Help- need lenses fast!

Semele

Hey,

I've just discovered to my horror that I've run out of disposable lenses (my own fault for not throwing out the empty box!) and really need a pair for later in the week as I have an event I'd prefer not to be in glasses for...

I usually buy online but have a copy of my last prescription, dated a year ago. If I went into an optitians with this could I buy a pair or two of lenses to keep me going until a new order arrives? Or, failing that, do any online suppliers do express deliveries?

Advice greatly appreciated!

Red Sleeping Beauty

I've heard of Specsavers saying that you need a special contact lens eye test ergo you won't get much look from them.

Do you not have a regular optician ? Who do you order online from

unreggd

My presription only changed slightly over 4 years

im sure they'll just sell to you if u ask

Just refuse to do a retest, im sure they'd prefer the sale

Misticles

ya could probably get a month and they advise your yearly check before getting anymore.
Depends on where ya go.

Shamanic

Any decent and reputable optician will not supply lenses to a patient who is out of date.
Lenses, both eyeglasses and contact lenses, are sold and supplied in Ireland and England as a medical device. This means they cannot be supplied unless a valid prescription is held.
The only thing the Optician can do for you is provide you with a five day trial of contact lenses to see you through and on the day you wear the fifth pair you would be required to have the annual checkup.

Misticles

Most decent and reputable opticians will give you some to get you by, and most will sell instead of givin away free lenses to everyone!!

Lenses are like drugs for some people--- they need their fix and if they dont get it they will go ape on your ass!!

If they have not been advised on their previous collection they will be givin some as "days grace" so to speak.

If you give them 5, chances are they will use them all and come back to get more FREE ones.
Also there might not be an available appointment time to suit them in or around 5 days.

Shamanic

In most practices, notes of ALL lenses given to patients including trials, are kept on record, to top patients coming back for more free trials.
Legally, in Ireland and the UK, you need a valid prescription to buy lenses, just like you need a valid prescription to buy medication.

Misticles

yes notes are recorded but patients still come back and they get really ancy if they need lenses and we wont give them any.
Bear in mind im talkin about prescriptions out of date by a month and still having a valid sight test.
If both were out of date-No No. One set of trials and one pair for apt.

There has to be give and take somewhere otheriwse there would be alot of pissed off lens patients

Blazer

I've often gone to Specsavers over the last 10 years or so and they've given me a pair for my footie game if I got stuck.
I always scheduled a checkup visit when I called in and that way they was happy to see me through.

Shamanic

well each practice to their own, i know anything more then 3 weeks in my practice and there would be a no go on a sale for even a month, but thats my policy and as i said each to their own.

Misticles

3 wks-month, not much difference. But if you have someone screamin blue murder, im goin here there and everywhere tomorrow and I need them.
Sometimes its better to help them out as some people do genuinely forget.
Also if you dont help them, theyl go elsewhere and go through the motions and buy lenses there.

Shamanic

Well ive been years in this business and i have to say i havent come across a patient yet who refuses like that, as far as im concerned, laws are there for a reason. I dont go into chemists if i run out of pain medication on repeat prescription and demand that even tho i dont have an up to date prescription i want them, and if i did i wouldnt get anywhere.
At the end of the day you could sell somebody a months worth of lenses that they use a pair 2-3 times a week, that would last them 10-15 weeks in dailies which brings them to nearly four months plus the one month grace over the recommended check up.

as regards helping them out i have no problem giving them trials but as long as theres a check up date at the end.

Anyway, we'll never sing off the one choir sheet by the looks of things, so thats just how it works in my practice