Nature of Work:
After a checkup by an ophthalmologist or an optometrist, people needing corrective lenses ordinarily visit a dispensing optician to have the prescription filled. Optometrists generally fill prescriptions in-house. They may do their own dispensing,or employ an optician to do it for them.
Dispensing opticians order the necessary ophthalmic laboratory work, help the customer select appropriate frames and adjust the finished eyeglasses. In some States they fit contact lenses under the supervision of an optometrist or ophthalmologist.
During the customer's visit, the dispensing optician measures the distance between the centers of the pupils of the eyes to determine where lenses should be placed in relation to them. The dispensing optician may also help the customer select from the various styles and colors of eyeglass frames. When choosing frames, important considerations include the customer's occupation, habits, hairstyle, facial features, and the weight and thickness of the corrective lenses.
The dispensing optician then prepares a work order that gives the ophthalmic laboratory information needed to grind and insert lenses into a frame. The work order includes lens prescriptions and information on lens size, material, color, and style. Some dispensing opticians do their own laboratory work, preparing the lenses themselves. After the glasses are made, the dispensing optician checks the power and surface quality of the lenses with special instruments, then adjusts the frame to the contours of the customer's face and head so that it fits properly and comfortably. Adjustments are made with hand tools, such as optical pliers, files, and screwdrivers.
In fitting contact lenses, dispensing opticians measure the corneas of customers' eyes, and then prepare work orders specifying the prescription and lens size. Fitting contact lenses requires considerably more skill, care, and patience than fitting eyeglasses. Individuals purchasing their first set of contacts may need to visit the dispensing optician several times so that the optician can be sure the customer knows how to insert, remove, and care for the contacts. To be sure that the fit is correct, the dispensing optician observes the patient's eyes, corneas, lids, and contact lenses with special instruments and microscopes. The dispensing optician refers customers to their ophthalmologist or optometrist if the fit seems improper. While dispensing opticians may make minor adjustments, major changes must be done in a prescription laboratory.
The majority of dispensing opticians fit eyeglasses. A smaller number specialize in fitting contacts or cosmetic shells to cover blemished eyes.
Working Conditions:
Dispensing opticians work indoors in pleasant surroundings that are well lighted and well ventilated. They may work in small shops where customers are served one at a time or in large, bustling chain stores where several dispensing opticians are required to serve a number of customers at once. Since they sell and service eye lenses, opticians deal with customers most of the time. They spend much of their time on their feet. If they work in a laboratory where eyeglasses are made, they need to take precautions to guard against the hazards associated with cutting glass and handling various chemical solutions and machines with moving parts.
Dispensing opticians generally work a 40-hour week, al-though longer hours are not uncommon. Some, especially those employed in retail shops in large shopping centers, work in the evenings and on Saturdays.
Employment:
Over half of all dispensing opticians work for ophthalmologists or optometrists who sell glasses directly to patients. Nearly as many work in optical shops or for department stores, drug stores, and other retail outlets, including the so-called super optical stores. Firms in this rapidly growing segment of the retail trade industry cater to consumers' desire for fast and convenient service by offering one-stop shopping: Customers may have their eyes examined, choose frames, and have glasses made on the spot. These stores employ not only dispensing opticians, but optometrists and ophthalmic laboratory personnel as well.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement:
There are several ways of becoming a dispensing optician, but all involve a substantial amount of on-the-job training. Hiring requirements for trainees vary from employer to employer. Some firms hire individuals with no background in opticianry and provide all the necessary training on the job; others seek trainees who are already familiar with the trade, possibly through having taken courses in opticianry or completing a formal training program. Ophthalmic laboratory technicians are especially good candidates for trainee positions; many opticians have started out in an optical laboratory and have worked their way up.
Solid math and science skills are important for individuals interested in becoming a dispensing optician.Knowledge of physics, algebra, geometry, and mechanical drawing is particularly valuable since training usually includes instruction in optical mathematics, optical physics, and the use of precision measuring instruments and other machinery and tools. Because dispensing opticians deal directly with the public, they should have good social skills such as tact, a pleasant personality, and communication skills.
