FTC Wants to Change Contact Lens Rule

Patients would need to sign an acknowledgment.

The Federal Trade Commission is proposing changes to the Contact Lens Rule of 2004.

The key change would be that contact lens prescribers would need to get patients to sign an acknowledgment with this language: “My eye care professional provided me with a copy of my contact lens prescription at the completion of my contact lens fitting, and; I understand I am free to purchase contact lenses from the seller of my choice.”

The prescriber would need to keep the acknowledgment for at least three years.

The FTC is seeking public comments on the proposal. They must be received on or before Jan. 30 and will be published on the agency’s website.

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc., which summarized the FTC proposal on its website, stated that it is “committed to standing behind policies that protect patient eye health and vision safety.”

“In the coming weeks, we will be working with the American Optometric Association and other partners in the Coalition for Patient Vision Care Safety to ensure that the FTC’s final decision is informed by the input of the eye care professional community,” the company said.

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