FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. – Are doctor alliances and buying groups right for you? The features and benefits of these groups for independents will be the topic of the Wed. Nov. 6 edition of “The Power Hour,” the weekly online radio talk show hosted by Gary Gerber, OD, founder of The Power Practice.

Said Gerber, “Doctor alliances and buying groups are becoming more and more prevalent and are making claims and putting forth reasons why doctors should be in their particular groups instead of competitive ones. Which group, if any, is best for your practice? Should you just join the one that offers the greatest cost of goods savings? What about their claims about offering education, camaraderie and other benefits? Are those worth the ‘price of admission’ or should you ignore the groups all together? After all, you can get quality education on your own and negotiate good deals with vendors by yourself. But are you getting the best deal? And how do these groups factor into Obamacare, if at all?”

Gerber noted, “On this special show, eight of the largest groups in the country all join the show together discuss this important topic. Because of the scope of the topic and number of speakers, this edition of the show will be 90 minutes.” Scheduled to be on the show to date are: Michael Block of Block Buying Group; Mark Feder, OD of IDOC; Jerry Sude, OD of ODXcellence; Chris Millet and Doug Martin of PECAA; David Golden, OD and Jessica Hall of PERC; Jerry Hayes, OD of Prima Eye Group; Walt West, OD of Vision Source; and Joe Mallinger, OD of Vision West.

“The Power Hour” radio shows are sponsored by Essilor of America, VSP Global, Optovue and Think About Your Eyes. The show, which can be heard online or by phone every Wednesday night at 9:00 p.m. E.T., is a live discussion vehicle for current practice-building events in optometry, political viewpoints and clinical topics.

Listeners can dial in to “The Power Hour” from any phone at (646) 716-8746 or can listen in from any computer or smart phone. The Power Hour sessions, which launched in 2012, are archived on The Power Practice site. Users can also click to listen to past shows or download segments on iTunes.