Should You Keep a Copy of Your Glasses Prescription?
Once you've collected your new glasses, it can be tempting to put your prescription away and forget about it.
But keeping a copy somewhere safe can be surprisingly useful.
Your prescription contains the information needed to make lenses specifically for your eyes, and having it available can make buying another pair much easier.
What information is on a glasses prescription?
A spectacle prescription commonly includes measurements such as SPH, CYL and AXIS.
Depending on your prescription, some of these sections may be blank.
Together, these figures describe the lens powers prescribed for your right and left eyes.
Why should you keep a copy?
The most obvious reason is convenience.
If you decide to order another pair of prescription glasses, having your prescription available means you can easily refer back to the figures rather than trying to remember them.
This can be particularly useful when ordering glasses online.
It can help if your glasses are lost or damaged
Imagine losing your only pair of glasses while travelling or accidentally damaging them beyond repair.
Having access to your prescription can make arranging replacement glasses considerably easier.
Keeping a photograph or secure digital copy alongside the original can therefore be useful.
Don't rely on remembering the numbers
Even relatively straightforward prescriptions contain several figures.
A minus sign, plus sign or axis measurement can make an important difference, so entering prescription information from memory isn't a good idea.
Always copy the details directly from your actual prescription.
Check which eye is which
Spectacle prescriptions normally separate the right and left eye.
You may see these identified as right and left, or using abbreviations such as R and L.
Make sure you don't accidentally swap the measurements when entering your prescription online.
Does a prescription last forever?
No.
Your eyesight can change over time, which is why regular eye examinations remain important.
An old prescription may still be useful as part of your records, but it shouldn't automatically be assumed to represent your current vision indefinitely.
Check the date
When looking back at a saved prescription, check when your eye examination took place.
If you're due another examination, having your eyes checked before ordering new prescription glasses may be appropriate.
Keep old prescriptions too
You don't necessarily need to throw away an old prescription when you receive a new one.
Keeping previous prescriptions creates a useful record of how your spectacle prescription has changed over time.
Store it somewhere you'll remember
You could keep the original with other important documents and save a photograph or scan somewhere secure.
The important thing is being able to find it when you actually need it.
A useful document for your next pair
Your prescription isn't only relevant on the day of your eye examination.
Keeping an accurate copy gives you the information you may need when replacing your glasses, buying a spare pair or ordering prescription eyewear online in the future.