Careers for Opticians

Opticians are problem solvers, artists and public relations experts. Their job duties require opticians to wear many hats to serve the public. As team members of the ophthalmology field, these eye specialists work with ophthalmologists and optometrists to keep patients' eyes healthy.

Fill Prescriptions

Opticians fill prescriptions ordered by eye doctors. As patients bring in their prescriptions, they read and interpret the orders. The orders may require them to fit people with eyeglasses or contact lens. Eye specialists need to measure the patients' face to ensure that the glasses fit their facial structures correctly.

Fit Frames

Eye specialists must fit the correct lenses to the right frames. The frames generally come in many styles, colors and sizes. They also talk with the patient about what types or styles of eyeglass frames they may want to wear. Although opticians need to fill the doctors' or optometrists' orders, they still may want to make patients feel comfortable with their selections.

When fitting contact lens, artificial eyes or other eye necessities, optician staff must follow all prescriptions precisely. The patients' eyes and their overall health depend on getting the right products.

Gather Patient Information

Optician specialists gather information from each patient or customer that comes to their store, office or place of work. This information tells opticians about the patients' eye health history and preferences for eye wear.

Required Skills

Their careers in opticianry typically involve using math to calculate or read measurements. Optical workers also need to understand, read and write English. Since their career duties involve serving the public, they need to have excellent customer service skills. Other required skills include knowing the anatomy of the eye, face and head. Opticians should know medical terminology regarding the face and eyes as well.