Pennsylvania Opticians Licensure

Target:

Opticians and the Public

Sponsored by:

Pennsylvania opticians have been in practice without licensure since the inception of opticianry in the state. Opticians are the sole fabricators and dispensers of ophthalmic products such as Contact Lenses, Eyeglasses, and various accesories. These ophthalmic devices require verification, measurements, and maintenance that the average optician of today is ill equiped to provide. The general public in Pennsylvania is being decieved daily when they walk into an establishment that has just confered the title optician to someone who was just transfered from the automotive department, at times with grease still under the fingernails. This uneductaed, uncertified individual is now resposible for the care of a person or families of persons; most important sense, vision. There is a national certification known as the ABO (American Board of Opticianry http://www.abo-ncle.org/), this certification can provide a base line measure for the competency of every optician in the state with very little time and effort. The frame work is in place for a better future, I can SEE it, can YOU. Please sign the petition today and inform at least 10 people about this site and together we can make a difference.

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We signed the "Pennsylvania Opticians Licensure" petition!

# 140:

3:36 pm PST, Dec 17, Joyce Davis, ABOC, Pennsylvania

# 139:

5:28 pm PST, Dec 4, Meri Beatrice, Connecticut

# 138:

5:47 am PST, Nov 20, Michael Dimassimo, Massachusetts
Unfortunately, many states do not require licensure, I went to school and have my ABO and I am working towards licensure in Mass, however; its perceptions that seem to dictate this field as a "trade" not a profession, and many of these erroneous perceptions come from Dr's who allow non licensed folks work under their license. It keeps pay low and the field perceived by others as unprofessional. All states should have licensure and all States who have licensure laws should strongly enforce them. Otherwise, its the patients who will ultimately suffer.

# 137:

8:53 am PST, Nov 17, Janet Billig, New Jersey
Protect the profession of opticianry and the public. Vote for licensing opticians in PA.

# 136:

6:17 am PST, Nov 12, MICHAEL CINTRON, New Jersey

# 135:

5:58 pm PDT, Oct 19, Bethley Giles, Virginia

# 134:

2:11 pm PDT, Oct 9, Brent Hurevitch, New Jersey
It should be state mandated that opticians need to go to school and pass some sort of opticianry exam. I am a LICENSED NJ State Optician and I would never trust someone who doesn�t hold a medical license to manufacture or dispense any medical device, the same way you wouldn't trust someone who is not a licensed medical doctor or pharmacist to diagnose with a disease or fill your prescribed medication respectively. It is absolutely amazing that we can allow people to make corrective eyewear without any education about it and then expect that that person may one day be in an accident that has killed someone because there glasses were not made properly. Who then is held responsible for the person they just killed? The driver or the unlicensed optician in the unlicensed state that made the pair of glasses that they dispensed to the patient who then got behind the wheel of their car assuming all was ok and then drove into someone else killing them. Think about it. It is very scary in my opinion. I wouldn't trust a MD without a license to perform surgery on me, would you? If not, then why do we trust an unlicensed, uneducated people to implement a medical device for our daily use?

# 133:

7:32 pm PDT, Sep 30, Perry Wetzel, Pennsylvania
I have worked in Licensed States and believe that anybody who works with peoples vision should have a license. It is unbelievable that people will trust their eye care to those who have not been sufficiently trained, certified and licensed to do so. I would like to believe that those of us who have been in the business for many, many years would be grandfathered in on this licensure.

# 132:

10:42 pm PDT, Sep 25, Robert Giles, Virginia

# 131:

1:56 am PDT, Sep 25, Simos Tarabatzis, Greece
For more impact, add a personal comment here

# 130:

5:27 pm PDT, Sep 23, Lisa McAtee, Illinois

# 129:

12:48 pm PDT, Sep 16, Lisa Cusmina, Pennsylvania
In order to insure quality and professionalism in our field every state needs to have some sort of certication or licensure requirements for any person who wishes to be called an optician.

# 128:

5:46 am PDT, Sep 6, Robert Neiderman, New Jersey
Without their own verification equipment at home and the training to use it, patients are forced to trust their opticians. Licensure provides accountability, which in turn demands education. It's time to make Pennsylvania a safe and reliable place to get eyewear.

# 127:

12:58 pm PDT, Aug 30, Harvey Berkowitz, Florida
As a former Philadelphia resident and optician of over 40 years (I sold my chain in 1990)I support the professional licensure of Opticians> I am now licensed in multiple states and actively support licensure as I know it will prevent inexpierenced employees from harming the public. In Florida and Georgia you must uphold standards or be held accountable

# 126:

1:24 pm PDT, Aug 29, Michael Fazio, Pennsylvania

# 125:

7:31 pm PDT, Aug 28, Eugene Chin, Pennsylvania
This profession should be licensed. We should trust our opticians. We have neighboring states that are licensed. This will maintain our belief that opticians is a healthcare field.

# 124:

6:22 am PDT, Aug 28, Cindy Koszegi, Canada
Its encouraging to see an optician taking the initiative in attaining licensure and regulation for opticians. I support this endeavour. We here in BC became licensed in 1996 and am happy to say it has provided the basis for the promotion of our chosen profession.

