Seven Ways: Dispensing prescription sun lenses

Start by asking your patient what kind of sunglasses they are interested in and establish their visual needs. A general day-to-day pair will require different dispensing skills to a pair for hobbies such as fishing or playing golf, or simply a pair to wear as a fashion accessory. A tint category 2 or 3 will be more suitable for daily use in the UK, whereas class 3 or 4 would be more suitable for sunnier countries should the patient be based elsewhere. It is essential to ask if the sunglasses are to be used for driving and whether the patient drives daytime or evening time. If the sunglasses will be used for driving, we must provide appropriate advice regarding driving standards (BS EN ISO 12312-1 2013). Moreover, tints can be prescribed for photophobic patients, post-cataract, dyslexia, visual stress, etc, which require the dispensing optician to have good knowledge of the ocular condition before deciding on the best possible tint option.