Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Dispensing Opticians

What Do Opticians Do?

Opticians are often the 2nd professional patients see after visiting an optometrist or ophthalmologist, because they are the ones that fill the prescription for eyeglasses or contacts. For anyone who has issues with the eyeglass or contact lens fitting, visiting an optician is an option as their main role is helping in the selection of proper eye wear. One of the main roles of dispensing opticians, is to take care of eye wear prescriptions so when patients come in the optician helps find the proper eye wear, eyeglass frames or contact lenses to meet the patient’s needs in every facet from fashion to occupation. Opticians ensure that the eye wear is fitted properly, is comfortable, the prescription is filled accurately with the right eyeglass lenses or contact lenses, and the patient is properly informed of any issues like how to wear and how to care for. They also handle customers who come in with repair or replacement needs and help with the correction of issues. This may require contacting the optometrist or ophthalmologist to verify the prescription, and performing administrative duties such as order management and customer reconciliation. It is easy to see that opticians handle various consumer issues regarding their eye wear so customer service skills are necessary to succeed.

What Opticians Don’t Do?
Optician putting on glasses

Opticians can handle plenty of functions in a store from customer care to management but there are many functions that they are not qualified to complete. This includes anything related to providing medical diagnosis to a patient such as determining a different prescription, testing for eye conditions or diseases, or anything similar to what an optometrist or ophthalmologist should handle. Thus, an optician should not change eyeglass prescriptions without the consent of the patient’s eye care doctor, and they should not provide medical treatment regarding the eyes.

Licensed Opticians and Education

To become an optician a person can either be accepted in an apprenticeship program or by getting hired for the position with some formal education, which is the highly selected option. There are several colleges that offer Ophthalmic Dispensing Degrees or other related degrees that allow a student to be educated and ready to accept a position. From there, they will learn on the job much like an apprenticeship, but they will already have a solid background. There are 21 states that require dispensing opticians to be licensed which can include anything from exams, training, and continuing education. The American Board of Opticianry and the National Contact Lens Examiners offer certification exams for opticians to show expertise to a certain extent, as these are part of some state licensing as well.

Optician Salary and Work Area

Opticians can work in many areas but the majority is employed by optical stores like the ones found in Wal-mart, major chains like Pearl Vision, and by offices of doctors or optometrists who have their own store. Some opticians branch out with their own store or into higher management positions. Optician salaries can often vary depending on experience, location, size of the business, and the industry. An optician working in a small city for a small office can make around $19,000 while another experienced optician with a management role can make higher than $45,000. Opticians can also work at hospitals and clinics, become sales reps for wholesalers, or take up teaching positions.

Optician Societies, Organizations, Associations

There are plenty of associations for opticians nationwide to help support them in their personal growth including those that offer continuing education, seminars, networking, and plenty of useful benefits. Many opticians chose to participate or join one or more of these groups because it allows them to socialize with their peers and grow professional in several ways. This is a list of some of the organizations that optciains can join or events they can attend including some state specific ones.

National Optician Organizations

American Board of Opticianry/National Contact Lens Examiners (ABO/NCLE)
6506 Loisdale Rd., Suite 209
Springfield, VA 22150
Phone: 703-719-5800
Fax: 703-719-9144
Email: mail@abo-ncle.org
Website: http://www.abo-ncle.org

Commission on Opticianry Accreditation
Director of Accreditation
PO Box 142
Florence, IN 47020
Phone: 703-468-0566
Email: ellen@coaccreditation.com
Website: http://www.coaccreditation.com/

Contact Lens Society of America
441 Carlisle Drive
Herndon, VA 20170
Phone: 800-296-9776
Fax: 703-437-0727
Email: clsa@clsa.info
Website: http://www.clsa.info

Opticians Association of America (OAA)
4064 E Fir Hill Drive
Lakeland, TN 38002
Phone: 901-388-2423
Fax: 901-388-2348
Email: oaa@oaa.org
Website: http://www.oaa.org

