FORUM

Just lost my glasses and probably due an eye test . Has anyone had a recent eye test experience , if so can anyone recommend an optician with a reasonably quick appointment and supply of new glasses . .

Thanks

Hi. You can't get a eye test at opticiens here. You have to see a ophtalmologist. Can be pretty long wait for an appointment though . Can highly recommend Dr Mercier in Argeles. Note that he is non conventioné though so free to charge over the recommended rate of CPAM.

Thank you

I'm not sure that it is totally necessary to see an Ophthalmologist here.

My last appointment was at Visis. 8 Espace Méditerranée, Perpignan. Very professional, ultra modern equipment and they saw me within a week.

I then took the prescription to Channard Opticians in Perpignan who insisted on testing my eyes again before supplying some new glasses.

I found them to be brilliant, and because I had a prescription I got a refund from CPAM but it was insignificant compared to the cost of the eye test.

When my wife needed glasses, we went to Channard again, they tested her eyes and supplied glasses within a few days.

In both cases we took the prescriptions as defined by Channard to our optician in England who was in complete agreement with them.

I'm not saying that it isn't a good idea to go to an ophthalmologist, especially if you are diabetic or have eye problems but if you just want a pair of glasses and a check on a previous prescription then a good optician ought to be able to help you.

Incidentally, I have a french friend who is an ophthalmic optician and he tells me that 30% of the prescriptions that they see are wrong, so wherever you get your eyes tested, a good optician should verify the prescription.

This Thursday....
http://www.connexionfrance.com/Optician ... ticle.html

Allan wrote: My last appointment was at Visis. 8 Espace Méditerranée, Perpignan. Very professional, ultra modern equipment and they saw me within a week.

+1 for Visis. Most of their ophthalmologists are also ophthalmic surgeons and very experienced. We have always seen Dr. Bove.

Russell.

russell wrote:

Allan wrote: My last appointment was at Visis. 8 Espace Méditerranée, Perpignan. Very professional, ultra modern equipment and they saw me within a week.

+1 for Visis. Most of their ophthalmologists are also ophthalmic surgeons and very experienced. We have always seen Dr. Bove.

Russell.

The thing that staggers me is how they don't die of boredom. They are about the best-paid specialism of all, trained to the extent of bac plus 10 or 11, but spend almost all their time using highly-automated kit that a bright A-level entrant could learn to use in about a fortnight (probably with a lower error rate: as Allan says, their prescriptions are notoriously inaccurate). I guess that their very high incomes must be a very substantial comfort. For myself, eye-tests and specs are about the only thing that I still go to the UK for: you still get hustled, but the savings pay for the trip.

Thursday 13 October

http://www.ouillade.eu/agenda/p-o-jeudi ... ion/141563

I've recently had an eye test at Visis. I had the appointment with a Dr Iunica ( or something)

I agree with Martyn - why did I need to see and pay for this person when the actual eye-test thing had been done by a technician in another office - she had all the machines and stuff - the Doctor only had a pad and pencil!

I wasn't really impressed - apart form the chairs in the waiting area were very comfy!

Got my new specs from UK at Spex4less and they seem fine.

If , and I do mean if, it is just for a new presciption and glasses use Génerale d'Optique or another one of the large chains . They're all using the same modern automated modern equipment * and they're cheap and speedy .

However, if you think you have a problem , appart from just needing new a new prescription and glasses, have a health history or a family history which could indicate future problems then you need to see an opthalmologist .

* Yes, I don't know why they aren't bored out of their minds.

well Phip2, Who knew?? You learn something new every day. Thanks for that!!

Phip2 wrote:If , and I do mean if, it is just for a new presciption and glasses use Génerale d'Optique or another one of the large chains . They're all using the same modern automated modern equipment * and they're cheap and speedy .
On
However, if you think you have a problem , appart from just needing new a new prescription and glasses, have a health history or a family history which could indicate future problems then you need to see an opthalmologist .

* Yes, I don't know why they aren't bored out of their minds.

Can I ask when it was? Since autumn last year, as I understand it, you cannot buy corrective glasses without a prescription from a kosher ophalthmo dated within the last three years. This is pure protectionism, obviously, but that's how France works. Unless your opticians were just ready to break the law: in which case, give us the address.

martyn94 wrote:

Phip2 wrote:If , and I do mean if, it is just for a new presciption and glasses use Génerale d'Optique or another one of the large chains . They're all using the same modern automated modern equipment * and they're cheap and speedy .
On
However, if you think you have a problem , appart from just needing new a new prescription and glasses, have a health history or a family history which could indicate future problems then you need to see an opthalmologist .

* Yes, I don't know why they aren't bored out of their minds.

Can I ask when it was? Since autumn last year, as I understand it, you cannot buy corrective glasses without a prescription from a kosher ophalthmo dated within the last three years. This is pure protectionism, obviously, but that's how France works. Unless your opticians were just ready to break the law: in which case, give us the address.

Are you sure that it is not just that there is no reimbursement without a prescription?

Allan wrote:

martyn94 wrote:

Phip2 wrote:If , and I do mean if, it is just for a new presciption and glasses use Génerale d'Optique or another one of the large chains . They're all using the same modern automated modern equipment * and they're cheap and speedy .
On
However, if you think you have a problem , appart from just needing new a new prescription and glasses, have a health history or a family history which could indicate future problems then you need to see an opthalmologist .

* Yes, I don't know why they aren't bored out of their minds.

Can I ask when it was? Since autumn last year, as I understand it, you cannot buy corrective glasses without a prescription from a kosher ophalthmo dated within the last three years. This is pure protectionism, obviously, but that's how France works. Unless your opticians were just ready to break the law: in which case, give us the address.

Are you sure that it is not just that there is no reimbursement without a prescription?

Pretty sure, but you can google as well as I can. See eg here
http://www.acuite.fr/actualite/legislat ... des-verres

There seems to be a fine up to €3750.

I haven't read this in depth but it appears to say they changed their minds

http://www.snof.org/2015-le-sénat-suppr ... e-lunettes

Allan wrote:I haven't read this in depth but it appears to say they changed their minds

http://www.snof.org/2015-le-sénat-suppr ... e-lunettes

The Senate often says things that are reversed down below, and I think that this may be one of those cases.

It's interesting that the Code de la Santé, as it seems to now stand

https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCo ... ieLien=cid

does seem to require a "medical prescription", but then allows opticians to "adjust" a prescription in course of validity (including, I imagine, redoing it and getting it right). That may help explain why opticians have seemed to have more scope to act by themselves than the basic framework seems to allow. For myself, I'll continue to take a 2-day break in the U.K.

Just to recap, for those who don't want to follow the to-and-fro between me and Allan, it seems that you need to have a prescription from an ophthalmo given within the last three years to buy corrective glasses. But if you have the piece of paper, your optician (i.e. the glasses shop) doesn't generally have to follow it exactly: they can test you again themselves and give you what they think you need.

Bizarre, but it could be worse.

Wow; I'm glad that I didn't know this . Realising that my perscription was over 4 years old, ditto my glasses, and having heard of other 'oldies' driving with old prescription glasses I popped along to Générale d'Optique had my eyes tested , got a new prescription and new glasses . However, I've just had a look at the little glossy brochure with which I was issued : 'nos opticiens diplômés effectuent gratuitement la vérification de votre vue'. .....La vérification de la vue n'est pas un acte médicale . I now know that I didn't have an eye test , just a test to verify my vision was as stated on my prescription and given that it wasn't I got glasses to my 'new prescription' + a copy on a nice plastic card.

I love the twisted logic of this French workarounds .

Phip2 wrote:Wow; I'm glad that I didn't know this . Realising that my perscription was over 4 years old, ditto my glasses, and having heard of other 'oldies' driving with old prescription glasses I popped along to Générale d'Optique had my eyes tested , got a new prescription and new glasses . However, I've just had a look at the little glossy brochure with which I was issued : 'nos opticiens diplômés effectuent gratuitement la vérification de votre vue'. .....La vérification de la vue n'est pas un acte médicale . I now know that I didn't have an eye test , just a test to verify my vision was as stated on my prescription and given that it wasn't I got glasses to my 'new prescription' + a copy on a nice plastic card.

I love the twisted logic of this French workarounds .

More than one way to skin a cat!

Phip2 wrote:Wow; I'm glad that I didn't know this . Realising that my perscription was over 4 years old, ditto my glasses, and having heard of other 'oldies' driving with old prescription glasses I popped along to Générale d'Optique had my eyes tested , got a new prescription and new glasses . However, I've just had a look at the little glossy brochure with which I was issued : 'nos opticiens diplômés effectuent gratuitement la vérification de votre vue'. .....La vérification de la vue n'est pas un acte médicale . I now know that I didn't have an eye test , just a test to verify my vision was as stated on my prescription and given that it wasn't I got glasses to my 'new prescription' + a copy on a nice plastic card.

I love the twisted logic of this French workarounds .

In theory, it seems, the optician has to tell your original ophthalmo that they have "adapted" the ophthalmo's original prescription. And an ophthalmo is entitled to endorse their prescription, forbidding any mere optician from monkeying around with it.

As you say, it seems a very French way of preserving the ophthalmo"s monopoly while stopping the system seizing up completely.