The article "Affordable eyewear never looked so good," April 13, neglected to inform readers that fitting eyeglasses in New York is a licensed medical profession. Any pair of prescription glasses dispensed in New York must be fit and dispensed by a licensed optician or optometrist.
Glasses purchased over the Internet cannot be policed and may not conform to federal safety standards. Let the buyer beware.
Besides the crucial measurements that are necessary to produce a pair of customized prescription glasses, the optician or optometrist checks whether the frame is the appropriate style for the patient, whether the bridge size and temple length are correct and whether the lens design and material are correct for that particular prescription. What is the quality of the one-size-fits-all "polycarbonate" lenses?
Glasses, bottom line, are medical appliances and are required to be fit by licensed medical professionals. What is next? Online dentistry or self-serve online surgery? What is your vision worth?
Loretta Ackerman,
optician Albany