National Academy of Opticianry (NAO)
8401 Corporate Drive Suite 605
Landover, Maryland 20785
Phone: 800-229-4828
Fax: 301-577-3880
Email: info@nao.org
Website: https://www.nao.org

National Foundation of Opticianry Schools
2800 Springport Road
Jackson, MI. 49202
Phone: 517-990-6945
Fax: 517-789-7331
Email: randall.smith@baker.edu
Website: http://www.nfos.org

State Organizations

Alabama

Alabama Society of Dispensing Opticians (ASDO)
1956-J University Blvd. S. # 171
Mobile, AL 36609
Phone: 205-612-3601
Fax: 866-209-0931
E-mail: alopticians@gmail.com
Website: http://www.asdo.us

Alaska

Opticians Association of Alaska (OAAK)
c/o Golden North Optics Inc.
Old Steese Hwy Suite2
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Phone: 907-458-7768
Email: info@oaak.org
Web site: http://www.oaak.org/

Arizona

Arizona Association of Dispensing Opticians (AADO)
440 N. Alvernon Way, Suite #101
Tucson, Arizona 85711
Phone: 520-327-6215
Fax: 520-327-6546
E-mail: aado@qwestoffice.net
Website: http://www.aado.info

Arkansas

Opticians Association of Arkansas (OAA)
P.O. Box 1
Lexa, AR 72355
Phone: 870-572-2847
E-mail: jerryann.himes@vision.zeiss.com
Website: http://www.aropticians.org/

California

California Association of Dispensing Opticians (CADO)
3701 Cross Creek Road
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Phone: 707-542-1598
Fax: 626-449-6789
E-mail: rhei331277@earthlink.net
Website: http://www.californiaopticians.org

Colorado

Opticians Association of Colorado (OAC)
Email: opticiansboard@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.oacolorado.org

Connecticut

Connecticut Opticians Association
34 Shunpike Rd. Suite 3, #165
Cromwell, CT 06416-2453
Phone: 860-416-5128
Fax: 860-258-0669
E-mail: ctopt@aol.com
Website: http://www.ctopticians.com

Florida

Professional Opticians of Florida (POF)
1947 Greenwood Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32303
Phone: 850-201-2622
Fax: 850-201-2625
E-mail: info@pof.org
Website: http://www.pof.org

Georgia

Opticians Association Of Georgia (OAG)
P.O. Box 830036
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
Phone: 770-666-5489
Email: oag@oagonline.org
Website: http://www.oagonline.org/

Illinois

Opticians Association of Illinois (OAI)
P.O. Box 9283
Peoria, Illinois 61612
Phone: 800-437-4476
Email: info@IllinoisOpticians.org
Website: http://www.illinoisopticians.org

Iowa

Opticians Association of Iowa (OAI)
13030 NE 14th Street
Alleman, Iowa 50007
Phone: 800-247-2525
Website: http://oaiowa.org

Kansas

Opticians Association of Kansas (OAK)
Phone: 913-345-8020
Fax: 913-338-5483
E-mail: patti@ksopticians.org
Website: http://www.ksopticians.org/

Kentucky

Society of Dispensing Opticians of Kentucky
PO Box 24214
Lexington, KY 40524-4214
Phone: 859-273-6469
E-mail: webmaster@gosdok.com
Website: http://www.gosdok.com/

Louisiana

Louisiana Association of Dispensing Opticians (LADO)
209 Constitution Drive
Lafayette, LA 70503-6324
Phone: 337-280-6862
Website: http://www.lado.org/

Maine

Massachusetts

Opticians Association of Massachusetts (OAM)
PO Box 419
Medway, MA 02053
Phone: 508-533-1419
Fax: 508-533-3060
Email: OpticianMA@aol.com
Website: http://www.opticiansma.org/

