If a patient hands you broken glasses while asking for their current prescription, what is the appropriate procedure?

The appropriate procedure in this scenario involves determining if the broken glasses can still be read and potentially reading an old pair if necessary. This is important because the prescription written for the broken glasses can provide useful information regarding the patient's current optical needs.

Reading the broken glasses allows the technician to glean the patient's prescription directly from the lenses, which is particularly helpful if the patient doesn't remember their last prescription or if they do not have access to it. In addition, if the lenses are severely damaged but an old pair of glasses is available, utilizing these can also provide insight into the patient's refractive status.

This step not only helps in providing immediate assistance to the patient by offering a way to understand their vision correction needs but also serves to inform the optometrist during the examination process. By obtaining this information first, the technician aids the team in delivering the best care possible, even in cases where the patient may not have a full record of their previous prescriptions.