Fair Competition. Patient Access. Superior Care.

The National Association of Optometrists and Opticians (NAOO) is now The National Association of Retail Optical Companies (NAROC)

To better represent our member companies, we have changed our name. Our mission and commitment to advancing the highest qualty vision care in the United States remains the same.

Advocating for the Retail Optical Industry Since 1959

The National Association of Retail Optical Companies (NAROC), formerly known as National Association of Optometrists and Opticians (NAOO), was incorporated in 1959. Its founders established an organizational structure dedicated to promoting regular, high quality and convenient eye care from all segments of the industry in an environment free from unnecessary regulation. Over the years the Association has enhanced its impact by developing a series of proactive projects aimed at increasing access to eye care and supporting technological developments in the industry.

NAROC members represent in excess of 9,000 retail optical stores operating in every state in the country. Eye care professionals in those locations treat and help identify serious eye and chronic disease, such as diabetes and hypertension, and provide eye wear for more than 48 million Americans annually. Optical stores employ tens of thousands of workers and operate fabricating laboratories on the premises of certain co-located stores and at regional and central fabricating facilities.

Our Mission

The National Association of Retail Optical Companies (NAROC) combines the unique strengths of both professions to serve the public well-being by:

Actively making high-quality, cost-efficient eye care widely and conveniently available to all people
Aggressively defending the public’s best interest by promoting fair, vigorous competition and alerting lawmakers and the general public to the dangers of special interest attempts to restrict or inhibit competition
Affirmatively promoting education programs to constantly improve the association members’ ability to deliver superior levels of care

To carry out the Association’s mission, NAROC undertakes a number of programs on an ongoing basis. These include cooperation with educational institutions to offer in-office training and co-ops to optometric and optician students, promoting continuing education for graduates, promoting the benefits of regular eye care, supporting advances in the industry and opposing unnecessary new regulation designed to limit practice opportunities and care modalities.

9,000+
Retail Optical Stores Nationwide

48 Million+
Americans Treated Annually

Ongoing efforts by our Government Relations and Telehealth Committees and focused project work serve as the backbone that allows the Association to effectively pursue its mission. Each promotes the work and visibility of the NAROC and provides critical information and decision-making tools to its members, legislators and regulators. Both also provide opportunities to move on projects that enhance the reputation of the Association and optical retail sector as well as protect the strides made over the last few decades.

NAOO Letter To CA Board of Optometry re: Regulating Ocular Telehealth

NAOO encourages the Board to consider its Ocular Telehealth General Principles for regulating in the public interest.

Read Full Letter

NAOO Letter Opposing Florida SB 1526 Telehealth Bill

NAOO requests Florida State Senator Rob Bradley and the Senate Appropriations Committ resist all efforts to limit the use of telehealth for ocular patients and prescriptions to protect consumers.

Read Full Letter

NAOO Announces Principles for Regulating Ocular Telehealth

The Association's 13 Ocular Telehealth General Principles

Read the NAOO Principles

NAROC SUPPORT FOR OPTOMETRY

Improving Clinical Practice

NAROC promotes and supports the right of optometrists to use their professional judgment in deciding on the appropriate use of telehealth as part of a comprehensive eye examination.
NAROC has, when requested by optometric associations, supported increases in scope of practice for optometrists. At no time has NAROC ever opposed such efforts.
NAROC has supported requirements on contact lens sellers to ensure the ease and completeness of the verification process for the prescriber by requiring sellers to make such requests in clear, legible, plain language, and (for oral communications) delivered in a cadence and volume that a reasonable person could understand.
NAROC members have worked with affiliated optometrists (employees, sublessees, licensees, and franchisees) to develop and promulgate practice management programs, tested instrumentation & equipment, identified methods for optometrists to use delegation to assistants wisely, provided patient education and recall tools and facilitated support groups to help affiliated optometrists grow their practices profitably and ethically.

Industry and Professional Promotion

NAROC supported the right of optometrists to make truthful advertising about ophthalmic goods and services – expanding the market opportunities for ODs -and ending public and private restraints on such advertising. We continue that support.
NAROC has served as a committed participant in various efforts to grow the industry and help optometrists by building demand for eye care and eyewear.
Through recruiting and sponsorships of optometrists for numerous national and international charitable programs, NAROC members have provided worldwide experiences for optometrists and an opportunity to bring the gift of sight to many thousands around the world. That work continues.

