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Problems with Prescription Eyewear
A new spectacle prescription can be exciting because you expect to see better and it's an opportunity to update the style of your eyeglass frames. There are times, however, when those new glasses disappoint. "Did the doctor make a mistake?"
Information about your refractive error (and its correction) is transcribed by hand many times by different people before you pickup those prescription spectacles: the eye doctor verbally dictates refraction measurements to the technician, the data is then entered into patient record, a handwritten Rx is issued, an optical shop prepares new spectacle work order, and the optician fabricates new lenses. For most eyewear prescriptions 6 different numbers are recorded and 4 require (+) or (-) signs. Yeah, there's room for plenty of errors! Some studies note that new prescription spectacles deviate significantly from the doctor’s refraction more than 20% of the time.
Here's how to make sure you get what you deserve. Always keep a photocopy of the original prescription; that will protect you from misrepresentation by others. If you cannot see clearly in your new specs you should ask the optician to verify the lens powers right there in the store. Those numbers should match the original written prescription.
If the prescription was correctly fabricated and you remain dissatisfied visit the prescribing eye doctor. Ask to have the prescription of your new eyeglasses verified with the eye doctor's original refraction. The clinic may uncover a reversed number or minus sign. In that situation the clinic will issue a corrected prescription and you should not be charged to have the eyeglass error corrected.
Now, if the eyeglass shop did not make a mistake, and the eye clinic did not make a mistake you likely need to adapt to the new eyewear (especially if there is new or changed correction for astigmatism). Otherwise, you may have a fluctuating refractive error due to a related eye disorder like diabetes or keratoconus. Bottom line - if those new glasses don't work right make sure you notify your eye doctor.
Information about your refractive error (and its correction) is transcribed by hand many times by different people before you pickup those prescription spectacles: the eye doctor verbally dictates refraction measurements to the technician, the data is then entered into patient record, a handwritten Rx is issued, an optical shop prepares new spectacle work order, and the optician fabricates new lenses. For most eyewear prescriptions 6 different numbers are recorded and 4 require (+) or (-) signs. Yeah, there's room for plenty of errors! Some studies note that new prescription spectacles deviate significantly from the doctor’s refraction more than 20% of the time.
Here's how to make sure you get what you deserve. Always keep a photocopy of the original prescription; that will protect you from misrepresentation by others. If you cannot see clearly in your new specs you should ask the optician to verify the lens powers right there in the store. Those numbers should match the original written prescription.
If the prescription was correctly fabricated and you remain dissatisfied visit the prescribing eye doctor. Ask to have the prescription of your new eyeglasses verified with the eye doctor's original refraction. The clinic may uncover a reversed number or minus sign. In that situation the clinic will issue a corrected prescription and you should not be charged to have the eyeglass error corrected.
Now, if the eyeglass shop did not make a mistake, and the eye clinic did not make a mistake you likely need to adapt to the new eyewear (especially if there is new or changed correction for astigmatism). Otherwise, you may have a fluctuating refractive error due to a related eye disorder like diabetes or keratoconus. Bottom line - if those new glasses don't work right make sure you notify your eye doctor.
Related Topics: Vision Tests, Reading Your Eyeglass Prescription
Technorati Tags: Eyeglass prescription, Prescription errors
