Hard Times for Independent Optometrists
Friday, May 20 2016 | 00 h 00 min | News
In a recent article in Le Soleil, a daily newspaper in Quebec, the optometrist Lucie Laurin sounds the alarm on the plight of independent optometrists.
In Quebec, about one office per week is absorbed by a large optical chain. Eye exams have been traditionally financed by the sale of products, but online sales disrupt this dynamic. As more and more customers leave with their prescriptions and buy on the Internet, independent optometrists struggle to be profitable and end up selling their office.
Dr. Laurin also believes that chains neglect certain aspects of eye health and make profiling patients (selectively choose patients), discarding those that require additional time, such as the elderly. Le Soleil reports that the situation has also concerned the Minister of Justice of Quebec, Stéphanie Vallée, who is considering amending the Professional Code to better protect patients.
