Why Can't I Buy Non Prescription Contact Lenses Over The Counter?

Why Can't I Buy Non Prescription Contact Lenses

If you live in the United States or Great Britain, you will need to have a doctor's prescription even to buy non-prescription contact lenses. All contact lenses have been categorized as medical devices and call for you to have a doctor's prescription before you buy them. This is correct even if you have ideal 20/20 vision and only would like to acquire non-prescription or plano, which indicates "no power" contact lenses for cosmetic or theatrical reasons.

Over The Counter?

It wasn't that long ago when designer, or novelty, contact lenses could be bought for fun at the corner fuel station or convenience industry. The Foodstuff and Drug Administration experienced labeled contact lenses as medical gear that needed a doctor's prescription, but they experienced still left out non-prescription contact lenses. They categorized these in with other makeup and controlled them as they do make-up and skin lotions. In 2003 the FDA commenced to take observe of the escalating amount of grievances of eye infections and, in some cases, serious problems demanding corneal transplants because of to these non-prescription contact lenses. Men and women ended up not sufficiently educated in the appropriate care of contact lenses and ended up putting on lenses that experienced not been properly disinfected or ended up sharing contact lenses with other men and women.

This led to the United States declaring that all contact lenses would call for a prescription. Numerous nations around the world adopted suit and released legislation to ban the offering of novelty, non-prescription contact lenses without verifying that the particular person acquiring them experienced a doctor's prescription.

So, if you program on profitable that costume contest this Halloween and a pair of cat-eye contact lenses is exactly what you need to have to pull it off, you experienced far better make an appointment at the optometrist's workplace 1st. Even on-line internet sites that are primarily based in other nations around the world that might not have the same laws will call for the title and mobile phone or fax amount of your doctor's workplace in buy to confirm your prescription before they will mail your non-prescription contact lenses to you.

Why Can't I Buy Non Prescription Contact Lenses Over The Counter?

Because of the real threat to the wellness of your eyes, it is in your greatest curiosity that non-prescription contact lenses are turning into a thing of the earlier. As soon as you have a prescription from your physician, it is great for at the very least one yr, occasionally much more. And viewing the physician will give you the opportunity to learn about the appropriate way to thoroughly clean your contact lenses and also a possibility to apply putting lenses in and using them out. With appropriate care, they will final a long time and so will your eyes' wellness.