# 123:

5:28 pm PDT, Aug 27, Leo Hadley Jr., Florida
My barber has a license, why shouldnt my optician? I have been in the optical industry for 23 years and have worked in 9 states. 7 licensed and 2 non licensed. I firmly believe that a licensed and educated optician should be in every practice or store to insure that the patients or customers are receiving exactly what the doctor prescribes. Pennsylvania needs to step up to the plate and give its citezins confidence that there is an educated professional caring for their eyes.

# 122:

1:17 pm PDT, Aug 27, Katherine May, Pennsylvania
I am a NJ licensed Optician that moved to PA alittle over 1 year ago. (Also a Board of Director Member for the OANJ). I absolutely refuse to purchase glasses in Pa. I was once told by a Vision Center in a local LARGE RETAILER that they watch cashiers. If they seem to have 1/2 a brain and someone is needed in the Vision Center, they will transfer them. I do not have my ABO/NCLE but would go and get it if this is passed and would go get an Opticians job in Pa.

# 121:

8:53 am PDT, Aug 26, John Jeffrey, Massachusetts
For the betterment of all those who wear contacts and eyeglasses, every state should have a liscensing requirement as well as continuing education.

# 120:

8:36 am PDT, Aug 26, Leah Strangos, Pennsylvania

# 119:

6:43 am PDT, Aug 26, Jennifer Galbraith, Pennsylvania

# 118:

4:57 pm PDT, Aug 25, Ian MacIvor, Canada

# 117:

4:40 pm PDT, Aug 25, Patrick Verrastro, Pennsylvania
For more impact, add a personal comment here

# 116:

11:57 am PDT, Aug 25, Carol Marx, New York
Hair dressers in your state are liscensed. When was the last time someon had a car accident because they had a bad hair cut?

# 115:

9:49 am PDT, Aug 25, Warren G. McDOnald, North Carolina
Licensure for Opticians is an important issue and demands immediate implementation. I appreciate your support.

# 114:

8:20 am PDT, Aug 25, Andrew Weiss, North Carolina
Licensure is the only way to ensure quality control in this health care area. Licensure encourages optical professionals to get the education and training they need to do their jobs properly. I've been licensed as an optician in Massachusetts since 1972, and it really does make a difference in the level of professionalism and the quality of care.

# 113:

8:59 pm PDT, Aug 24, Jenny Pfeiler, Tennessee
To Whom It May Concern: Licensure is the only sure way to maintain standards for optical products and services. Regulation by a state health board, with requirements for education and training, verified by objective, standardized examination will increase the eye care standards for the people of Pennsylvania just as it has for the populations of many of our states. Respectfully, Jenny Pfeiler, TN Licensed Optician

# 112:

6:39 pm PDT, Aug 24, Rick Courts, West Virginia
Professional certification is crucial to any health care field!

# 111:

3:00 pm PDT, Aug 24, Dorothea Hadsell, New York
I think all states should license Opticians. I have been in this field for over thirty years licensed in three states. You will have better quality eyewear if you require your "opticians" to have at least the ABO certification and require Continuing Education every year.

# 110:

9:43 am PDT, Aug 22, Robert Nisberg, Pennsylvania

# 109:

1:47 pm PDT, Aug 21, Name not displayed, Pennsylvania

# 108:

12:37 pm PDT, Aug 20, R Garfield, Pennsylvania
Having practice solely in PA for the last twenty-five years, I can personally vouch for the poor quality of eyeglasses that many patients receive because opticians in Pennsylvania remain unlicensed. Many, many patients suffer poor vision and all which that entails because their eyeglasses are either incorrectly fabricated or ill-fitting. The vast majority of Pennsylvanians would enjoy an improved quality of life if they could improve their vision through better quality eyeglasses. The only people who benefit from the lack of licensing among opticians in Pennsylvania are the business owners that enjoy high profits because they employ inexpensive untrained personnel to fumble through the refined and complicated tasks that a properly licensed professional optician would better perform.

# 107:

8:57 am PDT, Aug 9, Andi Alnwick, New York

# 106:

3:30 pm PDT, Jul 30, Ray Huber, Ohio

# 105:

9:35 am PDT, Jul 28, Name not displayed, Ohio
When a doctor hands a prescription, you want a professional dispensing the rx.

# 104:

8:16 am PDT, Jul 27, FRANK J Wenstrup, Ohio
For the public to be better served, Opticians should be licensed and held accountable and be required to increase their knowledge and skills by being required to take continued education courses each year. Frank J. Wenstrup,ABOM, AAOO licensed Optician in Ohio & Kentucky

# 103:

7:30 am PDT, Jul 25, Ralph Kent, Pennsylvania
I have spent my entire 36 year career in the optical industry with exposure to states that require licensure as weel as states that do not. I feel that licensing in the state of Pennsylvania would immediately upgrade the quality of patient care while insuring that it would continue to function in the future. It is somewhat of a sad note that my barber is reuired to have a license while a person dispensing a medical device requires no license or training.

# 102:

9:46 pm PDT, Jul 23, JOSSIE A ROSS, Canada
YOU BET !!

# 101:

8:28 pm PDT, Jul 21, Donald Price, Texas

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