Buying Contact Lenses by Phone, Mail or the Internet

Buying Contact Lenses by Phone, Mail or the Internet

If you buy contact lenses--an FDA-regulated product--on the Internet, over the phone, or by mail, the agency wants you to be well-informed. While such purchases are often a convenient and economical way to get your lenses, consumers need to exercise caution when using alternatives to a prescription from an eye-care specialist, or reputable pharmacy. The following information and tips can help:

Health-Related Information

• Get regular eye exams. You may have problems with your eyes that you are not aware of, and your contacts may not correct your vision properly. Some untreated infections can lead to blindness.
• Have an eye-care specialist check to make sure that your contact lenses fit properly and that the contact lens prescription was filled properly. Failure to do so could cause discomfort or damage to your eyes.
• Beware of attempts to substitute a different brand than what you normally wear. There are differences in water content and shape between brands. The choice of which lens is right for you should be made only based on examination by your eye-care specialist, not over the phone or the Internet.
• Request the manufacturer's written patient information for your contact lenses. It will give you important information, as well as instructions for use.

Prescription-Related Information

• The minimum elements contained on a valid contact lens prescription should include your name, doctor's name, contact lens brand name and material, expiration date (if mandated by your state), and lens measurements, including power, diameter and base curve.
• Make certain your contact lens prescription is current when ordering. The expiration date is currently set by each state. Some states require one- or two-year expiration dates, while other states leave it to eye care-specialists to decide. Never order lenses using a prescription that has expired.
• Be sure the lenses the company sends matches your prescription exactly. Check that you have the brand and lens name you ordered, and that the numbers indicating power, sphere, cylinder and axis (if any), diameter, and base curve are the same as on your prescription. This information is required to appear on the contact lens package or container.
• If you think you have received an incorrect lens, check with your doctor. Don't accept substitutes for any contact lens unless your doctor approves.
• Some Internet sites ask for information about your doctor so that they can check the prescription. If they do check and receive a verbal OK, then they have complied with the Federal prescription device regulation. If the company does not check, they have not obtained a valid prescription. Some state laws require that a written prescription be presented.
• Order your contacts from a supplier you are familiar with and know is reliable.
• You won't break any laws if you buy lenses on the Internet, by phone, or through the mail without a prescription, but you should know that the company is selling you a prescription device as if it were an over-the-counter device. This violates federal regulation. Be wary when companies tell you they will check with your doctor to confirm the prescription. They don't always check.

Problems Relating to Purchases

• Report serious eye problems associated with your lenses to the FDA's MedWatch reporting program at www.fda.gov/medwatch/. Also, contact your health professional for medical advice.
• Report problems involving contact lens sales by Web sites by sending an e-mail to webcomplaints@ora.fda.gov.
• If you do not get the exact lenses you ordered, you should report the problem directly to the company that supplied them.