I do it every year. I have my eyes examined by my regular eye doctor, then take the prescription to Pearle Vision (if I need new glasses or the prescription has changed).
You would need a more recent prescription than that. The last eye exam I had (done by an optometrist), the optometrist wrote the expiration date on the prescription, which was 3 years. Previously, I had gone to Walmart to have a new pair of glasses with an old prescription. The OD would not do it, saying that the prescription had expired.
Last time I got an eye exam I went to Wal-Mart. In addition to being pleasantly surprise by the thoroughness and professionalism of the exam, I was asked up front “Do you just want your prescription and plan to get the glasses elsewhere, or are you interested in buying your corrective lenses from us?” So that was an instance where the eye doctor brought up the topic first. I expect this is becoming more common these days.
When I went to Wal-Mart they gave me all the numbers, including PD, without my having to ask for it.
It doesn’t need to be new (legally), and Zenni doesn’t ask for a physical copy or doctor confirmation of your prescription. YMMV if a certain state or doctor wants to use stricter rules or criteria. Which is understandable, as all it takes is one guy transposing some numbers or misreading his handwritten prescription on a cocktail napkin, for mistakes to happen.
It helps if you realize that they’re just people who work in the same building, and thus not the same as you’d expect from Walmartians (although even then it’s usually not the employees that are bad).
Of course, I can’t see said numbers, because I need to take my glasses off to look.
Just that pair? If everyone on earth dies except for you, I recommend buying a cord to keep them safe. As a plus, there’s nobody to make fun of you for the dorkiness of having a glasses cord.
I was an A.B.O. certified optician for about 15 years. Measurements like pupillary distances and bifocal heights are the responsibility of the optician filling the prescription, not the prescriber. When I was in the business none of the ophthalmologists put P.D.s on prescriptions to try to ensure that their patients went to a qualified dispenser.
I do this (getting a written prescription for lenses, taking them to secondary glasses supplier) all the time, particularly for prescription safety glasses. My doctor has never had a problem with it.
…though I do tend to buy pricey frames and lenses from her for my day-to-day glasses.
Do this every year for my son. His insurance covers the exam but not glasses in the store the doctor operates out of. And the insurance covers the glasses but not the exam at the Walmart where we buy the glasses.
Ah, you just reminded me. When I ordered my glasses from Costco they did some additional measurements to ensure my glasses would fit. That no doubt included the pupillary distance measurement.