On February 4th, 2004, a Federal Law
called the “Fairness To Contact Lens Consumers” act went into effect.
This law made it much easier for you to
enjoy the savings and convenience of ordering contact lenses on-line.
What does the law say? The law requires your eye-doctor to release your
prescription. If you had your last
eye-examination after February 4, 2004, your doctor should have handed your
prescription to you on completion of the fitting, whether you asked for it
or not.
If an online company requests confirmation of your prescription from your doctor, he/she is
legally required to confirm the prescription within 8 business hours.
If your doctor fails to respond to our
request within 8 business hours, the law allows us to assume the prescription
is valid. Your doctor may NOT require
you to sign any form of release or waiver prior to confirming your
prescription. Online companies are allowed to contact
your doctor by phone, fax or email. Online companies generally use Fax and/or Phone to request confirmation of prescriptions.
Do I need to provide you with my doctor’s phone and fax
number? No. If you provide the online company with
your doctor’s name (or the store where he works), and the city where you had
the exam, they can generally find the phone and fax number.
How long is my prescription valid for? A minimum of 1 year, and 2 years in many
states. Your doctor may place a shorter
expiration time on your prescription, but only if there are documented
medical reasons for doing so. If your
prescription has an expiration date, you may want to ask your doctor to explain
the medical reasons he/she has placed such a restriction on your prescription.
My doctor is requiring me to return for a follow-up visit
before releasing the prescription, is this legal? Yes. The doctor may want to evaluate your eyes with the trial
(fitting) lenses in place prior to releasing the prescription. He/she may also require you to pay for the
fitting in full prior to releasing the prescription
My Doctor refuses to release my prescription unless I
sign something. Is this legal? No. Your doctor may not require you to sign any form of release or waiver
prior to confirming your prescription.
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