My name is Christine Ferguson and I’m a fully qualified Optometrist. I’ve been practicing now for over 8 years and have worked in many different settings within this time. I’ve worked for multiples, independent/franchises and hospitals. I have done some domiciliary work also.
The job within itself varies greatly depending on the setting. The initial two years after qualifying were not enjoyable for example. I was hounded by targets, dispensing percentages and time pressure. I worked for a large multiple and instead of thriving in a big company, I felt swamped. Since then, I have avoided the multiple setting and enjoyed the job much more.
That being said, when working for any retail company, sales are always important. The pressure is always there to sell as sadly, the actual sight test is undervalued. Spectacle sales are what truly ensure a companies success, not how many patients you’ve diagnosed and referred for Glaucoma!
However, it is more difficult than ever for the high street Optician’s due to online sales of glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses. I understand the pros and cons of this from a patient perspective and even though in an ideal world, all patients would order from their local Opticians, I believe online is the way things will continue to go. What concerns me is the people selling the glasses and contact lenses. More often than not they are simply business people out to make a buck. They have no regard for the people buying them or their eye health and sight. An incorrectly made pair of glasses can cause all sorts of problems. Inappropriate contact lenses can actually be sight threatening!
I have chosen to create something that I feel will allow both patients and practitioners to have the information they need to choose what is best for them in terms their (or their patient) individual eye care.
I aim to be an informative site with interesting (hopefully) articles about common Optometry daily issues and provide an easy to understand refresher for the rusty practitioner. I would like to point patients in the right direction in terms of where is best to order online, if they choose to do so. In a nutshell, I want to make Optometry and the general health of the eye more widely understood in order to help the population at large!