Dispensing Frontiers
Getting Your Team in Sync
Avoiding optical/medical staff conflicts.

Most ophthalmology practices with a dispensary let the optician create optical policies and procedures. This, however, can lead to problems.

Opticians often have a different mindset than the rest of your staff, and the staff may not understand or appreciate changes that would benefit your optical. This can lead to disagreements and misunderstandings that can affect the care your patients receive.

Also, if your optician quits, you'll have to create -- or at least deal with -- a whole new dispensary protocol.

ILLUSTRATION: AMY WUMMER

WORKING FROM THE SAME PAGE

You don't need to create a separate policy manual for your optical. Instead, modify your existing practice protocols so that guidelines for the dispensary are clearly established and procedures followed by the rest of the staff take the optical's needs into account.

Arrange for your optician to meet with staff members in small groups to review specific policies. (All staff members affected by the policy should participate.) Both the medical and optical departments should agree to any changes because both will be affected.

BECOMING DISPENSARY-FRIENDLY

Here are a few examples of procedural changes you might want to make:

Appointment scheduling. When a patient makes an appointment:

• your front desk person should ask about eyeglass insurance coverage as well as medical coverage
• the patient should be told to bring all of his eyeglasses to the exam
• the staff member scheduling the exam should make an appointment for the patient to see the optician 1 hour before the exam. This will give the optician time to document what the patient is now wearing and prefit a new pair.

When the patient arrives. Patients with an optical appointment should be directed to the optician. Other patients should be invited to browse in the dispensary.

• When a patient complains. Patients who purchase glasses elsewhere may call with vision complaints. Instead of scheduling a second refraction, your staff should direct them to the optician, who can ensure that the glasses are correctly made.
• During peak fitting times. Front desk staff should help answer dispensary phones at these times so the optician can work with appointed patients.

ANSWERING UNASKED QUESTIONS

Your group meetings can help keep simple issues from becoming problematic by establishing clear policies:

• Who approves optical purchases?
• How will invoicing be handled?
• Who reconciles statements?
• Will the chart go with the pa-tient or be taken to the front desk?
• Should the optician read the chart?
• Should the optician document certain optical information in the chart?
• How will returns be handled?
• How will optical insurance be handled?
• Will the optical be open the same hours as the medical office? Will it be open on Saturdays? (If so, who will open and close the practice?)
• When should post-surgery patients be fitted with glasses? Under what conditions will you remake post-op glasses?

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION

Addressing these issues will help to resolve them -- before they have a chance to generate hostility or frustration among staff and patients. The result will be a truly integrated dispensary, and a staff that's all on the same page.

Leona Meditz has 25 years' experience opening, owning and operating optical dispensaries. If you have questions regarding this article, please e-mail her at leona@neta.com.