Dispensing Optics
Who is a Dispensing Optician?
A Dispensing Optician (DO) is a qualified person who dispenses prescribed spectacles and contact lenses and other optical appliances when needed. The profession of ophthalmic dispensing is more than 250 years old. The supply of spectacles and visual aids is very important to a modern society and it is a prime concern of every qualified Dispensing Optician to see that there is visual comfort of the patient.
Dispensing Optics offers immense job satisfaction to people who enjoy dealing with the public. Salaries can be expected to be on a par with other professions.
The Work of Dispensing Opticians
Dispensing opticians, also known as opticians do the following work:
Dispensing
Following an eye examination in which the measure of the degree of error in the patient's sight is recorded. The Dispensing Optician uses his skill and expertise to interpret this prescription and is able to supply an accurate aid to the patient's vision, which may be spectacles, contact lenses or other appliances.
They recommend eyeglass frames, lenses, and lens coatings after considering the prescription and the customer's occupation, habits, and facial features. Dispensing opticians measure the clients' eyes, including the distance between the centers of the pupils and the distance between the surface and the lens. For customers without prescriptions, dispensing opticians may use a lensometer to record eyeglass measurements. They also may obtain a customer's previous record or verify a prescription with the examining optometrist or ophthalmologist.
Dispensing opticians prepare work orders that give ophthalmic laboratory technicians information needed to grind and insert lenses into a frame. The work order includes prescriptions for lenses and information on their size, material, color, weight, and style.
Before any finished spectacles are deemed acceptable for a patient, they check to ensure they correspond to the prescription and final ordered specifications, and are suitable for the conditions in which they will be used. After the patient has received his finished spectacles, and instructed in how to get the best results from them, the D.O is always available to offer advice and effect adjustments and repairs if necessary.
Management
Dispensing opticians keep records on customers' prescriptions, work orders, and payments; track inventory and sales; stock of goods, and perform other administrative duties. When an ophthalmic optician and a dispensing optician work in partnership, generally, the dispensing optician looks after the management of the practice.
Contact Lenses
Dispensing opticians can also dispense contact lenses from the prescription provided by an ophthalmologist or optometric physician if properly certified to do so. The supply and fitting of contact lenses involves different processes to fitting spectacles, and after completion of the standard course, advanced courses are run for those wishing to specialize in the subject.
Some dispensing opticians specialize in fitting contacts, artificial eyes, or cosmetic shells to cover blemished eyes. To fit contact lenses, dispensing opticians measure the shape and size of the eye, select the type of contact lens material, and prepare work orders specifying the prescription and lens size. Fitting contact lenses requires considerable skill, care, and patience. Dispensing opticians observe customers' eyes, corneas, lids, and contact lenses with special instruments and microscopes. During several visits, opticians show customers how to insert, remove, and care for their contacts. Opticians do all this to ensure that the fit is correct.
Glazing & Fitting
Although optical laboratories usually produce the actual lens, some dispensing opticians grind lenses themselves according to the prescription and patient's measurements.
After the glasses are made, dispensing opticians verify that the lenses have been ground to specifications. Then they may reshape or bend the frame, by hand or using pliers, so that the eyeglasses fit the customer properly and comfortably. Some also fix, adjust, and refit broken frames. Once the glasses have been made, dispensing opticians check that they match the prescription and final order specifications. The frame may need reshaping so that the glasses fit the customer properly. They also instruct and advise clients about adapting to, wearing, or caring for their eyeglasses.
Refraction
After becoming Qualified Dispensing Opticians, some DO's take advanced courses in contact lens and refraction. Refraction involves sight testing.
Working Conditions
Dispensing opticians work indoors in attractive, well-lighted, and well-ventilated surroundings. They may work in medical offices or small stores where customers are served one at a time. Some work in large stores such as in malls where several dispensing opticians serve a number of customers at once. Opticians spend a lot of time on their feet. If they prepare lenses, they need to take precautions against the hazards associated with glass cutting, chemicals, and machinery.
Most dispensing opticians work a 40-hour week, although some work longer hours. Those in retail stores may work evenings and weekends. Some work part time.
Where do Dispensing Opticians Qualify?
To qualify as a Dispensing Optician, one can either do the following:
* A two-year full-time course at a college like ABDO or university which is then followed by the pre-registration year.
* A three-year Distance Learning course run by a college, like the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO), the student being employed by a qualified optician for the duration of the course. Practical experience is gained from the employment whilst theoretical knowledge is acquired through the course (correspondence and online training), which includes compulsory block-release attendance for two two-week periods at one of the colleges. The third year of the course is the student's pre-registration year.
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Registration with the General Optical Council as a Dispensing Optician is obtained after qualifying for ABDO's Fellowship Diploma (enabling the use of ‘FBDO' after the D.O's name) and a pre-registration year working under the supervision of a qualified optician.