Public Policy

NAROC supported opening state law to all forms of business relationships for optometrists, again, opening up business opportunities. That work continues.
NAROC has supported reform of state laws that limited the number of offices that an optometrist could own.
NAROC has supported and continues to support anti-discrimination laws, seeking to allow optometrists to fully participate in insurance vision care and medical panels.
NAROC has advocated for numerous ways for prescribers to comply with the FTC CL Rule, making compliance easier for all optometrists.

Professional Continuing Education

NAROC worked issues related to privacy and security of patient health information and provided free HIPAA training materials and tools to optometrists.
NAROC and its members have and continue to offer numerous optometric continuing education programs, often at no cost to the attendees.
NAROC members have developed leadership and management skills for many optometrists and have often promoted optometrists into leadership roles for eye care services and optical retailing.
NAROC members have worked with the AOA in the past to educate optometrists who are affiliated with the member companies about the benefits of AOA membership. NAROC-affiliated optometrists have held leadership roles in some AOA state affiliate organizations.
NAROC members provide scholarships, sponsor externships, and employ optometry students in eye care assistant and optician roles as they study to become licensed ODs.

Members Include

"The NAOO has consistently been a strong advocate for consumers and competition; its efforts have allowed innovative eye care professionals and ophthalmic industry members to grow the category, offer a variety of quality products and services at a wide range of prices and improve access to eye care and eyewear in the US. The NAOO has supported changes in laws in order to allow doctors, opticians and retailers to advertise the price and availability of eye exams, eyeglasses and contact lenses.

The organization was instrumental in making sure that patients get their prescriptions for eyewear so they can shop where they choose. The NAOO has helped reduce unfair and unreasonable limits on eye care availability in retail locations, including malls and department stores. Today, the NAOO is a leader in ensuring that ocular telemedicine is available as a valuable tool for doctors and a great benefit to consumers."

Wallace W. Lovejoy
Optical Industry Executive, Pearle Vision, LensCrafters/Luxottica, 1983-2011
Principal, Lovejoy Eyecare Consulting since 2012

"The optical industry is unique in its mix of industry participants and business models, regulations and economic turf issues. The NAOO, over the decades, has proven to be a unifying force in the retail optical segment, which has been under frequent attack from the disparate segments of the industry. The old saying of “United we stand…” has proven so true in the industry and the NAOO has been a reliable source of information about and support for our segment of the industry over the decades."

Franklin D. Rozak
Optical Industry Executive, Cole Vision, 1971-2015

The U.S. Vision Industry in 2021

Total Vision Care industry sales in U.S. (3/20 – 3/21): $39.2 Billion 1

Total Eye Exams in U.S. (3/20 – 3/21): 100.7 million 1

Percentage of U.S. Adult Population Wearing Vision Correction: 75.6% 1

Percentage of adults in the United States that wear contact lenses: 16.3% (as of March 2021)

Percentage of the adult U.S. population that wear Rx eyeglasses: 63.8% (as of March 2021)

Percentage of contact lens purchases (through March 2021)

At an optical store: 61%
Online: 25.1%

Percentage of online frame sales (through March 2021):

8.1% of total $ sales
14.6% of total units sold 1

Percentage of the U.S. adult population with Managed Vision Care coverage: 48.3% (through March 2021) 1

Average Frame Price $126.01 1

Average Lens Price $166.72 1

The leading causes of blindness and low vision in the United States are primarily age-related eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. Other common eye disorders include amblyopia and strabismus. 2

Experts from across the healthcare sector, including health plans, health systems, and health futurists, posited that by 2030, more than 50% of healthcare services would be consumed virtually. 3

1 The Vision Council, Visionwatch, March 2021
2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
3 Actionable Insights on Key Industry Topics, Health Care Consumerization, American Telemedicine Association, 2019

Become a NAROC Member

NAROC members represent in excess of 9,000 retail optical stores throughout the United States. Through the Association, those organizations are advocating for fair competition, expanding patient access and ensuring that optometrists and opticians can deliver superior care without regulatory burden.

How can your organization contribute to our important mission?

Learn more