When Stephen F Sullivan, MD, decided to move and expand his practice's main location in North Dartmouth, Mass., he did so with one goal in mind, "We wanted high visibility for our dispensary," says the owner of Eye Health Vision Centers, a five location practice in southeastern Massachusetts. "We had an optical division for five years when the practice was located in a medical office setting, but we had no public visibility. Now with the redesign, people are aware of our optical presence."

But as Dr. Sullivan knows, the key to operating a successful dispensary isn't only attracting patients to the shop, it is also having the frame, lens and contact lens products in stock to keep them there. How does an ophthalmologist who is opening a new dispensary or expanding an existing one know what products to inventory.

When Stephen F Sullivan, MD, decided to move and expand his practice's main location in North Dartmouth, Mass., he did so with one goal in mind, "We wanted high visibility for our dispensary," says the owner of Eye Health Vision Centers, a five location practice in southeastern Massachusetts. "We had an optical division for five years when the practice was located in a medical office setting, but we had no public visibility. Now with the redesign, people are aware of our optical presence."

But as Dr. Sullivan knows, the key to operating a successful dispensary isn't only attracting patients to the shop, it is also having the frame, lens and contact lens products in stock to keep them there. How does an ophthalmologist who is opening a new dispensary or expanding an existing one know what products to inventory.

DETERMINE THE RIGHT PRODUCT MIX

Once you know the potential customers of your new or expanded optical shop, matching the inventory to the needs and wants of these patients is relatively easy, experts say. "if you have a pediatric practice, you don't want to have a 75 percent adult product mix in your dispensary," Dr. Bacotti notes.

In addition to setting up the appropriate mix of men's, women's, children's and unisex styles, and, in the case of dispensaries with in-office lab facilities, the appropriate mix of single-vision, progressive, bifocal, sun and anti-reflective coated/uncoated lenses in the optical shop, practitioners today need to pay special attention to the price points represented in their product inventory.

"You want to have a lot of high-end products, obviously, because that's what a lot of people want," says Dr. Bacbtti. "But you also need to have the product in the low and middle price points for the Medicare and HMO patients. Their coverage will often dictate what products can be made available to them. Some plans may not cover progressive lenses, or polycarbonate lenses, for instance. You have to look at the contracts you have, or expect to get, to see what is covered."

(Continue to Part 2)