance what to expect from the consultation and
have the opportunity to ask questions or change their mind before proceeding.
2.3 Be alert to unspoken signals which could indicate a patient‟s lack of
understanding, discomfort or lack of consent.
2.4 Ensure that the people you are responsible for are able to communicate
effectively with patients and their careers, colleagues and others.
2.5 Ensure that patients or their careers have all the information they need to
safely use, administer or look after any optical devices, drugs or other treatment
that they have been prescribed or directed to use in order to manage their eye
conditions. This includes being actively shown how to use any of the above.
2.6 Be sensitive and supportive when dealing with relatives or other people close
to the patient.
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3. Obtain valid consent
3.1 Obtain valid consent before examining a patient, providing treatment or
involving patients in teaching and research activities. For consent to be valid it
must be given:
3.1.1 Voluntarily.
3.1.2 By the patient or someone authorized to act on the patient‟s behalf.
3.1.3 by a person with the capacity to consent.
3.1.4 by an appropriately informed person. Informed means explaining what you
are going to do and ensuring that patients are aware of any risks and options in
terms of examination, treatment, sale or supply of optical appliances or research
they are participating in. This includes the right of the patient to refuse treatment
or have a chaperone or interpreter present.
3.2 Be aware of your legal obligations in relation to consent, including the
differences in the provision of consent for children, young people and vulnerable
adults. When working in a nation of the UK other than where you normally
practice, be aware of any differences in consent law and apply these to your
practice.
3.3 Ensure that the patient‟s consent remains valid at each stage of the
examination or treatment and during any research in which they are
participating.
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4. Show care and compassion for your patients
4.1 Treat others with dignity, and show empathy and respect.
4.2 Respond with humanity and kindness to circumstances where patients, their
family or careers may experience pain, distress or anxiety.
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5. Keep your knowledge and skills up to date
5.1 Be competent in all aspects of your work, including clinical practice,
supervision, teaching, research and management roles, and do not perform any
roles in which you are not competent.
5.2 Comply with the Continuing Education and Training (CET) requirements of
the General Optical Council as part of a commitment to maintaining and
developing your knowledge and skills throughout your career as an optical
professional.
5.3 Be aware of current good practice, taking into account relevant developments
in clinical research, and apply this to the care you provide.
5.4 Reflect on your practice and seek to improve the quality of your work through
activities such as reviews, audits, appraisals or risk assessments. Implement any
actions arising from these.
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6. Recognize, and work within, your limits of
competence
6.1 Recognize and work within the limits of your scope of practice, taking into
account your knowledge, skills and experience.
6.2 Be able to identify when you need to refer a patient in the interests of the
patient‟s health and safety, and make appropriate referrals.
6.3 Ensure that you have the required qualifications relevant to your practice. 6.4
Understand and comply with the requirements of registration with the General
Optical Council and the legal obligations of undertaking any functions restricted
by law, i.e. sight testing and the sale and supply of optical devices. 10 11
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7. Conduct appropriate assessments, examinations,
treatments and referrals
7.1 Conduct an adequate assessment for the purposes of the optical consultation,
including where necessary any relevant medical, family and social history of the
patient. This may include current symptoms, personal beliefs or cultural factors.
7.2 Provide or arrange any further examinations, advice, investigations or
treatment if required for your patient. This should be done in a timescale that
does not compromise patient safety and care.
7.3 Only prescribe optical devices, drugs, or treatment when you have adequate
knowledge of the patient‟s health.
7.4 Check that the care and treatment you provide for each patient is compatible
with any other treatments the patient is receiving, including (where possible)
over-the-counter medications.
7.5 Provide effective patient care and treatments based on current good practice.
7.6 Only provide or recommend examinations, treatments, drugs or optical
devices if these are clinically justified, and in the best interests of the patient.
7.7 When in doubt, consult with professional colleagues appropriately for advice
on assessment, examination, treatment and other aspects of patient care, bearing
in mind the need for patient confidentiality.
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8. Maintain adequate patient records
8.1 Maintain clear, legible and contemporaneous patient records which are
accessible for all those involved in the patient‟s care.
8.2 As a minimum, record the following information:
8.2.1 The date of the consultation.
8.2.2 Your patient‟s personal details.
8.2.3 The reason for the consultation and any presenting condition.
8.2.4 The details and findings of any assessment or examination conducted.
8.2.5 Details of any treatment, referral or advice you provided, including any
drugs or optical device prescribed or a copy of a referral letter.
8.2.6 Consent obtained for any examination or treatment.
8.2.7 Details of all those involved in the optical consultation, including name and
signature, or other identification of the author.