Michigan

Opticians Association of Michigan (OAM)
1940 Theresa Avenue
Dewitt, MI 48820
Phone: 877-297-1668
Website: http://www.theoam.org

Minnesota

Minnesota Contact Lens Society
P.O. Box 48514
Coon Rapids, MN 55448
Phone: 763-442-3918
Fax: 763-421-8297
E-mail: mcls@mncontactlens.com
Website: http://www.mncontactlens.com/

Mississippi

Mississippi Association of Dispensing Optician (MADO)
16383 South Swan Road
Gulfport, MS 39503
Phone: 228-860-1825
E-mail: JMW1825@aol.com
Website: http://www.mado.org/

Nebraska

Nebraska Society of Dispensing Opticians (NSDO)
E-mail: info@nsdo.org
Website: http://www.nsdo.org/

Nevada

Navada Association of Ophthalmic Dispensers-south (NAOD)
1313 Wheatland
Las Vegas, NV 89128
Phone: 702-259-7873

New Jersey

Opticians Association of New Jersey (OANJ)
414 River View Plaza
Trenton, NJ 08611-3420
Phone: 609-695-0030
Fax: 609-393-9891
Email: info@oanj.org
Website: http://www.oanj.org/

New Mexico

Opticians Association of New Mexico (OANM)
6325 Thicket NW
Albuquerque, NM 87120
Phone: 505-301-3628
E-mail: oanm_edu@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.oanm.com

New York

New York State Society of Opticians (NYSSO)
90 State Street, Suite 1009
Albany, N.Y. 12207-1710
Phone: (518) 426-0599
Fax: (518) 463-8656
Email: nysso@caphill.com
Website: http://www.nysso.org/

North Dakota

North Dakota Opticians Society
P.O. Box 149
Dickinson, ND 58602

Ohio

Opticians Association of Ohio (OAO)
1100-H Brandywine Blvd
Zanesville OH 43701-7303
Phone: 740-452-4541
Fax: 740-452-2552
E-mail: Info@OAO.org
Website: http://www.oao.org

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Optical Association
3535 NW 58th, #150
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Phone: 405-942-1484

Oregon

Opticians Association of Oregon (OAO)
1015 S. Fir Ct
Canby, OR 97013
Phone: 503-263-5060
E-mail: oaoboard@oregonoptician.org
Website: http://www.oregonoptician.org

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Association of Registered Dispensing Opticians (RIARDO)
77 Birchwood Drive
Cranston, RI, 02920
Phone: 401-391-2826
Website: http://www.riardo.org

South Carolina

South Carolina Association of Opticians (SCAO)
E-mail: kenneth.davenport@jdvc.net
Website: http://scoptician.org

South Dakota

Opticians Association of South Dakota
1210 South Grange
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
Phone: 605-334-6291

Tennessee

Tennessee Dispensing Opticians Association
P.O. Box 210454
Nashville, TN 37221
Phone: 615-646-5245
Fax: 615-646-5780
Email: TDOA@TDOA.org
Website: http://www.tdoa.org

Texas

Registered Opticians Association of Texas
1308 West Anderson Lane, Suite B
Austin, TX 78757
Phone: 512-657-2020
Fax: 512-420-0262
Email: info@roatx.org
Website: http://www.roatx.org/

Certified Opticians Association of Texas (C.O.A.T.)
14206 Laffite Drive
Cypress, TX 77429
Phone: 713-890-2520
Email: coatmail@sbcglobal.net
Website: http://www.coat.tv

Virginia

Opticians Association of Virginia (OAV)
P.O. Box 2845
Staunton, VA 24402
Phone: 540-213-2100
Fax: 540-213-2102
E-mail: sclayton@vaopticians.org
Website: http://www.vaopticians.org

Washington

Opticians Association of Washington (OAW)
P.O. Box 2489
Yakima, WA 98907
Phone: 509-961-4169
Fax: 509-469-2134
E-mail: dnhatchoaw@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.oaw.org

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