# Does your optometrist make glasses? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 14, 2025, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975 "2025-01-14T18:42:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/1 "2025-01-14T18:42:26Z")
I went to the optometrist for the first time in (mumble mumble) years and was quite shocked after and had selected the frames that I wanted that I was asked if I wanted to wait 20 - 25 minutes for them to make the glasses or come back later. This was a very small shop. There was a receptionist, a technician, and the optometrist. I said I’d wait, not really expecting it to only take 25 minutes. Surprise, it took less than that. And it was the actual optometrist that made the glasses. From the waiting room, I could see him working on them in between patients. My prescription is fairly simple, but still, I was very pleasantly surprised with how well it worked out. Is this SOP for optometrists now? Does your optometrist make glasses? _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/1))_ ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/2 "2025-01-14T18:49:06Z")
I don’t know how long it takes, but I believe mine has their own lens machine(s) and are made on site. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/3 "2025-01-14T18:50:59Z")
Pretty sure Costco sends them to a lab. I was quoted a week on mine (OK, so I wear progressives and have a rather heavy prescription with a bit of astigmatism as a “bonus”). They did arrive a couple of days faster, which was nice. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/4 "2025-01-14T20:06:22Z")
Did they have the chambers to put on the anti-reflective coatings? ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/5 "2025-01-14T20:12:37Z")
The glasses arrived fully made and ready for use, so I’m guessing no. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/6 "2025-01-14T20:14:54Z")
That’s what I mean: a very small shop may not be able to afford all that equipment. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/7 "2025-01-14T20:18:29Z")
My guess is your prescription was for single-vision spherical lenses and that the optical shop had that prescription in stock. So at most, all they had to do is to cut the lenses to fit the frames. Mine are progressive lenses, which are more complicated to fit. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/8 "2025-01-14T20:18:59Z")
The optical department at Costco doesn’t have much floor space, really. As stated, I wear progressives and have a little astigmatism on top of serious myopia. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/9 "2025-01-14T20:30:53Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > My guess is your prescription was for single-vision spherical lenses and that the optical shop had that prescription in stock. So at most, all they had to do is to cut the lenses to fit the frames. Mine are progressive lenses, which are more complicated to fit… Yes, but I do have some astigmatism in one eye but they probably keep those in stock as well. I could definitely hear cutting going on. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/10 "2025-01-14T20:32:18Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Did they have the chambers to put on the anti-reflective coatings?. I don’t know. I didn’t ask for it. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/11 "2025-01-14T20:48:12Z")
Optometrist or Optician? An optometrist is a University-level advanced degree that specializes in eye health. An optician is a technical specialist that makes and fits glasses. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/12 "2025-01-14T20:50:37Z")
In this case, it was the optometrist that both performed my exam and made the glasses. His diploma was hanging on the wall. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/13 "2025-01-14T21:10:12Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > In this case, it was the optometrist that both performed my exam and made the glasses. Very interesting. Here in Ontario they are completely separate with different regulators. My optometrists office does sell glasses, but the optometrist would check your eyes and write your script and an optician would fit and sell the glasses. They don’t have a lab on site, so everything would be sent out anyway. The optician I have used for the last 35 years is just a stand alone optician shop and has a lab on site to edge lenses and fit them to frames, but the lenses themselves are ground and coated at a manufacturer and shipped in. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/14 "2025-01-14T22:41:52Z")
I used to go to a place that had an in house lab. I became uncomfortable about the treatment of staff, and extra cost. The staff treatment wasn’t a huge deal, but I felt it was mildly unprofessional. It was also a long drive … 40 min. Compared to 10. I am getting my latest pair from a low income/sliding scale clinic. I ended up getting the three, “upgrades” I want/ need for a quarter the price I paid last year (without anti-reflective coating) at a big company. Who also doesn’t have an in house lab. I mentioned to the optition that I had thought to try to get glasses online so I could afford anti-reflective coating. She told me not to do that in the strongest terms as my prescription is pretty complicated. Strong astigmatism, weighted prisims, yadda yadda. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/15 "2025-01-14T23:20:15Z")
> [@Sylvanz](#): > > I mentioned to the optition that I had thought to try to get glasses online so I could afford anti-reflective coating. She told me not to do that in the strongest terms as my prescription is pretty complicated. Strong astigmatism, weighted prisims, yadda yadda. I’m ok with buying my single-vision computer glasses online, but my progressive lens glasses I always get in person from the optician. They take a to of measurements you just can’t do with an online order. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2025, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/16 "2025-01-15T02:40:06Z")
My optometrist does only eye examinations, although he is part of a practice that does make glasses. First you are seen by a technician who uses a machine to study things like peripheral vision (push a button when you see a light flash in a random place on a screen) then you see the optometrist who makes the script. Interestingly, his wife is an opthalmologist (not on site; she works in a hospital) that he can ask about difficult problem. Then he writes the script and an optician makes the glasses. Mine are complicated. Progressives plus a prism. They take several days. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2025, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/17 "2025-01-15T08:29:57Z")
The usual thing in the UK is to go to a firm (usually a big chain like Boots, Specsavers or Vision Express) that employs optometrists and makes up the glasses as well. They mostly contract with the NHS for eye-checks and any consequent prescription (that much is free to the patient). You’re free to take the prescription elsewhere, but the optician firm will run as a one-stop shop, busily upselling you the extras, though usually the glasses will be made up by a lab somewhere else. I’ve never seen or heard of a manufacturing optician actually being a qualified optometrist as well (and vice versa), but you never know. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2025, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/18 "2025-01-15T15:21:48Z")
I was reading some oral histories about Chicago 100 years ago. They were recorded by seniors in the 1990s, telling stories about growing up in the 20s. One was a family of jewelers that survived the Great Depression, in part, because they had an optometrist on staff & the lab in the store. Eyeglasses are essential. > [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > They take a to of measurements you just can’t do with an online order. Sure, same as any eye exam, but then forward those measurements (Rx) to the online vendor? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2025, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/19 "2025-01-15T15:47:42Z")
When I get a new pair of progressive lenses and frames, she measures my eyes and then marks a line on the clear plastic dummy lenses in the new frames. I assume this is where the prescription should transition and I’m not sure how to convey that info in an online order. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975/20 "2025-01-15T15:52:46Z")
That’s generally more about this: > **[Pupillary distance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pupillary_distance)** > > Pupillary distance (PD), more correctly known as interpupillary distance (IPD) is the distance in millimeters between the centers of each pupil. > Distance PD is the separation between the visual axes of the eyes in their primary position, as the subject fixates on an infinitely distant object. > Near PD is the separation between the visual axes of the eyes, at the plane of the spectacle lenses, as the subject fixates on a near object at the intended working distance. > Intermediate PD is at a specifi... As a way to determine this: > **[For optimal vision, where should the optical center be in an eyeglass lens?](https://www.aao.org/eye-health/ask-ophthalmologist-q/optical-center-eyeglass-lens-optimal-vision)** > > For optimal vision, where should the optical center be in an eyeglass lens? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optometrist-make-glasses/1012975.md?page=2)