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9. Ensure that supervision is undertaken appropriately
and complies with the law
This applies to supervision of pre-registration trainees and unregistered
colleagues undertaking delegated activities. The responsibility to ensure that
supervision does not compromise patient care and safety is shared between the
supervisor and those being supervised. Adequate supervision requires you to:
9.1 Be sufficiently qualified and experienced to undertake the functions you are
supervising.
9.2 Only delegate to those who have appropriate qualifications, knowledge or
skills to perform the delegated activity.
9.3 Be on the premises, in a position to oversee the work undertaken and ready to
intervene if necessary in order to protect patients.
9.4 Retain clinical responsibility for the patient. When delegating you retain
responsibility for the delegated task and for ensuring that it has been performed
to the appropriate standard.
9.5 Take all reasonable steps to prevent harm to patients arising from the actions
of those being supervised.
9.6 Comply with all legal requirements governing the activity.
9.7 Ensure that details of those being supervised or performing delegated
activities are recorded on the patient record.
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10. Work collaboratively with colleagues in the
interests of patients
10.1 Work collaboratively with colleagues within the optical professions and
other healthcare practitioners in the best interests of your patients, ensuring that
your communication is clear and effective
10.2 Refer a patient only where this is clinically justified, done in the interests of
the patient and does not compromise patient care or safety. When making or
accepting a referral it must be clear to both parties involved who has
responsibility for the patient‟s care.
10.3 Ensure that those individuals or organizations to which you refer have the
necessary qualifications and registration so that patient care is not compromised.
10.4 Ensure that patient information is shared appropriately with others, and
clinical records are accessible to all involved in the patient‟s care.
10.5 Where disagreements occur between colleagues, aim to resolve these for the
benefit of the patient.
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11. Protect and safeguard patients, colleagues and
others from harm
11.1 You must be aware of and comply with your legal obligations in relation to
safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
11.2 Protect and safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults from
abuse. You must:
11.2.1 is alert to signs of abuse and denial of rights.
11.2.2 Consider the needs and welfare of your patients.
11.2.3 Report concerns to an appropriate person or organization.
11.2.4 Act quickly in order to prevent further risk of harm.
11.2.5 Keep adequate notes on what has happened and what actions you took.
11.3 Promptly raise concerns about your patients, colleagues, employer or other
organization if patient or public safety might be at risk and encourage others to
do the same. Concerns should be raised with your employing, contracting,
professional or regulatory organization as appropriate. This is sometimes referred
to as „whistle-blowing‟ and certain aspects of this are protected by law.
11.4 If you have concerns about your own fitness to practice whether due to
issues with health, character, behavior, judgment or any other matter that may
damage the reputation of your profession, stop practicing immediately and seek
advice.
11.5 If patients are at risk because of inadequate premises, equipment, resources,
employment policies or systems, put the matter right if that is possible and/or
raise a concern.
11.6 Ensure that any contracts or agreements that you enter into do not restrict
you from raising concerns about patient safety including restricting what you are
able to say when raising the concern.
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11.7 Ensure that when reporting concerns, you take account of your obligations
to maintain confidentiality as outlined in standard 14.
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12. Ensure a safe environment for your patients
12.1 Ensure that a safe environment is provided to deliver care to your patients,
and take appropriate action if this is not the case (see standard 11). In particular:
12.1.1 be aware of and comply with health and safety legislation.
12.1.2 Ensure that the environment and equipment that you use is hygienic.
12.1.3 Ensure that equipment that you use has been appropriately maintained.
12.1.4 Follow the regulations on substances hazardous to health.
12.1.5 Dispose of controlled, clinical and offensive materials in an appropriate
manner.
12.1.6 Minimize the risk of infection by following appropriate infection controls
including hand hygiene.
12.2 Have adequate professional indemnity insurance and only work in practices
that have adequate public liability insurance. This includes the following:
12.2.1 If insurance is provided by your employer, you must confirm that adequate
insurance is in place.
12.2.2 If you work in multiple practices, you must ensure that there is adequate
insurance to cover each working environment.
12.2.3 Your professional indemnity insurance must provide continuous cover for
the period you are in practice.
12.2.4 Your professional indemnity insurance must cover complaints that are
received after you stop practicing, as these might be received years later – this is
sometimes referred to as „run-off‟ cover.
12.3 Ensure that when working in the home of a patient or other community
setting, the environment is safe and appropriate for the delivery of care.
12.4 In an emergency, take appropriate action to provide care, taking into account
your competence and other available options
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12.4.1 Use your professional judgment to assess the urgency of the situation.
12.4.2 Provide any care that is within your scope of practice which will provide
benefit for the patient.
