ask the labs
By Joseph L. Bruneni

GLASS LOVERS TAKE HEART

Q I was reading the August issue of Eyecare Business and I believe you have incorrect information in the "Don't Forget Glass" article. I was recently looking into high index glass and was led to believe that it is no longer available in the U.S. in 1.7, 1.8, or 1.9 index.

--Nancy Sheil, optician, Grueneyes

A High index glass is typically not stocked by Rx laboratories because of infrequent usage. However, it is readily available to labs that order daily from manufacturers' stock. In the U.S., 1.60 index is the most commonly dispensed high index glass. 1.60 index is available in clear aspheric or spherical single vision; UVSG 15 percent gray, photochromic gray and brown, single vision; flat top 28 clear bifocals; and in a wide array of progressive lens designs. 1.70 index is available in clear single vision and fused flat top 25 and 28 bifocals. 1.80 index is available in clear single vision and progressive styles. 1.90 index is generally not dispensed in the U.S. because it cannot be tempered to meet the drop ball test. Abbe values are generally below 42. High index glass produces thinner and scratch-resistant lenses.

--John Miller, vice president, X-Cel Optical Company

HIPAA FOR OPTICIANS

Q As an optician, I would like to know the requirements of privacy in practice policies. What should we note in patient records?

--Fizankie Seifert, Seifert's Optical, Victoria, Texas

A The National Academy of Opticianry has printed two publications on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. HIPAA I is our attorney's 15-page overview of the ruling, and HIPAA II, "HIPAA: The Law with Questions & Answers" (#HIPAA2) is a 160-page publication of the entire Act, complete with questions and answers, as downloaded from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights Website. This will be the optician's handbook for HIPAA compliance mandated for April 2003. Also visit www.cdc.gov/ nip/registry/hipaa7.htm or telehealth.hrsa.gov/pubs/hipaa.htm. Our publications are not legal advice. Readers should consult their attorneys.

--Cindy Warner,
director of marketing and membership,
National Academy of Opticianry

A "no/no" for kids?

Q In a recent "Ask the Labs," you talked about putting photochromic polycarbonate lenses on children. In light of your comments, I have two questions: 1) I recall reading several years ago that putting tints on children prior to puberty makes them more susceptible to photophobia as adults. I don't know if this applies to the modern photo-chromics. Comments? And 2) Does the photochromic feature retard the impact resistance of polycarbonate in any way?

A Here are your answers: 1) Your caution with tints is commendable. Dr. Eric Borsting, chief of pediatrics at Southern California College of Optometry, says he believes past concerns about long-term effects of tints on children came from the fact the lenses tend to be worn under widely varying circumstances. A solid tint can be useful in bright light situations, but would be counter-productive under lowlight circumstances (overcast days, indoors, evenings, in movies, or watching TV). He points out that modern photochromics eliminate those concerns since the lens adapts quickly to changing light conditions. 2) You'll be pleased to know there is no reduction of impact protection with photochromic poly. The photochromic treatment is on the front surface and does not affect the molecular structure throughout the substrate.

If you have a question you'd like to have answered in Ask the Labs, send it to Joseph L. Bruneni. Fax: 310-533-8165. Phone: 310-533-4975. E-mail: joe@bruneni.com. Or mail questions to: Vision Consultants, 2908 Oregon Court, #I-2, Torrance, CA 90503. An archive of past Ask the Labs columns can be found on the Eyecare Business Website at www.eyecarebiz.com.