Mr X parks his car on the double yellow lines outside your practice, rushes in at 9.05am and says: “I’m running late for work. I need my contact lenses, and I only have one minute to spare”. You are opening the post and his lenses have just come in the morning post. “Great,” he says. “I’ll just take them now.”
Is it that simple? Can you just hand them over? The short answer is: no, not just yet.
This can be a difficult situation as the patient is in a rush, but you should not allow yourself to be rushed. This is because there are rules and regulations regarding the supply of contact lenses, and it is important these rules are adhered to.
Firstly, you should bring the patient’s details up on the screen and check you have the right patient. There could be more than one Mr X. You should then bring the contact lens details up on the screen and check the correct lenses have been sent. You need to check that the lens type, base curve, diameter and power all match. If you are unsure how to do this, you should ask another member of staff to do this. You should also make sure it is clear which lens is for which eye, and that the patient is aware of this.
Once you are sure you have the correct lenses for the correct patient, you should check when the next aftercare appointment is due. This is usually an annual appointment, and contact lenses should not be supplied if the aftercare appointment is out of date. This is a legal requirement to ensure the lenses still meet the patient’s needs, and there are no ocular problems developing as a result of contact lens wear.
If Mr X’s aftercare appointment is overdue, you should book him an appointment at the earliest opportunity, but he should not be given the contact lenses. If this causes a problem, you should refer to your optometrist or contact lens optician (CLO). If he is due an aftercare appointment in the near future, he should not be given lenses that exceed the next aftercare date.
So if he was collecting a six-month supply and his aftercare appointment was due in two months, you should only give him enough lenses to last two months. It is always advisable to inform each patient of their next aftercare date when collecting lenses. This keeps them informed and aware of the requirement to attend aftercare appointments, which helps to avoid any problems in the future.
If you also supply Mr X with contact lens solutions, you should check when these were last purchased. Sometimes patients will try to make the solutions last longer by not using the correct amount, but this can lead to complications such as lens discomfort and eye infections. If there is a large discrepancy, you should refer this to the optometrist or CLO.
Powered contact lenses must be sold either under the supervision or under general direction of a registered optometrist, dispensing optician, CLO or a registered medical practitioner. ‘Under supervision’ means the supervisor must be on the premises and in a position to intervene. ‘General direction’ means that written protocols and procedures are in place to protect the patient’s health and safety, and that the person conducting the supply is appropriately trained.
These regulations are in place to protect patient, so you should only hand contact lenses to a patient if you are working under either of these conditions.
Finally, you need to make a note on the patient’s record of the date they have collected the lenses.
In conclusion, whilst this is not a one-minute job, you should remain calm, professional and efficient at all times – and hopefully Mr X will be on his way as quickly as possible.
Sue Deal FBDO R is a practising dispensing optician, ABDO College examiner, senior tutor and supervisor for dispensing opticians. She is also a practice visitor and external moderator for ABDO. She was recently awarded the ABDO Medal of Excellence for her outstanding services to the profession.
All past OA Corner articles can be found in the features section of DO Online.