January is National Opticians Month. It was developed to help educate consumers about the importance of an optician on their eyecare team, and the role they play.

Opticians receive specialized training to help ophthalmologists and optometrists before, during, and after your exam. An optician is an eye care specialist, who helps patients choose the right eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other corrective devices after an optometrist or ophthalmologist has evaluated their eyes, and writes a prescription.

An Optician often spends more time with customers than anyone else during the vision care experience. Opticians work in the offices of optometrists or offices of physicians but do not make diagnoses. Other opticians worked in stores that sell eyeglasses, contact lenses, visual aids, and other optical goods. These stores may be:
• Stand-alone businesses
• Parts of larger retail establishments, such as department stores.
• Hospitals or clinics
• Lab Manufacturing

Other duties of an optician include:

• Ensuring prescriptions are a match to eyeglasses, prescription sunglasses, and contact lenses.
• Using special equipment to measure patients’ pupillary distance, vertex distance, eye size, and temple length.
• Maintaining records of patient purchases and payments.
• Submitting vision insurance information for patients and recommending to them, what insurance will cover for eyewear.
• Advising patients on eyewear features such as lens coatings and frame styles to fit their individual needs, preferences, and personal style.
• Selling added eyewear accessories.
Come and see your favorite optician to guide you in the use of your new insurance benefits for 2024.

Sources:
www.clevelandclinic.org
www.allaboutvision.com
www.bls.gov
www.opticianEDU.org

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