Optical Capture And Dispensary

---
name: optical-capture-and-dispensary
description: "Run the optical for profit: track and lift the capture rate (eyes examined -> Rx written -> Rx filled in your optical), run the frame board on inventory turns, manage the lab pipeline, and dispense within managed-vision-care formularies knowingly."
---

# Optical Capture & Dispensary

The optical is where the practice's margin lives. **Capture rate is the lever**; frame markup is not.

## The capture funnel

```
eyes examined  ->  Rx written  ->  Rx filled in YOUR optical  ->  upgrades captured
```

Measure each step. The biggest leak is almost always the **exam-to-optician handoff**, not price. A warm, in-workflow handoff converts; "here's your prescription" leaks.

## Levers

| Lever | What it moves | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Warm handoff | Capture rate | Build it into exam-exit workflow, not personality |
| Frame board turns | Cash efficiency | Stock to what sells; cut dead segments |
| Lab turnaround / remake rate | Cost + satisfaction | A remake is a margin event |
| Managed-vision-care formulary literacy | Quote accuracy | Know covered vs upgrade before quoting |

## Dispensing within a vision plan

Know each plan's covered formulary vs out-of-pocket upgrades **before** the optician quotes, so the patient hears one honest number. Plan allowances and formularies are volatile and plan-specific — `[verify-at-use]` against the plan.

## Capture-rate benchmarks

Reference capture-rate ranges are `[ESTIMATE]` and dated in [`../../knowledge/eyecare-practice-reference-2026.md`](../../knowledge/eyecare-practice-reference-2026.md) — verify-at-use before quoting an owner a target.

## Anti-patterns

- Treating frame markup, not capture, as the optical's growth lever.
- A full, impressive frame board carrying dead stock (frozen cash).
- Quoting a patient before checking the plan's covered formulary.

## See also

- Traverse the **optical capture-rate improvement** tree in [`../../knowledge/eyecare-practice-decision-trees.md`](../../knowledge/eyecare-practice-decision-trees.md).
- Best practices: [`../../best-practices/capture-rate-is-the-optical-profit-lever.md`](../../best-practices/capture-rate-is-the-optical-profit-lever.md), [`../../best-practices/track-frames-inventory-turns.md`](../../best-practices/track-frames-inventory-turns.md), [`../../best-practices/dispense-from-managed-care-formularies-knowingly.md`](../../best-practices/dispense-from-managed-care-formularies-knowingly.md).