Opticians can work in an optometrist's office or not. Decades ago, opticians worked exclusively for doctors' offices. They worked closely with the optometrist and patients in the medical setting. Times have greatly changed. Today, the industry has changed somewhat. You can still find opticians in optometrist offices. However, you can also find them in places where there are no optometrists. An optometrist's prescription is much like an internist's prescription. You can take that prescription anywhere and get it filled by a licensed pharmacist. With an optometrist's prescription, you can go to any optician and get it filled by a licensed optician. A place to get started with training is optician programs online.

Optometrist offices often have an optician on hand to help with dispensing glasses and contact lenses. Smart optometrists know that patients do not want to go multiple places unless they have to. By providing a full optical shop in their offices, they can give their patients convenient choices. That is a place where the optician works with the optometrist closely. In some cases, the optician works directly for the optometrist. Sometimes, the optical shop is a separate business working in the same office as the optometrist. In either case, the optician needs training to work there. They can get that at optician programs online.

Many big box retailers have an eyeglass place on the premises that employ an optician. Sometimes these shops have an optometrist taking appointments. Sometimes they do not. These stores offer a wide selection of eyeglass frames as well as lens options. Some of these stores offer low-cost eyeglass options. They are a preferential choice for those on a budget. These stores also carry a range of contact lenses also. Opticians working here need to be professional and handle sales as well. You will need to complete optician programs online or on campus before working in these stores just as you would a shop in an optometrist's office.

Some opticians work in laboratories filling orders. The vast majority of optical shops do not grind lenses on the premises. They send the order to a dispensing laboratory. Opticians working in those locations accept the orders and verify the information. In some cases, opticians are the ones grinding lenses. However, most labs use specially trained ophthalmic technicians to grind lenses to fit in frames. The opticians are there to verify orders and to dispense them as requested. You can complete optician programs online and start working in a dispensing laboratory after graduation.

Some opticians work towards becoming an ophthalmic professional. By taking training at optician programs online, you are entering a field where professional is the name of the game. You are a member of the medical field. You are working in a professional environment with patients. You have to follow medical codes of conduct. You need to keep your licensing up to date. You have to take this field of work very seriously. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, you need to explore the school available and see what is out there.