How to Bypass This Law? Anyone? RX for Contact Lenses?
September 18th, 2010 | See the Top Answers to this Question Below
I tried to order contacts from lens.com today, I just ordered 6 months worth in Jan. of this year from this site and they have my RX on file. They said my last eye doctor refused to fax my RX that is only 1 1/2 years old and I was told I needed another exam to get a new RX. Is this BS or what? I’m 35 years old and have had the same RX since I was 13 years old. As an adult why the hell am I not able to buy contacts without a doctors permission? Who decides how long a RX is valid for?
I understand the federal law that now requires anyone that sells contacts to get a current RX but whats wrong with a RX that’s less than 2 years old? Why is the federal government preventing me from buying what I need? I refuse to get another eye exam anytime soon, the cheapest I found was just for the exam, one I don’t need or want. No lectures here on how important eye exams are, its BS and my eyes are healthy and an exam should only be done every 5 years. Where can I buy contacts with no RX? Please!
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you cant. its illegal. your rx is expired.
"Im 35 years old and have had the same RX since I was 13 years old. As an adult why the hell am I not able to buy contacts without a doctors permission?"
b/c a contact lens is a medical device restricted by the FDA in the same way as medicine is.
"Who decides how long a RX is valid for?"
the doctor does. most contact lens Rx’s are for one year, but the doc has the right to make it even less than that if they think you may develop a problem.
"I understand the federal law that now requires anyone that sells contacts to get a current RX but whats wrong with a RX thats less than 2 years old?"
every eye care professional has seen permanent damage occur in less than that time.
"Why is the federal government preventing me from buying what I need? I refuse to get another eye exam anytime soon, the cheapest I found was $75 just for the exam, one I dont need or want."
lol well good luck then. why do you not want to pay for what you "need"?
"No lectures here on how important eye exams are, its BS and my eyes are healthy and an exam should only be done every 5 years. Where can I buy contacts with no RX? Please!"
sorry, but you’re wrong. there is no way for you to know if your eyes are "healthy" or not. thats impossible. just b/c you think you see well? let me tell you this: corneal neovascularization (a common contact lens related problem) is absolutely symptomless until it is too late and your cornea is permanently damaged. you wouldnt see worse at all until it was way, way too late.
i’m sure i’ll get a "thumbs down", but you’re just going to have to suck it up and pay for an exam. contacts are not a commodity…they’re a medical device that requires an FDA-controlled Rx. you cant "bypass" that law.
The law is the law! But many people do not like to pay through the nose either for a mandatory eye exam! It is all about the optometrist making money. He has to make payments too.
Come to Guatemala and I will give you a free eye exam and you can by them direct from me for less! Here the customer comes first! You should not deserve any less.
Wake up America! Stop reaming the client! After all they are his eye and he should be the one to decide when he needs to be checked!
Even though you believe your eyes are stable and healthy, there are numerous issues that could be going on that are not tangible for you to pick up. You are correct in that a contact lens prescription expires in 12 months. That has always been the case, the the FTC instituted the law a few years ago to make sure that there was compliance. It basically evolved because patients were ordering contacts online for years between exams without any type of verification. This might not be the case for you, but there is rampant non-compliance with contact lens wearers, so the earlier a condition can be found, generally the easier the resolution. As for your last point, exams every 5 years is just not a good idea. Far too many issues and conditions can develop from any systemic ailments (diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, etc.), your prescription can change, there can be mild changes in the cornea from wearing the contacts that need to be addressed, etc. Preventative care is always a good idea, regardless if it is for your eyes, teeth, or general health. I have seen many issues that have gone undiagnosed because of non-compliant patients. Just because you seem to have no issues, that is no reason not to get an exam.
Boy, that Princeidoc is a genius!
I gave ya thumbs up, Doc!!! I always enjoy reading your responses. Couldn’t have said it better myself…guess that’s why your the doc, and I’m the optician!!!
I find it HILARIOUS that people will spend all the money they need to on their cars once a year (some times more often) to keep them running properly. But when required to get an annual exam for their eyes, its just BS to them. Guess we know where many people’s priorities lie. Tragic.
http://www.topsecretsolutions.com/coloredcontacts4cheap/
Some of theses comments must be from optometrist. The FTC law doesn’t say the prescription only last 1 year.
“The Rule allows prescribers to set prescription expiration dates – one year or more from the date the prescription is issued to a patient. If applicable state law requires a specific expiration period that is longer than one year, however, the prescriber must follow that law.”
In California where I live it says:
“The expiration date of a contact lens prescription
shall not be less than one to two years from the date of issuance,
unless the patient’s history or current circumstances establish a
reasonable probability of changes in the patient’s vision of
sufficient magnitude to necessitate reexamination earlier than one
year, or the presence or probability of visual abnormalities related
to ocular or systemic disease indicate the need for reexamination of
the patient earlier than one year.”
Nowhere does it say in any of these laws that your prescription is no longer good after one year. It is up to the Optometrist. It is recommended to have an eye exam for contact lens every year but there is nothing saying you have to.
My optometrist told me it was the law like they had no choice in the matter. I’ve spent 2 hours looking up the law and I might be wrong but I can’t find anything in a law that says it expires after a year. All I seem to find is a bunch of optometrist saying it’s law.
My prescription was 1 year and 2 weeks old and they wouldn’t renew it. My feeling is it is all about money. I no longer buy frames or contact lenses from my optometrist and this is a way to get back some of that lost revenue.