12.4.3 Make your best efforts to refer or signpost the patient to another
healthcare professional or source of care where appropriate
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13. Show respect and fairness to others and do not
discriminate
13.1 Respect a patient‟s dignity, showing politeness and consideration.
13.2 Promote equality, value diversity and be inclusive in all your dealings and do
not discriminate on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, age, disability,
gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity,
race, religion or belief.
13.3 Ensure that your own religious, moral, political or personal beliefs and
values do not prejudice patients‟ care. If these prevent you from providing a
service, ensure that you refer patients to other appropriate providers.
13.4 Respect colleagues‟ skills and contributions and do not discriminate.
13.5 Be aware of how your own behavior might influence colleagues and students
and demonstrate professional behavior at all times.
13.6 Refrain from making unnecessary or disparaging comments which could
make a patient doubt your colleagues‟ competence, skills or fitness to practice,
either in public or private. If you have concerns about a colleague‟s fitness to
practice, then please refer to standard 11.
13.7 Support colleagues and offer guidance where they have identified problems
with their performance or health or they have sought your help, but always put
the interests and safety of patients first.
13.8 Consider and respond to the needs of disabled patients and make reasonable
adjustments to your practice to accommodate these and improve access to optical
care.
13.9 Challenge colleagues if their behavior is discriminatory and be prepared to
report behavior that amounts to the abuse or denial of a patient‟s or colleague‟s
rights, or could undermine patient safety.
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14. Maintain confidentiality and respect your
patients’ privacy
14.1 Keep confidential all information about patients in compliance with the law,
including information which is handwritten, digital, visual, audio or retained in
your memory.
14.2 Ensure that all staff you employ or are responsible for, are aware of their
obligations in relation to maintaining confidentiality.
14.3 Maintain confidentiality when communicating publicly, including speaking
to or writing in the media, or writing online including on social media.
14.4 Co-operate with formal inquiries and investigations and provide all relevant
information that is requested in line with your obligations to patient
confidentiality.
14.5 Provide an appropriate level of privacy for your patients during consultation
to ensure that the process of information gathering, examination and treatment
remains confidential. Different patients will require different levels of privacy and
their preferences must be taken into account.
14.6 Only use the patient information you collect for the purposes it was given, or
where you are required to share it by law.
14.7 Securely store and protect your patient records to prevent loss, theft and
inappropriate disclosure, in accordance with data protection law. If you are an
employee, then this would be in accordance with your employer‟s storage policy.
14.8 Confidentially dispose of patient records when no longer required in line
with data protection requirements.
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15. Maintain appropriate boundaries with others
15.1 Maintain proper professional boundaries with your patients, students and
others that you come into contact with during the course of your professional
practice and take special care when dealing with vulnerable people.
15.2 Never abuse your professional position to exploit or unduly influence your
patients or the public, whether politically, financially, sexually or by other means
which serve your own interest.
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16. be honest and trustworthy
16.1 Act with honesty and integrity to maintain public trust and confidence in
your profession.
16.2 Avoid or manage any conflicts of interest which might affect your
professional judgment. If appropriate, declare an interest, withdraw yourself from
the conflict and decline gifts and hospitality.
16.3 Ensure that incentives, targets and similar factors do not affect your
professional judgment. Do not allow personal or commercial interests and gains
to compromise patient safety.
16.4 Ensure that you do not make false or misleading statements when describing
your individual knowledge, experience, expertise and specialties, including by the
use of titles.
16.5 Be honest in your financial and commercial dealings and give patients clear
information about the costs of your professional services and products before they
commit to buying.
16.6 Do not make misleading, confusing or unlawful statements within your
advertising
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17. Do not damage the reputation of your profession
through your conduct
17.1 Ensure your conduct, whether or not connected to your professional
practice, does not damage public confidence in you or your profession.
17.2 Ensure your conduct in the online environment, particularly in relation to
social media, whether or not connected to your professional practice, does not
damage public confidence in you or your profession.
17.3 Be aware of and comply with the law and regulations that affect your
practice, and all the requirements of the General Optical Council.
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18. Respond to complaints effectively
18.1 Operate a complaints system or follow the system that your employer has in
place, making patients aware of their opportunities to complain to yourself or
your employer. At the appropriate stage in the process, the patient should also be
informed of their rights to complain to the General Optical Council or to seek
mediation through the Optical Consumer Complaints Service.
18.2 Respect a patient‟s right to complain and ensure that the making of a
complaint does not prejudice patient care.
18.3 Respond honestly, openly, politely and constructively to anyone who
complains and apologize where appropriate.
