| Product: |
Boots Optician |
| Date: |
02/11/00 (383 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: none - marketing your health may lead to damage long term
Disadvantages: advertising sells!
The health of one’s eyes is of the up most importance. We should try not to be tempted by offers such as “buy one get one free”.
I am afraid this is the start of the demise of the health service by the American venture groups which have infiltrated the UK healthcare market (i.e Opticians in particular).
So what is important, when visiting Opticians is NOT the glossy display of designer frames from Gucci, Armani, YSL, Adidas or Rodenstock but the quality of professional eye care and time that is devoted to your eye test.
Personally, I would stay away from the multiples, such as Vision Express, Boots etc and concentrate on finding a genuine private Optometrist (or Multiple) who cares more for your health by devoting more time to your eye test and less on profit or marketing offers to push up yearly profits. Many of the multiples are encouraged to perform as many eye tests as possible in one day;say 20 eye tests/a day and will get in young optometrists or locums who can keep the fast pace and high turnover like a factory. I am sure there are some good ones out there as well, but 'time' and 'number of tests' is a crucial factor they work on, as they say time is money.
It is the amazing to note the growing number of eye defects people are picking up from quick 10-15 min eye tests done at these large glossy practices, often errors are made and the prescription is marginally out or they have failed to pick up on the diseases of the eye. It may be due to lack of time and relying primarily on computer aided technology and have limited their natural ability to detect and diagnose early signs of eye diseases.
Computer aided technology is 'very useful' and should be used in conjunction with a sound practical knowledge of the pathology of the eye.
It is only years later that others have to pick up what the large Optical Groups missed!
Of course you can always browse for range of frames
at these places (Multiples) and just buy the frame or go to a private optician of your choice who would be more than happy to order it for you.
In this case, believe me it is 'not' worth saving money on your health. Quite often the offers, that give you 2 frames for price of one are often very poor quality frames anyway or a huge stock they had an offer on from a manufacturer. And did you really ‘need’ two frames of similar quality.
You don’t find when you go to the dentist, pay for 1 filling and get the other free, well not yet anyway.....
This has completely destroyed the Optometry profession and true health of the nation of which years later we will see the long term damage that is being reported by Opthalomologists and Optometrists . Take care folks!
-This is not a statement from dooyoo or from professional Optometry board GOC, it is merely a personal opinion of BOUNTY_HUNTER relating to commercialisation of the Optometry Profession- all disclaimers - apply personal opinion)
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Last comments:
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- 19/03/01 It sounds like you don't really know what you're talking about, BOUNTY HUNTER. Some of the locums you may see working in a larger multiple, may in fact be trained junior ophthalmologists who are helping out for a little boost in income. As trained eye surgeons, these are the people you see and who end up treating you when your optometrist refers you to your GP and the hospital eye service. They seldom find employment in the smaller "boutiques" and the larger chain stores gain a great deal by employing them part-time as they can diagnose and often treat patients more effectively than an optometrist on the premises and hopefully prevent needless referral to the hospital eye service or GP.
By the way, getting two pairs of glasses for the price of one never hurt anyone and is especially kind on the part of the larger chains to perform this service. This is called providing value for money.
One thing is certain, whenever you visit your optician you should expect a professional and accurate eye examination and screening for any serious eye disease, such as glaucoma, and referral to the hospital eye service if there is any suspicion of this. Oh, and by the way, if this can all be provided with added value for money then so much the better! |
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- 08/12/00 thank you nikki for your comment, once again my own personal view is generally about the "US marketing style" applied to health. I am glad your cyst was spotted in early stages. Did the smaller Optometrist have any specailised equipment? it is often the way to find a good balance between the two, again this is only my personal opinion. who knows dentists may even start this game!! thanks. |
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- 08/12/00 Good opinion, but the buy one get one free is for the glasses not the tests. I recently changed to Vision Express and they spotted a cyst on my eye which my previous smaller, "more caring" optician had not.
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