I desperately needed contacts following lockdown and was new to the neighborhood. The soonest appt I could get at any local eye doctor was here, and now I know why.
The doctor was very nice but otherwise the experience was lacking. The practice is extremely outdated, it was actually shocking. The doctor said I was between two prescriptions (have been for years) and recommended i go up. I told him this has been tried before and I didn't like it, but he persisted so I agreed to give it another try. I waited for five days to get a call that my trial contacts came in. (Most eye doctors have the trials there..) When I went to pick it up the receptionist (who was answering phones and dealing with the customers-- customers who were not wearing masks) went back and removed the contacts from the sterile packaging and put them in a case and nonchalantly handed it to me. She did not wash her hands (I could see her from where i was standing) and said she used some tool to do it when i said I didn't want contacts that she touched. I have no idea what tool she used or if it was cleaned or sterilized and was horrified that this was happening. Then I asked to at least see the packaging so i knew what I was getting and she reluctantly went to get the packaging to show me. I have been wearing contacts for 20+ years and always am given the sterile trial lenses to put in and get checked by the doctor before leaving. (Which results in you leaving the packaging there as the lenses are in your eyes). When I asked why they did it this way she said so that you can't order the contacts on your own. You can't order them with a package only anyway, made no sense.
I was pretty upset as this is Covid times and did not want to put contacts someone else handled in my eyes. Later that day after sitting with it for a while, I called to speak to the doctor. To his credit he got back to me quickly. I explained my position and he claimed the policy was to monitor inventory. After I explained again about how I felt this was unsanitary and unprofessional he did offer to order me another set, but at this point I did not have any interest in continuing to work with the practice.
Ultimately I asked for a written RX for my previous prescription (which is what I wanted all along) and will be taking my eye exams elsewhere. It was just impossible for me to get past someone not washing hands opening my sterile contacts and putting them into a case, all under the guise of not wanting me to order them on my own. The experience was beyond unprofessional and unsanitary on a normal day, reprehensible during a pandemic.
I think the doctor has potential to be great, but needs to update the practice and his policies (and probably the staff). read more
