Willful blindness of Dr. Éric Savard: $107,500 in fines for this star optometrist

A star optometrist from the Quebec region, who wanted to “redefine” his environment by investing millions of dollars in eyewear, will have to pay $107,500 in fines after being severely reprimanded by his Order.

• Also read: The Association of Optometrists of Quebec targeted by a complaint

“I present to you the La Vue clinics. My goal in life? Redefining optics in Quebec,” optometrist Éric Savard boasted in 2014, in a short TV ad aimed at boosting the popularity of his banner at the time.

See the ad in question from D^r Savard in the video below:

Nearly 10 years later, the D^r Savard is now known for “serious” blunders committed against his patients, not for being a successful businessman. The Disciplinary Council of the Order of Optometrists of Quebec recently found him guilty of around ten counts of offenses.

The Council criticized him in particular for having failed to carry out measurements, examinations and evaluations with patients.

“He does not have any data in this regard, in doing so, he enters erroneous data in their files, which puts the protection of patients at risk,” he can read in the legal document consulted by The Journal.

Ads banned

The optometrist, who said he wanted to invest nearly $20 million in his eyewear in 2016, also refused to give prescriptions to customers. According to the Order, this technique would prevent the patient from purchasing glasses in a store other than their own.

“He gives a patient an unsigned prescription, which does not allow the latter to use it in another eyewear store in order to order her glasses. […] These infractions, far from being isolated, are objectively serious,” criticizes the Disciplinary Council.

The D^r Savard was also found guilty of creating advertising on Facebook that did not comply with his profession’s Code.

“These suggest that the optometrist’s fees will be adjusted according to the service provided and the patient’s decision to purchase a pair of glasses from the respondent or his business, which is strictly prohibited,” we explain.

A repeat offender

The optometrist also has a “charged disciplinary past”. He was in fact found guilty and punished in the context of two other similar complaints.

For all these reasons, the Disciplinary Council finally ordered him to pay a fine of $107,500 to obtain a “deterrent effect”. He also faces a 60-day disbarment period.

“He has been a member of the Order since 2001 and therefore has, at the time of the events in 2024, 23 years of professional experience. He could therefore not ignore his ethical obligations,” we can read in the decision, thus highlighting his willful blindness.

The D^r Savard, which was forced to liquidate or close the majority of its 48 clinics in 2018 to pay off its heavy debts, did not respond to our interview request Friday.

The Order of Optometrists of Quebec, for its part, was not able to answer our questions.