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Home > Help > Entering your prescription

Entering your prescription

This information is designed to help you enter your prescription correctly during the ordering process. If you have any questions about your prescription, or if you feel at all unsure about entering it into our form, please call us on 0845 680 9785 and we'll be happy to help.

General tips:

If your prescription has three rows of numbers (reading, intermediate & distance), please enter the distance values.
Please double check if there is a + or - in front of each measurement (this can often be written above the figure). If there is no sign, that means the number is positive (+).
It is common for the optician to leave out the decimal points. A number like -25 or +175 is the same as -0.25 or +1.75, respectively. Also, an Axis of 5 (or 05) is the same as 005; 90 is the same as 090.
Hover your mouse over the icons on the prescription form for further information about each part of your prescription.

Prescription Examples

1. Boots

In this example the right eye is represented by the top row of values and the left eye by the second row of values.

In the top row, the right eye's Sphere (SPH) value is 4.50, but the minus sign above it means this is actually -4.50.

The right eye Cylinder (CYL) value is given as 050. Cylinder values always have 2 decimal places, and opticians often omit the decimal point, so the value 050 means 0.50. This figure also has a minus sign above it, so the resulting value we enter is -0.50.

Both eyes have an Axis (AXI) value of 180.

Neither eye has a Prism/Base value so these fields should be left as "Not applicable".

The priscription shows a Reading Addition, or Near Addition (ADD) of +2.50. This value describes the additional correction required to provide clear vision at very close, or reading distances, and is used particularly for varifocals, bifocals, or reading glasses. In this example, the Intermediate Addition (used for intermediate distance correction) is blank and these fields should be left as "Not applicable". Since there is only one Addition value (as opposed to one value for each eye), both the right and left eyes should be set to +2.50 in this case.

This prescription does not indicate the Pupillary Distance (PD). We recommend obtaining this from an optician, but it is quite easy to measure it yourself (see instructions below). Otherwise, leave the PD value set to 63mm, which is the average value for adults.

Here is a summary of the values that should be entered into the prescription form for the above prescription:

	SPH	CYL	AXI	H.Prism	Base	V.Prism	Base	Nr ADD	Int ADD	PD
Right eye	-4.50	-0.50	180	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+2.50	N/A	63mm
Left eye	-4.00	-1.00	180	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+2.50	N/A	63mm

2.NHS

In this example there are two sets of values provided: Distance, and Near. It is the Distance values that should be entered into the prescription form.

If you are ordering varifocals, bifocals, reading or intermediate glasses, then you will also need to enter the Reading (Near) and Intermediate Additions. The Intermediate Addition value of +1.50 is provided on this prescription in the Comments box underneath, and this should be assumed to apply to both eyes.

The Near Addition is not provided as a separate value. However, we are given the Sphere (SPH) values for each eye in the Near row of values. We can calculate the Near Addition from these, so they should therefore be provided in our Additional Information box on the prescription form, as follows:

Near Addition not provided on prescription, but Near SPH values are:
Right: +3.75
Left: +3.25

Here is a summary of the values that should be entered into the prescription form for the above prescription:

	SPH	CYL	AXI	H.Prism	Base	V.Prism	Base	Nr ADD	Int ADD	PD
Right eye	+1.50	-1.75	105	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1.50	63mm
Left eye	+2.00	-1.00	80	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1.50	63mm

3. Specsavers

The top row of values represent the right eye (denoted by the (R), and the second row is for the left eye (L). There are no Additions, or Prism/Base values shown, so these should all be left set to "Not applicable".

Here is a summary of the values that should be entered into the prescription form for the above prescription:

	SPH	CYL	AXI	H.Prism	Base	V.Prism	Base	Nr ADD	Int ADD	PD
Right eye	-0.50	-1.00	25	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	63mm
Left eye	-0.25	-1.75	180	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	63mm

4. Vision Express

In this example we have Sphere, Cylinder and Axis values for both eyes in the top section. No Prism/Base values are provided so these should be left set to "Not applicable".

No Intermediate Addition is provided. However, a Near Adddition of +1.50 is given for each eye.

The details given in the bottom section of the prescription, labelled "Aided VA", are not required and do not need to be provided to us.

Here is a summary of the values that should be entered into the prescription form for the above prescription:

	SPH	CYL	AXI	H.Prism	Base	V.Prism	Base	Nr ADD	Int ADD	PD
Right eye	-1.50	-1.00	24.5	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1.50	N/A	63mm
Left eye	+0.75	-0.75	163	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1.50	N/A	63mm

5. Local Optician

In this example, the right eye values are given in the top section of the prescription, and both the Sphere and Cylinder have minus signs (-) above them, indicating that they are negative values.

The left eye is given in the second section, with a negative Sphere of -2.75. Note the value "DS" given for the left eye Cylinder. This means "Dioptre Sphere", and simply means that the Cylinder value is zero. The left eye Axis value is blank, which means that too is zero.

A Near Addition (ADD) of +1.25 is given for each eye. A Pupillary Distance (PD) of 61mm is also provided.

Here is a summary of the values that should be entered into the prescription form for the above prescription:

	SPH	CYL	AXI	H.Prism	Base	V.Prism	Base	Nr ADD	Int ADD	PD
Right eye	-1.00	-1.00	15	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1.25	N/A	61mm
Left eye	-2.75	0	0	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1.25	N/A	61mm

How to obtain your own Pupilary Distance

You have two means of arriving at this measurement:

1. Take the measurement yourself.

You will need a ruler and a mirror!

Stand in front of a mirror at a distance of 8 inches (20 cm).
Close your right eye.
Place your ruler flat against the mirror with the millimeter scale pointing upwards and align it horizontally.
Look with your left eye and align the zero mark of the ruler to the centre of your left pupil.
Now open your right eye and close your left eye but keep the ruler in the same position, and keep your head perfectly still.
Read the millimeter measurement above the centre of your right pupil. This will give you your PD measurement!
If you are unsure, repeat this process a few times, or ask a friend to help you.

2. Ask a friend for help.

You will need your current pair of glasses, a ruler and a NON PERMANENT marker pen.

Put your glasses on and look straight ahead.
Ask your friend to stand in front of you and mark on your glasses directly above your left and right pupils.
Now take a ruler and measure the distance in millimeters between the two dots. There, you have your PD measurement!

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