Refused to sell me prescription sunglasses because my eye test is overdue

payless

If really don't want to get eyes tested- use clip-ons

pmduk

elsien wrote: »

I remember being told by another optician that if the eye test was over 6 months old they wouldn't use it.

Unless you have an eye condition a prescription can be used for two years after issue.

Valli

This should be a praise, surely?

antrobus

Torry_Quine wrote: »

They were totally correct. Glasses should only be dispensed from a recent prescription which is deemed as less than two years. You should have had your eyes tested before now anyway and especially as you drive.

According to the ABDO ( the qualifying body for dispensing opticians in the UK);

Registered dispensing opticians, optometrists, and medical practitioners are allowed to dispense spectacles to a prescription that is more than 2 years old. They may also make up spectacles without a prescription e.g. by duplicating an existing pair of spectacles.

Although they do go on to state;

Practitioners should be aware that if the patient has not had a recent eye examination, they may - by making up spectacles to an out of date prescription - inadvertently encourage patients to delay having another eye examination. This should only be done in exceptional circumstances and the practitioner should consider what is in the best interests of the patient, and the reasons recorded on the patient's record card.

http://www.abdo.org.uk/adviceandguidelines.php

nwc389

I am currently wearing varifocals that were dispensed from my prescription about 17 months ago , I had a contact lens check just before that and my eyes were tested then . For some reason that test does not seem to count .
I intend to keep wearing the glasses as they are fine - all I wanted to do was buy a pair of £40 prescription sunglasses based on the prescription of the glasses I am currenty wearing that boots were happy to sell me 17 months ago.
Re booking an eye test they had no convenient appointments
I want the sunglasses in the next couple of weeks just for a holiday , I don't drive and would not be seen dead in clip ons .
I was annoyed because it was my decision to make.

custardy

nwc389 wrote: »

I am currently wearing varifocals that were dispensed from my prescription about 17 months ago , I had a contact lens check just before that and my eyes were tested then . For some reason that test does not seem to count .
I intend to keep wearing the glasses as they are fine - all I wanted to do was buy a pair of £40 prescription sunglasses based on the prescription of the glasses I am currenty wearing that boots were happy to sell me 17 months ago.
Re booking an eye test they had no convenient appointments
I want the sunglasses in the next couple of weeks just for a holiday , I don't drive and would not be seen dead in clip ons .
I was annoyed because it was my decision to make.

Im not sure why you keep talking about driving
I wear glasses & contacts but am still legal to drive without them

peachyprice

nwc389 wrote: »

I was annoyed because it was my decision to make.

And it was the opticians professional decision to make.

Torry_Quine

nwc389 wrote: »

I am currently wearing varifocals that were dispensed from my prescription about 17 months ago , I had a contact lens check just before that and my eyes were tested then . For some reason that test does not seem to count .
I intend to keep wearing the glasses as they are fine - all I wanted to do was buy a pair of £40 prescription sunglasses based on the prescription of the glasses I am currenty wearing that boots were happy to sell me 17 months ago.
Re booking an eye test they had no convenient appointments
I want the sunglasses in the next couple of weeks just for a holiday , I don't drive and would not be seen dead in clip ons .
I was annoyed because it was my decision to make.

You may be willing to take the risk but the optician took the decision that it was not responsible to use an old prescription. If they had no appointments you could have gone elsewhere and I hope that you have made an appointment as just because you feel that your glasses are fine means very little. Your eyes could have changed and the test is also to check eye health and look for any problems.

Everyone should get an eye test every two years at least.

tom15387202

Contact lens checkups are not valid for spectacles/sunglasses. The check it just to makesure you are still suitable for the type of contact lens you are being issued and that they are no health issues.

Yes they can issue specs on old prescriptions and I have seen them do this in my practice, in extreme situations. This could be due to you being in hospital or immobile for example.

However selling you sunglasses so you can use them on holiday is not an extreme situation - this is unfortunately down to your disorganisation and not taking the advice from your Opticians to visit ever 2 years (or 1 year if advised to).

You need to remember that an Optician may be on the highstreet so most still see it as a retail shop - to a certain degree it is, but is also a medical practice with a duty of care.

Please do not be annoyed at Boots, regulations are in place for a good reason - they protect all of us.

George_Michael

If the optician had agreed to supply the sunglasses, I can just imagine a slightly different post appearing on here in a few weeks.

I have just returned from holiday, and this holiday was totally ruined due to an optician supplying me with sunglasses that were not suitable for me.
Throughout the whole time I was away I was suffering from headaches and it was only after I returned and went for an eye test that I was told that the problem arose due to the prescription sunglasses I was sold were not correct for me.

As my whole holiday was ruined, can I sue the optician who sold me these glasses using an old prescription and without insisting that I had a sight test first?