An Optical Lab is Where Variety Can Be Found
While many patients can expect to have their lenses processed into new frames in less than one hour, there are a few who will need to have their prescription sent to an optical lab.
An optical lab carries out a number of duties that can help lighten the load at the doctor's office,
and eliminate the need for storage space for rarely used equipment or lenses. There are also a number of additional services that an optical lab can offer that will benefit any optometry practice.
For eye care providers, being able to offer the best in vision care is crucial to the overall success of the practice and patient base. While the quality of most of the work performed is strictly up to the optometrist and their skill level, there is some work that must be outsourced to an optical lab, and these labs are only as good as the equipment it uses and the technicians that use it. For instance, most doctors will have lenses for most of their patients in-stock.
This allows the doctor to fill the patients prescription, along with any options for the lenses, in-house. However, there are some occasions when a patient might have a prescription that needs to be specially manufactured, and cannot be filled in-house.
Therefore, when it comes to finding the right lab, there should be some extensive research into both its hiring practices and the use of the latest technology because the work of the optical lab reflects the work of the optometrist. It is best to find a lab that manufactures lenses using the most up-to-date equipment. The technology used for creating prescription lenses has changed dramatically, even over the last 10 years. For example, lenses with an anti-reflective coating have become very popular because they are resistant to both glare and scratches.
While anti-reflective coating is a popular choice, there are a few labs that have not caught up to this technology, and it can hurt business if the optometrist cannot offer this option to all of their customers. In fact, there are a few labs that are innovators of lens technology, and offering some of these options might be exclusive to one particular lab, whereas another lab might not be able to offer the same options.
All optical labs are not created the same, so choose one carefully. With so many innovators in the industry, finding the right one can have a real effect on overall business.
