Practice Playbook
Your Dry Eye Staff Lead one owner keeps the service running.
Dry eye services that last share one trait: a single staff member is accountable for them. Not a committee, and not the doctor between patients, but a lead who runs the routine, watches the products and follows up.
In one paragraph
Name one owner and guard their hours.
Pick one person, usually a technician or assistant already on payroll, and make them responsible from screening to refill: the routine, in-office stock, RescueLink plans and patient follow-up. Choose for dependability and patient rapport, then block time for the work.
Worth knowing
- Services drift when ownership is shared or vague.
- The right lead is usually already on your team.
- The job covers four areas: routine, stock, plan delivery and follow-up.
- Dependability and warmth count for more than clinical depth here.
- Review the numbers together each month so the role feels worthwhile.
The four areas the lead covers.
Together they form the operating side of the service.
The routine
Makes sure screening, testing, treatment decisions and handoff happen in the same order for every patient and every staff member.
In-office stock
Checks shelf levels, restocks top sellers before they run out, and moves slow items to ship-to-patient.
Plan delivery
Sends each plan through RescueLink, switches on automatic refills, and confirms no one leaves without their routine.
Follow-up
Keeps rechecks booked, asks about adherence and catches patients who are slipping before they drop off.
Choosing the lead and setting them up.
Dependability beats expertise.
| Qualities to look for | What to give them |
|---|---|
| Organized and detail-minded | Blocked time on the schedule for service work |
| Patients already trust them | Clear say over the routine and the in-office stock |
| Comfortable with simple software | Training on RescueLink and the exam routine |
| Wants the role | A monthly review of the service numbers |
Pick the person who closes loops, not the one with the most clinical knowledge. A lead who finishes every follow-up will do more for the service than the strongest technician who forgets.
RescueLink
Send the rest home with the patient.
Text or email each patient the exact products you recommend. They check out in one tap on VisionRescue.com, refills can repeat automatically, and your practice receives a 15% participation credit on eligible OTC orders. Contact lenses and Rx products are excluded.
- Free to activate, no subscription
- Patients check out in one tap
- Automatic refills on daily items
- Your recommendation, your patient
Doctor questions about the staff lead
Do I need a new hire?
Rarely. Most leads are current technicians or assistants who are handed ownership and blocked time.
Why one owner instead of the whole team?
When everyone is responsible, follow-up slips after the first few weeks. A single owner keeps the routine alive.
Should the doctor be the lead?
Usually not. Operations run better with a staff member who has blocked hours for it, which keeps the doctor in the exam lane.
How many hours does it take?
It scales with volume: a few blocked slots each week early on, then a defined share of the job as the patient base grows.
How do I keep the lead motivated?
Review screening counts, plans delivered and repeat orders together each month. People stay invested when they can see results.
What tools does the lead need?
A one-page exam checklist and a RescueLink login.
About this guide
Prepared for licensed eye care practices by Vision Rescue. Reach the provider team at providers@visionrescue.com or 1-855-692-8024.
Notes and disclosures
General operating guidance, not clinical, legal, tax or billing advice. Outcomes vary with each practice's patients and execution, and treatment decisions belong to the examining doctor. Vision Rescue is a licensed pharmaceutical wholesale distributor of medical supplies and OTC eye care products.
Hand the service to an owner.
Stock the in-office items at wholesale, and give your lead RescueLink for everything else.