View from the AOP: Taking responsibility for prescription eyewear

Patients are free to shop around when it comes to buying prescription eyewear, but who’s responsible for sorting things out if a patient isn’t happy?

Under the Opticians Act, patients cannot be required to purchase an optical appliance as a condition of having their sight tested. The Act also requires practitioners to issue a signed, written prescription immediately following the sight test if an optical appliance is required. However, problems are much more common when prescribing and supply are separated, and it can be difficult to decide who is responsible for resolving an issue.

When things go wrong, patients are often passed back and forth between supplier and prescriber. In the face of conflicting advice, it can be difficult to know where the problem really lies. Many patients understandably view their prescription as being either ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, without appreciating the complexities involved in prescribing and dispensing a well-tolerated visual correction.