My local opticians do great work, but sometimes I dread the cost of new glasses. They're not cheap, as all the short sighted people will know, and I make my bill higher by having contact lenses too. You know, because I'm vain.
As I pondered becoming a few hundred pounds poorer, I had the great idea to get my glasses online. Until I remembered why I use my local opticians in the first place.
I like having an independently owned place that focuses on the care of their patients.
Don't get me wrong, it would be cheaper to go online and I wouldn't pay the big mark up (more than 100% in many cases). The big name opticians on the high street seem more competitive too.
Like pharmacists, optometrists have inherited an antiquated funding model which impacts on how we do business.
This is where I start to ask questions and it dawned on me. Optometrists charge a high mark up because their service as opthalmic professionals is woefully neglected when it comes to being remunerated. By service, I mean the skill and knowledge they apply when checking your eyes and interpreting the information in front of them. The skill and knowledge they acquire through years of hard work, as well as the responsibility should something go wrong.
Eye tests cost around £25 in England and are free in Scotland. Like pharmacists, optometrists have inherited an antiquated funding model which impacts on how we do business. The rather small sum of £25 means optometrists need to sell expensive glasses, just as how pharmacists need to sell over the counter medicines and stock up on toiletries.
The collective will to change this doesn't exist because, just as how Pharmacy is dominated by the likes of Boots and Lloyds, Optometry is also dominated by the big names. If one optician starts charging more, another might undercut them.
If my glasses don't fit I can return to my opticians for adjustments. If I buy them online, what recourse do I have if there's a problem?
Comments