After successful completion of the course, advanced courses in Contact Lens Dispensing, Geometric Optics of Ophthalmic Lenses and the management and practice of Low Visual Acuity are available.
The Course of Dispensing Optics
First Year - Optics
Second Year - Final Optics and Anatomy & Physiology
Third Year - Ophthalmic Lenses & Visual Optics
A full syllabus can be viewed at www.abdo.org.uk
Entry Requirements
Knowledge of physics, basic anatomy, algebra, geometry, and mechanical drawing is particularly valuable, because training usually includes instruction in optical mathematics, optical physics, and the use of precision measuring instruments and other machinery and tools. Dispensing opticians deal directly with the public, so they should be tactful, pleasant, and communicate well. Manual dexterity and the ability to do precision work are essential. Some colleges require O-Level pass in five core subjects, while others take A-level results with three passes.
Although this may be used as a guide to entry standards, more details are available from the colleges/ Universities.
Skills and personal qualities Dispensing Opticians need:
- to be able to deal with scientific and mathematical information
- to be accurate and able to pay attention to detail
- to be able to handle ophthalmic instruments
- to be patient, caring, approachable and able to deal with people confidently and sympathetically business skills, needed for private practice
- to be a good salesperson and have an understanding of style and fashion for selling spectacles and contact lenses
- to be able to perform administrative duties, such as keeping records on customer prescriptions, working orders and payments, tracking inventory and sales.
It helps to have an interest in:
- working with people
- style and fashion, which is useful for selling frames.
Employment
Dispensing opticians held about 63,000 jobs in 2002. About 2 out of 5 worked in health and personal care stores, including optical goods stores. Many of these stores offer one-stop shopping. Customers may have their eyes examined, choose frames, and have glasses made on the spot. Another 2 out of 5 dispensing opticians worked in offices of physicians or other health practitioners for ophthalmologists or optometrists who sell glasses directly to patients. Some work in optical departments of department stores or other general merchandise stores, such as warehouse clubs and superstores.
Prospects for employment are generally good. There are around 4,000 registered dispensing opticians in the UK. Most start as assistants in private practice, or work in partnerships, companies or retail stores. Others work in hospitals and a few teach. Later on they become managers and some start their own practices.
Promotion opportunities will vary according to the company. Many hold assistant manager posts by the time they qualify.
Smaller numbers are employed as consultants to lens manufacturers or as sales representatives selling ophthalmologic instruments.
Opportunities are available to become self-employed. Many work in partnership with optometrists.
Registration with the General Optical Council is recognised in many countries abroad.
Earnings
Median annual earnings of dispensing opticians were $25,600 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $19,960 and $33,530. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $16,310, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $43,490. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of dispensing opticians in 2002 were as follows:
Offices of physicians $28,250
Health and personal care stores $25,860
Offices of other health practitioners $24,900
Starting salaries are around £15,000 a year.
These figures are only a guide, as actual rates of pay may vary, depending on the employer and where people live.
On registration, dispensing opticians employed in private practice can expect to earn around £15,000 a year.
With two to five years experience, this can rise to £16,000 to £25,000.
An experienced optician can expect to earn around £29,000.
Those working with contact lenses can increase their salary to around £35,000.
Self-employed dispensing opticians may earn incomes much higher than this.
Future Prospects
Many experienced dispensing opticians open their own optical stores. Others become managers of optical stores or sales representatives for wholesalers or manufacturers of eyeglasses or lenses.
Employment of dispensing opticians is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2012 as demand grows for corrective lenses. The number of middle-aged and elderly persons is projected to increase rapidly. Middle age is a time when many individuals use corrective lenses for the first time, and elderly persons generally require more vision care than others.
Fashion, too, influences demand. Frames come in a growing variety of styles and colors—encouraging people to buy more than one pair. Demand also is expected to grow in response to the availability of new technologies that improve the quality and look of corrective lenses, such as antireflective coatings and bifocal lenses without the line that is visible in old-style bifocals. Improvements in bifocal, extended-wear, and disposable contact lenses also will spur demand.
In terms of education, many dispensing opticians go for a degree course in optometry.
Further information
Association of British Dispensing Opticians, Godmersham Park, Godmersham, Canterbury, Kent CT4 7DT. 01227 738829. Website: www.abdo.org.uk
College of Optometrists, 42 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NG. 020 7839 6000. Website: www.college-optometrists.org
Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians (FODO), 199 Gloucester Terrace, London W2 6LD. 020 7298 5151. Website: www.fodo.com
General Optical Council, 41 Harley Street, London W1G 8DJ. 020 7580 3898. Website: www.optical.org
Institute of Optometry, 56-62 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6DS. 020 7407 4183. Website: www.ioo.org.uk
University of Ulster Registry, Cromore Road, Coleraine, Northern Ireland BT52 1SA. 0870 0400 700. Website: www.ulst.ac.uk
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