In States that license dispensing opticians, individuals who are trained on the job must register with the State as apprentices and train from 2 to 5 years. Some form of apprenticeship or formal traineeship is offered in most States. Large chain stores, for example, generally offer structured apprenticeship training programs, while small companies provide on-the-job training of a more informal nature.
In addition to receiving technical training, apprentices are taught the basics of office management and sales and, under the supervision of an experienced optician, may work directly with patients in fitting eyeglasses and contact lenses. In States requiring licensure, information about apprenticeships is available from the State agency responsible for occupational licensing. In other States, information is available from the Division of Apprenticeship Training of the State Department of Labor.
Formal training in opticianry is offered in community colleges and a few colleges and universities. Some States that license dispensing opticians allow program graduates to take the licensure exam immediately upon graduation, thereby waiving the 2-year to 5-year apprenticeship that ordinarily precedes the exam. Other States shorten the apprenticeship period, requiring no more than a few months to a year before graduates of formal training programs are eligible to take the licensure exam.
Some aspiring dispensing opticians get their start as optical laboratory workers. They generally learn laboratory skills in vocational-technical institutes, trade schools, or programs offered by manufacturers. Such programs usually last from a few weeks to a year and provide the basic technical skills needed by good all-round dispensing opticians. Just as with apprenticeship training, the advantage of starting out as an optical lab worker is that it allows individuals to earn money as they learn.
Credentials for dispensing opticians are gained through voluntary certification or registration. In most States that require a license to dispense eyeglasses, continuing education is necessary for re-licensure. For specific information about licensing procedures, consult the State board of occupational licensing.
Certification is offered by the American Board of Opticianry and by the National Contact Lens Examiners. Continuing education is required to maintain certification.
Many experienced dispensing opticians go into business for themselves. Others become managers of retail optical stores or sales representatives for wholesalers or manufacturers of eyeglasses or lenses.
Job Outlook
Employment in this occupation is expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations in response to rising demand for corrective lenses, a result of demographic trends. Not only is the population growing, but the number of middle-aged and aged persons, those who are 75 years and over, is projected to increase sharply over the next decade. Middle age is a time when many persons begin using corrective lenses for the first time, and aged persons require more vision care, on the whole, than others.
Vision screening programs and other efforts to increase public awareness of eye care are likely to stimulate demand as well. Nowadays, less stigma is attached to wearing eyeglasses than in the past. Industrial safety precautions may require more safety goggles and glasses. Increased participation in sports may require some people to use special lenses and frames.
Fashion, too, influences demand. The growing variety of frame styles and colors, as well as the increasing popularity of contact lenses, encourages people to buy more than one pair of corrective lenses. Finally, demand is expected to grow in response to products such as special lens treatments; photochromic lenses, glasses that become sunglasses in sunlight, now available in plastic as well as glass; tinted lenses; bifocal contact lenses; and extended wear contact lenses.
This occupation is vulnerable to changes in the business cycle, with employment falling somewhat during downturns and rising during periods of economic recovery. As is generally the case, however, most openings will arise from the need to replace experienced workers who change occupations or stop working.
Employment opportunities in opticianry should be excellent for entry level workers as well as for those with experience. Graduates of formal training programs will continue to be in great demand, and applicants with the requisite aptitude for math and science should have little difficulty securing positions as apprentices or trainees.
Opportunities probably will be best in metropolitan areas. Not only are there more optical shops and chain stores in cities and suburban areas, but retail optical shops in small communities tend to be small establishments with few employees. Often, the owners themselves are dispensing opticians and handle all the optical dispensing without assistance.
Related Occupations:
Other workers who deal with customers and perform delicate work include jewelers, ocularists, calibrators, ophthalmic laboratory technicians, orthodontic technicians, prosthetics technicians, and watch repairers.
