How It Works
Eye Exams, Glasses & Contacts: How It All Fits Together
Summit Eye Care Services does the eye exam. The Walmart Vision Center or Sam's Club Optical we're located inside fills your prescription. And federal law guarantees you can take that prescription anywhere — including online retailers, other opticals, or competing chains.
Two services, two roles
Patients sometimes assume the optical retail center and the eye care provider are the same business. They're not — and understanding the distinction helps you know exactly what to expect.
Summit Eye Care Services
(That's us)
- Comprehensive eye exams
- Glasses prescriptions
- Contact lens prescriptions and fittings
- Eye-health screening (glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, etc.)
- Tele-optometry consultation with a board-certified, state-licensed optometrist
Walmart Vision Center / Sam's Club Optical
(The retail optical floor)
- Sells glasses frames and lenses
- Stocks and orders contact lenses
- Adjusts and repairs glasses
- Often offers same-day or next-day glasses fulfillment for in-stock prescriptions
- Independent retailer — your eye exam isn't tied to using them
Your prescription is yours — by federal law
The FTC Eyeglass Rule requires every optometrist to give you a written copy of your glasses prescription at no extra charge after a comprehensive exam — period, no exceptions. The FTC Contact Lens Rule does the same for contact lens prescriptions.
That means once you've had an exam with us, you can fill your prescription wherever you want:
- The Walmart Vision Center or Sam's Club Optical we share a location with (often the most convenient)
- Independent local opticals
- National chains (LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Visionworks, etc.)
- Online retailers (Warby Parker, Zenni, Eyebuydirect, 1-800 Contacts, etc.)
- Big-box stores beyond the one you visited (Costco Optical, Target Optical, etc.)
We make absolutely no commission on what you buy or where you buy it. The exam is the exam; the eyewear retail is separate.
How long is my prescription valid?
- Glasses prescriptions: typically valid for 1–2 years from the date of your exam, depending on state law and the optometrist's professional judgment about your eye health.
- Contact lens prescriptions: valid for 1 year. Federal regulations require an annual exam to verify the prescription remains accurate and your eyes are still healthy enough for safe contact wear.
Why we're inside Walmart Vision Center / Sam's Club Optical
The short answer: access. Eye exams should not require a separate trip to a clinic in a strip mall across town. They should happen where people already go.
By co-locating with high-traffic retail optical centers, we put a comprehensive eye exam — the same kind you'd get at a dedicated optometry clinic — within arm's reach of millions of people who would otherwise put off an exam for years. That's especially valuable in the rural and small-city markets we serve, where the alternative might be an hour drive each way to the nearest specialist.
The retail partnership is also convenient if you do choose to fill your glasses or contacts there: the optical staff can pull your prescription, recommend frames, and have eyewear ready often the same day or next day. But it's a convenience, not a requirement.
Locations
St Joseph, Missouri
Inside Sam's Club Optical
5201 N Belt Hwy, Suite A
St Joseph DetailsCall (816) 279-8625Ready to schedule your exam?
We do the exam — you choose where to fill the prescription.
Find a Location