General Optical Council And British Contact Lens Association Issue Advice On Safe Contact Lens Purchase

Main Category: Eye Health / Blindness
Article Date: 28 May 2008 - 1:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

The General Optical Council (GOC) and British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) have produced a new leaflet to help consumers buy contact lenses safely.

'Buying contact lenses' is an eight-page leaflet which lists common questions and answers about contact lenses.

Questions include:

- How do I find out about wearing contact lenses?
- Can I ask for a copy of my contact lens details?
- Do I need a specification in order to buy contact lenses?
- How often should I have a contact lens check-up?
- What should I do if I have a problem with my lenses?
- Will I save money by buying contact lenses via the internet?

The leaflet points out that only registered optometrists, dispensing opticians with a specialist qualification (contact lens opticians) and medical practitioners can fit contact lenses, and outlines the legal situation on contact lens sale and supply.

It also describes the BCLA's position on contact lens sales, which stresses the importance of regular check-ups and that wearers should not change their prescribed lens type, wearing schedule, replacement frequency, solutions or care procedures without the recommendation of their eye care practitioner.

GOC registrar Peter Coe said: 'We want to make sure that the public are able to make well-informed consumer choices and look after their eyesight. This leaflet should help contact lens wearers understand their options for buying lenses, what the law says, and how they can keep their eyes healthy by having proper fittings and aftercare.'

BCLA president Nick Atkins added: 'The aim is to encourage safe practice among consumers buying contact lenses and ensure they do not put the health and comfort of their eyes at risk.

'The BCLA has put this leaflet together, with the GOC, to help patients understand the key considerations about where and how they buy their contact lenses. This is an excellent initiative and a great example of a project that fulfills our mission of providing information as well as education for the ultimate benefit of the public.'

The leaflet will be launched at this week's BCLA Clinical Conference, the world's largest dedicated contact lens event, where there will be a roundtable discussion of the risks to patients from the general sales of contact lenses (May 30).

Copies of the leaflet will be available on request. It will also be used for a consumer awareness campaign on 'Safe contacts' which is planned for this summer.

Notes:

- Changes to the Opticians Act which took effect from June 2005 included new regulations on the sale and supply of contact lenses in the UK.

- The General Optical Council is the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. Its purpose is to protect the public by promoting high standards of education and conduct amongst opticians. The Council currently registers around 22,000 optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians and optical businesses. For more information visit http://www.optical.org.

- The British Contact Lens Association's mission is to promote excellence in research, manufacture and clinical practice of contact lenses and related areas. A registered charity, the BCLA is a multidisciplinary organisation and has optometrists, dispensing opticians, ophthalmologists, industry personnel, research scientists and students among its membership. It current has around 1,800 members in nearly 40 countries. For more information visit http://www.bcla.org.uk.

General Optical Council

• Additional
• References
• Citations