Students looking for cheap eyewear may find it more difficult and less safe than expected to fill their prescriptions online
When second-year SFU student Tony called Clearly Contacts to order prescription glasses online, he was told his prescription was incomplete. In order to buy his glasses online, he needed something called a “PD”. He returned to the optometrist retailer, where he had initially received his prescription, only to be told that the PD number will be provided if he pays a $50 fee.
“I had already paid for the exam, but they told me I had signed something that said I agreed to pay for the PD measurement. When I asked what she was talking about, she showed me a copy of the health questionnaire I had signed and at the bottom I had agreed to pay for the PD.”
Students may have recently noticed a number of advertisements featuring former NHL player Trevor Linden, drawing attention to the cost-saving benefits of purchasing prescription eyewear online. The Simon Fraser Student Society extended health plan lists Clearly Contacts, an online prescription eyewear provider, as a preferred member of its ‘professional network’. But students seeking to fill their eyeglasses prescriptions in cyberspace rather than from a local optometrist may find themselves caught in a crossfire between the Ministry of Health and optometrist retailers, leaving them seeing double when the bill arrives.
Online purchase of prescription eyewear generally requires a prescription from an optometrist, which outlines several different measurements including a PD measurement. The ‘interpupillary distance’, (PD) measurement determines the distance between pupils. In March 2010 (effective May 2010), the Liberal government of B.C., represented by Health Minister Kevin Falcon, issued a memorandum to B.C. optometrists outlining several regulatory changes.
The memorandum introduced “a series of changes . . . that will modernize the way in which British Columbians get their glasses and contact lenses.” One specific item on the memorandum regarded the provision of PD measurements at the time of eye examinations free of charge. Currently optometrist retailers are charging students up to $50, on top of the eye exam fee in order to provide the PD measurement. In March of this year, CBC News reported that against provincial regulations, this practice had become commonplace, implicating Iris and Lenscrafters as key culprits.
The Peak interviewed Dr. Robin Simpson, the registrar of the B.C. College of Optometrists, for a better understanding of the impact of the regulation. The B.C. College of Optometrists is the regulatory body which oversees professional conduct and policies relating to the practice of optometry.
Dr. Simpson stated, “The Optometrists Regulation was amended in 2010 to require those optometrists who are affiliated or associated with one who engages in the dispensing of corrective eyeglass lenses to measure a patient’s PD at the time of conducting an eye health examination and to include that PD measurement as part of the prescription for a corrective eyeglass lens.” The college set out policies to inform the members of the profession, alerting them to the change in their scope of practice. The college also interpreted the regulation to allow companies such as Iris Visual Group to charge a fee, as long as the patient agrees to the charge prior to the examinations.
The Peak met with Dr. Francis Jean, CEO of IRIS The Visual Group, at his Langley head office, where he provided documentation regarding policy changes and the rationale behind the $50 fee. “When the representatives of the B.C. College of Optometrists met with the Ministry of Health in May, 2010 the question of establishing an MSP code for PD measurements was rejected by the ministry,” said Jean.
According to Jean, the ministry told the college representatives that optometrists could charge a fee in order to allow them to be compensated for the added service of measuring PD. “Our other option was to increase the cost of an eye health examination, but I didn’t feel that would be fair to our other patients. Measuring the PD is not part of an eye exam; why would our professionals offer a free service so that patients can buy eyeglasses online?” Charging customers who wanted to buy their glasses online seemed fair and in line with the policy set out by the B.C. College of Optometrists.
He added that his company’s focus is on offering quality services and education to customers.
Cindy McDougal of the Ministry of Health stated, “The Ministry of Health expects optometrists to follow the optometrist regulations and provide a prescription to the patient upon completion of the eye health exam, free of charge. The prescription is required to contain the individual’s pupillary distance as measured at the time of the eye health exam with no separate fee being charged.”
MLA Mike Farnworth, The NDP critic for health, has his own reservations about the regulatory changes. “It is never an ideal situation where the government hands down an edict. I believe there are safety concerns about purchasing prescription eyeglasses online, which have not been addressed. I would like to see discussions with optometrists, opticians and the Ministry of Health to determine what is in the best interest of patients.”
The Peak asked vice president of Clearly Contacts (Coastal Contact Inc.) Terry Vanderkruyk for comments regarding concerns with safety issues. He commented “we are not optometrists nor do we claim to be. We sell glasses once we are provided with a prescription. The glasses can be returned within one year.”
So, what perceived safety issues are there for students who routinely buy their prescription contacts and glasses online? The main concern appears to be that students will substitute eye examinations done by optometrists for repeat purchases online. In an effort to save money, students like Tony may forgo eye examinations, which can detect rare but serious health issues.
All independent optometrists interviewed by The Peak had at least one anecdote wherein they had discovered seri ous health issues such as glaucoma or brain tumors during routine eye examinations. Buying prescription eyewear online will save money, but it is not a substitute for regular eye examinations done by a board-certified optometrist.
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