The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the Eyeglass Rule as well as the Contact Lens Rule to ensure consumers enjoy certain rights when it comes to eyewear. According to the FTC, consumers have a right to obtain a copy of their prescription from eye doctors and optometrists at no extra charge, whether or not they request for it. As such, you should understand your rights as a consumer regarding your prescription, as protected under the FTC Rules. Below are eye prescription rights for consumers as enforced by the Federal Trade Commission.
- You have a right to a prescription
After you get an eye examination for eyeglasses or contact lenses, you should be issued a copy of your eyewear prescription by your eye doctor or optometrist and you don’t have to ask for it to be given. You don’t have to request your eye care prescriber to give you the copy and you don’t have to pay an extra cost for it. Besides, your eye care prescriber cannot compel you to purchase eyeglasses or contact lenses neither can they force you to sign a waiver. Your eyewear prescriber should also ask you to provide your signature as an official confirmation that you have duly received a copy of your eyewear prescription.
- You don’t have to buy eyewear from your prescriber
You have a right to choose where you want your eyeglasses or contacts to come from and you don’t have to purchase them from your prescriber. Every consumer can buy eyewear from a supplier they find more affordable or convenient. With a copy of your prescription, you should find it easy to shop around, compare prices, and shop wherever you want.
- Your prescription should contain certain information
State law determines the contents of an eyewear prescription. Your optometrist may include the pupillary distance (which is the distance between pupils) in the prescription. Online purchases would require that you have this information and many eye doctors often exclude charges for this measurement. According to the Contact Lens Rule, contact lens prescription must include the patient’s name; date of examination; date of issuance and expiry of the prescription; the name and contact information of the doctor; the prescribed lens’s power, material, and possibly manufacturer; the base curve/ appropriate designation of the prescribed lens; and the lens diameter where appropriate.
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) does not prevent a prescriber from releasing an eyewear prescription
There’s a common misconception that your prescriber’s office may not release your prescription due to restrictions imposed by HIPPA. You should understand that this is only a misconception and HIPPA does not stop your eye care provider from giving you an eyewear prescription nor does it stop a seller who has been asked by a patient to act as his or her authorized agent. So, the next time your prescriber’s office tries to deny you a prescription citing restrictions by HIPPA then you should know it is only an excuse for some reason.
- The Contact Lens Rule states that eyewear prescriptions should be valid for at least a year
State law determines the expiry for your eyeglasses or contact lenses. While eyeglass prescriptions are often good for one or two years, state laws tend to vary and so will the expiry. The Contact Lens Rule makes it very clear that prescriptions should be good for one year or more unless your prescriber has a valid medical reason to shorten its validity period. In that regard, you should avoid buying eyeglasses or contact lenses using an expired prescription, as your eye problem may have changed for whatever reason and your prescription may not be suitable for you at that moment. You should note that your eye health tends to change over time and having regular comprehensive eye health examinations is generally recommended for good eye health and even for your overall health and wellbeing.
Therefore, these are some of the eye prescription rights for consumers and you should be aware of them if you plan to use eyeglasses or contact lenses based on your eye doctor’s prescription. These rights are protected by the FTC and you should report any violations of the rule if you feel your eye care prescriber does not want to give you a prescription, wants to charge you extra for it, or forces you to sign a waiver or release.
