Never Pay for a Copy of a Contact Lens Prescription
If you’ve worn glasses or contact lenses for a long time, you know the dance. You go to the optometrist for a new prescription. And then they want you to place an order at their optics store. The optometrist doesn’t know if your budget is tight, or if you prefer to shop for a particular brand, or if you just want the damn circles under your eyes to arrive in the mail every three months.
Then you have to (deep breath) ask for the recipe.
But wait a minute. The old days are gone. You don’t have to dance anymore.
All thanks to the FTC’s rule for eyeglass and contact lens wearers. The rule itself is not new, but it was recently updated to make it even easier for you to get information about your own eye health and then take it with you to the store.
Since 2004, ophthalmologists are required to give you a copy of your contact lens or eyeglass prescription. They should give it to you automatically as soon as they are suitable for you to contact, without your request. They must also give this prescription to third parties who request it (for example, another optical store or online contact lens store). If you give a third party permission to ask your prescriber for your prescription information, the provider will have 40 business hours to respond with that information.
The FTC Rule Update allows you to receive contact lens prescription information in digital format, which allows you to download or print it. It also requires you to sign a statement confirming that you have received a prescription and sign a copy of the prescription that your healthcare provider will keep close at hand, which also includes a statement that you received a copy. You will also need to sign an office visit stating that you received a copy of your prescription.
Of course, there are many signatures. But the FTC’s rules for contact lenses and eyeglasses were created with shopping comparisons in mind. If you have a prescription on hand (or, say, on your phone), you can choose convenience, price, or style at your leisure, without the hard sell at the office that prescribes your contact lenses or glasses.
The updated FTC rule will take effect in the fall. So, the next time you go for an ophthalmologic exam , pay attention to how your last prescription is processed. The FTC indicates that your PCP is illegally making you ask for the original prescription, pay for a copy of that prescription, or buy glasses or contact lenses from their facility.
In addition, they cannot force you to sign a waiver or waiver that would prevent you from obtaining prescription information.