Online sales

[MikeAurelius]

Kent,

In New Hampshire the RX is good for 2 years and we are not allowed to read the old pair and duplicate.

Is that by state law, or by regulation of the state board of optometry?

[NCspecs]

I think a lot of the passion that people have expressed here in regards to Rx expiration dates really says a lot about how seriously we take our job. It's frustrating when online retail flouts all of our ethics and safeguards- we end up cleaning up the mess at the end of the day more often than not. I think all of us can look back to a time where we had a legitimate concern about a patient and we ended up saving a life or someone's vision. It's trite and short-sighted to say that it's a money game. I think we can all agree we aren't in optical for the big bucks. I totally agree that holding an rx hostage for spectacles can ridiculous- there is always a special case. However, I know I want to give my patients the best fit every time I dispense eyewear and having up-to-date information is part of my criteria.

[Uncle Fester]

Kent,



Is that by state law, or by regulation of the state board of optometry?

Owners policy imo. NH is an unlicensed state.

[Browman]

I think a lot of the passion that people have expressed here in regards to Rx expiration dates really says a lot about how seriously we take our job. It's frustrating when online retail flouts all of our ethics and safeguards- we end up cleaning up the mess at the end of the day more often than not. I think all of us can look back to a time where we had a legitimate concern about a patient and we ended up saving a life or someone's vision. It's trite and short-sighted to say that it's a money game. I think we can all agree we aren't in optical for the big bucks. I totally agree that holding an rx hostage for spectacles can ridiculous- there is always a special case. However, I know I want to give my patients the best fit every time I dispense eyewear and having up-to-date information is part of my criteria.

Much of the passion in this thread seems to be in favor of flounting at least one of those "safeguards," though-- one which forms a core pillar around which online optical is built (the other, obviously, being price; a topic for another thread). I see very little support here for RX expiration dates.

[becc971]

maybe we should create an optiboard poll of whether or not we think there should be expirations on RX's ... really get the "war" started

p.s. i'm for them!

[MikeAurelius]

Much of the passion in this thread seems to be in favor of flounting at least one of those "safeguards," though-- one which forms a core pillar around which online optical is built (the other, obviously, being price; a topic for another thread). I see very little support here for RX expiration dates.

Flouting?? I don't see that. What I see is a discussion regarding the validity of a phony balony "expiration date" on a medical device that has absolutely nothing to do with when the individual patient needs a new prescription. Now, if the expiration date on the scrip was individualized per patient instead of a default 1/2 years, then you might make a case for flouting.