Robert E Purnell, OD

Dr. Patel is amazing and I have been going to her for the past 3 years ! She is very thorough in her exams and is always willing to find the cheapest alternatives for any medicine I may need for my eyes. I highly recommend seeing her !

Really poor management & inefficient service. Don’t have track of the prescription or the order status putting the eye health of the patient at high risk.

I called my insurance carrier when I saw that I was not eligible for either glasses or contacts until 2015. (I hadn’t ordered both in over 2yrs.) The cust svc rep told me that Dr. Purnell had charged me for contacts even though I SPECIFICALLY told him that I didn’t want to be fitted for it, nor did I order it. I did this because last year, they also charged my insurance for contacts on top of the additional $ 30 I paid for the one 6-​lense box of contacts (because I’d used one pair for the fitting and the box was opened?).
The cust rep called them as I was on the phone and Dr Purnell’s assistant reversed the insurance charge even though she insisted that I got fitted for them (it was in the doctor’s notes). Suffice to say that I WILL NEVER GO BACK HERE EVER AGAIN!

I was yelled at by Dr. Purnell who said he handed me contacts at my visit and he knows «because i am the doctor». Subsequently charged me for those contacts. He was very rude, condescending, and inappropriate. In speaking to a number of people in Rutherford following my encounter I have heard bad things about him regarding billing problems, misdiagnosis, and fraudulent activity. Won’t be going back.

I have been going to Dr Purnell’s for about six years. I’ve been examined by both Dr. Rob (dad) and Dr Schorn (son). I’ve have no complaints about my sight with the my contacts or my glasses. Recently I came down with a very bad eye infection in both eyes, the infection affected my sight and sensitivity to light. The care they both have given me to treat the issue was phenomenal and I appreciated the attention to detail with regard to follow up care. On a side note both doctors are very nice, family friendly, and socially conscious. Dr Rob has been treating patients in extremely indigent villages in Africa for decades during long visits to the continent. They are not only phenomenal doctors but also great people.

Weakness has never been my strong suit. The fact that I need to use glasses on a daily basis is still upsetting to me. But you make do with what you’re given. I purchased my first pair when I lived in SoCal. Thankfully, I was able to find a great optometrist fairly close to my new home in Bergen County.
Dr. Purnell not only is the resident OD, but he’s also the resident optician.
The purpose of my visit today was to get a new pair of prescription sunglasses. I previously had two pairs that were «misplaced» so I needed to restock. The selection of sunglasses is sparse, which was disappointing. Luckily, I was able to find a pair that I was happy with. However, their selection of traditional glasses is good. I actually came across several pairs that I liked and will probably purchase a pair in a month or so.
If you have VSP vision insurance, then this is the best place to go for all of your ocular needs. They accept new patients and the waiting room is large. They even have a little area for your little one in case you can’t find a last minute sitter.
Aside from the lack of sunglass inventory, parking is the only other deficiency of this office. They do not offer free parking in the rear of the building and all street parking is metered. If you’re skilled enough to find an open spot, then it’s only $.50/​hr to park.
The meters take dimes too…