Making the Choice: Vital Stats on ECP Alliances and Buying Groups By John Sailer Monday, February 13, 2012 12:13 AM RELATED CONTENT Finding Strength in Numbers *VM Web EXCLUSIVE: "Membership Has Its Benefits," Say ECPs in Buying Groups and ECP Alliances The Alliance Block Buying Group C & E Vision/Vision West Independent Doctors of Optometric Care (IDOC) Opti-Port Prima Eye Group Primary Eyecare Network (PEN) Professional Eye Care Associates of America (PECAA) Professional Eyecare Resources Co-op (PERC) OD Excellence Villavecchia Buying Group Vision Source Among the primary goals of all of these organizations is enlisting new members, so their appeal to practitioners is sure to increase. Just as with which progressive addition lenses ECPs choose for their presbyopic patients or which software program they select to manage their electronic health records, which ECP alliance or buying group is the best fit is a personal decision. Of course, that is based on a wide range of criteria—the education offered, the meetings and networking opportunities available, what discounts can be realized, the costs of membership, access to consultations with staff, plus a whole host of other determinations about the organization. To sort through some of these options, the following profiles include background information about a select group of many of the organizations available today.