Contact Lens Prescription Laws

Contacts lenses are useful for vision correction or for simply changing your look with colored eyes. They are considered a medical device, however, and obtaining them is governed by law. You should be aware of these laws before you see your optometrist for your first fitting.

Prescription copies

• Your eye care professional must give you a copy of your prescription after your fitting. This is required by law and allows you to shop around for your exact lens. Getting the best price for your contacts is not part of the law, but is a benefit of having your prescription while shopping.

Validating your prescription

• No matter where you order your contacts from, your eye car professional is required to verify your prescription each time your order. This ensures that your prescription is still correct and valid for each set of lenses you buy.

Disclaiming liability

• One thing your prescriber is not allowed to do is disclaim liability. They are responsible for the accuracy of the prescription they give you. Contact lenses are a medical device, similar to prescription medications, and eye examinations must be as accurate as possible to protect your vision. This ensures that your prescriber does his best, beyond relying on his professional integrity, to protect you.

Other prohibitions

• The law prohibits your eye care professional from doing certain other things. He cannot force you to buy contacts there. He cannot make you sign a waiver or release in order to get your prescription, and he cannot make you pay any additional fees beyond the cost of the examination, fitting and evaluation.

Laws for sellers

• Laws for contact sellers go hand-in-hand with laws for prescribers. The seller is required to contact your eye doctor to verify the prescription before she completes the sale. If she cannot verify your prescription, she cannot sell you contacts. She is also required to keep records of sales for three years.

Cosmetic lenses

• You do not need to have vision correction to change the color of your eyes. You only need colored or cosmetic lenses and a prescription to get them. This is because all contact lenses are considered prescription items by law. They can be dangerous if used improperly, and consulting a professional teaches you what you need to do to protect your eyes. Prescriptions that do not correct vision are called "plano" and are treated just like other prescriptions by the law.

Prescription expiration

• Prescriptions for contact lenses expire just like medication scripts do. Your eyes and vision can change, and this ensures that your contacts keep up. The law requires prescriptions to be valid at least a year, although you eye care professional may make them last longer if they do not need to see you more often. These exams look for vision changes and signs of problems to keep your eyes healthy, like a physical for your eyes.