Over at GlassyEyes.com Ira has posted a very interesting and encouraging article entitled Online Glasses: The Insurance Companies are Getting it. Ira is very much on the customer’s side when it comes to buying prescription glasses and often writes useful tips to help his readers understand the sometimes tricky and daunting world of buying glasses online. Many online shoppers buying prescription glasses online will know that apart from your prescription, you will also need the measurement of your Pupillary Distance (or PD for short). 
Getting your prescription from your optometrist has become somewhat easier since websites like ours started popping up on the scene, but sadly many customers/patients will find that their prescription does not include their PD measurement, and rather annoyingly, its not until they go online to order a pair of specs that they even realise this. High street opticians seem reluctant to give up this key piece of information, probably because they know that anyone asking for their PD will probably be using it to buy their glasses elsewhere. The article over at Glassy Eyes however, suggests that health insurance companies (in the US) such as Health Partners have changed their policies to provide the PD measurement to patients who request it because it is important that their patients have an accurate measurement. There are even plans to include the PD measurement into the eye exam. This is obviously great news as it really gives the patient the freedom of choice to shop around for the best price when buying new glasses, and whats wrong with that? If you are having trouble getting your Pupillary Distance measurement in the mean time, there are a couple of ways you can obtain it. You can either: –
- Measure it yourself using a ruler and mirror (although its better to get someone else to measure it for you). Have a look at our help page here.
- Better still you can use one of our own special PD Measurement Rulers which is specially designed and shaped to fit over your nose and provide a more accurate reading.
- Or you can send us your old glasses (or a spare set) and we can get the measurement from them for you. We can then either send the glasses back to you with your new order or we can donate them to the charity Vision Aid Overseasfor you if you no longer require them.
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