Acting as devil's advocate on PD --Letter

? To act as devil's advocate to Paul Spencer in his quest for a new and specialist frame measurement (Letters 03.06.11), I have to agree that the issue of PDs is frustrating and thankfully sense is reigning so far, but to create a new measurement (or maybe a more sophisticated one) would require the co-operation of the rest of the world and some of them put the PD on the prescription as standard. This is where the online sellers get their ammunition. We know why it must remain within the realm of the issuing dispenser but the real issue is the price of the item. Why buy online what you can get at the same price or less, in a practice with all the service you could want? No one does this? Think again. There is a national company selling spectacles for less than those online and still making a profit. The public can be persuaded to buy online by the hype but they are not fools and there is a recession on, so price is king. Add service, good professional service, to the equation and the PD issue becomes irrelevant. In any case, if the authorities decide to go that way there will be a law to provide it and spectacles will be able to be completed without the new version. If you provide a product that cannot be obtained remotely (online) or your prices and service are good enough to compete, your patients will remain your customers and recommendations will bring others in.