18.4 Provide any information that a complainant might need to progress a
complaint including your General Optical Council registration details and details
of any registered specialty areas of practice.
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19. Be candid when things have gone wrong
19.1 are open and honest with your patients when you have identified that things
have gone wrong with their treatment or care which has resulted in them
suffering harm or distress or where there may be implications for future patient
care.
19.1.1 Tell the patient or, where appropriate, the patient‟s advocate, career or
family) that something has gone wrong.
19.1.2 Offer an apology.
19.1.3 Offer appropriate remedy or support to put matters right (if possible).
19.1.4 Explain fully and promptly what has happened and the likely short-term
and long-term effects.
19.1.5 Outline what you will do, where possible, to prevent reoccurrence and
improve future patient care.
19.2 Be open and honest with your colleagues, employers and relevant
organizations, and take part in reviews and investigations when requested and
with the General Optical Council, raising concerns where appropriate. Support
and encourage your colleagues to be open and honest, and not stop someone from
raising concerns.
19.3 Ensure that when things go wrong, you take account of your obligations to
reflect and improve your practice as outlined in standard 5.
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HOW TO
OPEN AN
OPTICAL
SHOW-
ROOM?
45. 45 | P a g e
The best strategy is to provide high-level
Services and products. Be aware that
service excellence is only sustainable if fees
and prices are also at a high level. It is
impossible in a business to be all things to
all people. Although many optometrists try
to offer excellent service at reasonable
prices, services typically end up dipping
down to the average level. Without high-
fee revenue, a practice cannot afford all of
the things that will make it a great practice.
This places most optometrists in the
nondescript middle of the pack. There is
really no competitive advantage to being in
the middle.
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I find that most optometric offices have
insufficient floor space devoted to
optical. I think this trend reflects the
basic core belief that optometrists do not
really like to deal with optical products.
They want to be doctors, not salesmen.
An impressive optical dispensary needs
at least 1,000 square feet, and could
easily be bigger. If that means that the
whole optometric office must be larger
to accommodate all the other clinical and
administrative needs, so be it. Optical
sales are too important to marginalize
by floor design.
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. The decor of the optical is extremely
important to sales. Frame display units
are primary, but lighting, furniture, wall
surfaces, window treatments, carpeting,
Accessories and countertops all play
important supporting roles.
Optometrists may be so accustomed to
the office furnishings that they do not
notice when they become outdated.
Hire a professional frame display
company and a local decorator to make
your optical look like it is the best place
to go for glasses. The investment may
seem large, but the return is quite real.
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It is easy to simply continue to do what you have
always done; however, fashion-related products
must always be innovative and new. I recommend
that you make time to be aware of trends in frame
design and meet regularly with optical staff to
discuss and review the lines you carry. Your current
frame reps would be quite happy to have you
continue to buy from them. But, unless they are
providing new, cutting edge designs, do not be
afraid to look elsewhere.
Attend Vision Expo and other major meetings.
Read the optical magazines and research new lines
on the Internet. Visit upscale optical boutiques in
major cities and see what brands they carry. Push
what you thought were the upper limits on high-
end frame prices for your office; you may well find
that the old limit was prohibitively low. Great
optical dispensaries have large selections of frame
styles. I think 1,000 frames on display is a good
goal to shoot for. Do not forget to keep some under
stock so you can always fill the holes on the
displays at the end of the day.
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Non-Rx sun wear is an exciting and fun
aspect of dispensing, with offerings for
the fashion-conscious to the extreme
sport-minded. Sunglasses sell well and
add a nice profit center to your optical if
you make a commitment and stick with
it. And, carrying name-brand, non-Rx
sunglasses helps you sell prescription
sunglasses as well.
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The use of clinical assistants as exam scribes offers many
benefits in office efficiency. Also, they play a big role in
the overall success of your optical dispensary. In my
practice, the clinical technician stays in the exam room
with the doctor and records all data in the chart.
At the end of the exam, she listens to the doctor-patient
consultation and performs whatever is needed. The
doctor does not have to walk the patient into optical,
search for an available staff member, and repeat the
eyewear recommendations that were just discussed. It is
easy to cross-train clinical technicians to perform optical
dispensing tasks, and it is a great business strategy to
have one staff member work with the patient from start
to finish.
Optical dispensing typically generates as much income
for your practice as all the other services combined, and
the optometrist does not have to perform the actual
work. Dispensing is truly a jewel hidden in our own
backyard, just waiting to be rediscovered.
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www.reviewofoptometry.com
www.prospects.ac.uk
www.abdo.org.uk
GOC-standards-of-practice
(General Optical Council)
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov