Many people aware PD can easily be measured without optometrist

I was reading with interest your letter from Brendon Buschi March 17 regarding optometrists in the U.S. refusing to include a person's Pupil Distance on prescriptions. Sad to say you are not alone.

Ten years ago, here in Australia, we started the first online discount prescription glasses under the name of AusSpecs www.ausspecs.com.au.
Up till that point it was still law that only optometrists could dispense prescription eyeglasses, so you can imagine the resistance when the law was changed to open the market to competition.

The industry stranglehold by the optical industry forced Australians to pay exorbitant and often ridiculous sums for glasses just to be able to see well enough to read.

Eventually these laws were seen for what they were in that they fostered a closed shop mentality.

At that time the average Australian actually believed that a pair of standard, no-frills prescription glasses was a very expensive item with a starting price in the many 100s of dollars.

Now, with the repealing of the Optical Dispensing Laws in most states of Australia, the optical retail market has been opened up for direct competition and Australians are finally, but slowly, coming to the realisation that prescription eyeglasses do not cost an arm and a leg.

Optometrists do however still have one card to play and that is to withhold the pupil distance in a blatant attempt of ensuring that the client returns to purchase their glasses in-store and pay the inflated prices.

Fortunately many people are aware that the PD can easily be measured without the optometrist.

For those living here in Australia, unfortunately they will need this skill for many years because the legislators have no inclination to change things for the better

Brian Menhennett
A.S.W. Group Pty Ltd
t/a Australian Spectacle Wholesalers
Kwinana Western Australia