Contact Lens Prescription Expiration

[Diane]

I am the current chair of the Georgia State Board of Dispensing Opticians. The Georgia State Board of Dispensing Opticians discussed this at length, and our stand on it is that if the Rx is expired, it's expired...no extension...no nothing. If the prescribing DOCTOR, wishes to allow anything for the patient, that is his/her choice, and they would be the authority. In addition, the intent of the prescriber is to have sufficient contact lenses filled until expired, therefore if someone were to come into an office a day before expiration, the most sold should only be the minimum number allowed to be delivered that date. If they are not something in stock, the expiration date would have passed before dispensing, therefore, none can be sold or dispensed. I won't offer any further discourse on this.

Diane

[Judy Canty]

Err, aren't you just a day older?

I think you missed my point. The expiration date, if the rx is written for 1 year, is the same month and day, just one year later.

http://www.business.ftc.gov/document...rs-and-sellers

[braheem24]

Sec. 353.155. EXTENSION OF PRESCRIPTION. (a) A physician, optometrist, or therapeutic optometrist may extend the expiration date for a contact lens prescription without completing another eye examination.
(b) On request by a patient, a prescribing physician, optometrist, or therapeutic optometrist shall authorize at least once a two-month extension of the patient's contact lens prescription. The physician, optometrist, or therapeutic optometrist may extend the prescription in accordance with Section 353.104.

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.u...htm/OC.353.htm

I expected more from libertarian Texans :)

Next thing they'll allow doctors to switch brands, Where will the insanity end?

This can be filed under law for the sake of making a law.

[Paul Smith LDO]

The date on which something can no longer be used. If the expiration date is, 04 FEB 2014, it can not be filled on said date.

[FL-Opt]

It appears that Georgia OPTICIANRY law is rather vague on the subject of contact lens expiration dates. It only states that a Dispensing Optician is licensed to "prepare and dispense lenses, spectacles, eyeglasses, contact lenses, and optical devices to the intended user thereof as specifically directed or authorized on the written prescription of a physician skilled in diseases of the eye or an optometrist duly licensed to practice his profession." Please correct me if you know of some other GA statute or rule that deals with this subject in more detail.

My interpretation of the law in relation to the questions posed is:

1. A contact lens Rx may be filled on the expiration date, but not afterwards, unless you have authorization from the prescribing Doctor. I spoke to a Pharmacist friend of mine and she said that an Rx for pharmaceutical drugs can be filled on the same day as the expiration date, so why not contact lenses, which are considered a Class II medical device??

2. This is a tough question and a personal judgement (ethics) call. This would only be an issue if there were harm done to a patient and/or if there were a complaint filed against the Optician for some reason. I probably have sold contact lenses on the date of the Rx's expiration and dispensed them on another day, only when it is a lens that we do not carry in stock. I don't think it is fair for the patient that just because his/her Rx is not in stock that it should prohibit it from being filled. On a side note, an Optician can duplicate lenses (eyeglasses, contact lenses, etc.) without prescription and fill it. So if you really wanted to cover yourself, I'm guessing you could just duplicate it, right??

In my opinion, one of the main issues that causes all this confusion about expiration dates and ordering more than a year's supply is that patients are allowed to keep their original optical prescriptions (unlike Rx's for pharmaceuticals and other medical devices). You never get to keep the original Rx for anything you have filled at a pharmacy, so why should an Rx for eyeglasses or contact lenses be any different?? Each Rx should have a maximum number of refills on it specified by the prescriber and the Optician filling the Rx should keep the original and upon request, give the patient a copy that says "VOID". If a patient wants to go to another dispenser for additional refills, the Rx would need to be transferred and only the appropriate number of available refills would be allowed. This would solve the whole problem. That's my two cents on the subject, but I'm not a lawyer, so I suggest doing what you feel is best within your legal interest. In addition, I think it would be smart for all Licensed Opticians to look into getting a small malpractice liability insurance policy, even more so if you're fitting contact lenses or own your own optical.

[opty4062]

It appears that Georgia OPTICIANRY law is rather vague on the subject of contact lens expiration dates. It only states that a Dispensing Optician is licensed to "prepare and dispense lenses, spectacles, eyeglasses, contact lenses, and optical devices to the intended user thereof as specifically directed or authorized on the written prescription of a physician skilled in diseases of the eye or an optometrist duly licensed to practice his profession." Please correct me if you know of some other GA statute or rule that deals with this subject in more detail.

My interpretation of the law in relation to the questions posed is:

1. A contact lens Rx may be filled on the expiration date, but not afterwards, unless you have authorization from the prescribing Doctor. I spoke to a Pharmacist friend of mine and she said that an Rx for pharmaceutical drugs can be filled on the same day as the expiration date, so why not contact lenses, which are considered a Class II medical device??

2. This is a tough question and a personal judgement (ethics) call. This would only be an issue if there were harm done to a patient and/or if there were a complaint filed against the Optician for some reason. I probably have sold contact lenses on the date of the Rx's expiration and dispensed them on another day, only when it is a lens that we do not carry in stock. I don't think it is fair for the patient that just because his/her Rx is not in stock that it should prohibit it from being filled. On a side note, an Optician can duplicate lenses (eyeglasses, contact lenses, etc.) without prescription and fill it. So if you really wanted to cover yourself, I'm guessing you could just duplicate it, right??

In my opinion, one of the main issues that causes all this confusion about expiration dates and ordering more than a year's supply is that patients are allowed to keep their original optical prescriptions (unlike Rx's for pharmaceuticals and other medical devices). You never get to keep the original Rx for anything you have filled at a pharmacy, so why should an Rx for eyeglasses or contact lenses be any different?? Each Rx should have a maximum number of refills on it specified by the prescriber and the Optician filling the Rx should keep the original and upon request, give the patient a copy that says "VOID". If a patient wants to go to another dispenser for additional refills, the Rx would need to be transferred and only the appropriate number of available refills would be allowed. This would solve the whole problem. That's my two cents on the subject, but I'm not a lawyer, so I suggest doing what you feel is best within your legal interest. In addition, I think it would be smart for all Licensed Opticians to look into getting a small malpractice liability insurance policy, even more so if you're fitting contact lenses or own your own optical.

+1 All good points FL Opt. You should have chimed in earlier. :)

[wmcdonald]

Rx written on 1/12/2013. Expires in 1 year. A year is 365 days. A new exam should be required on 1/12/1014, except in Texas, of course, where the OD or MD can declare it a national emergency and extend it (I got it now, George). Why can't you dispense a years supply? You can. Should you? It is an ethical issue that you must decide.......law and ethics is different. If you feel, as many do, that an annual exam is important to maintain maximum ocular health, then to give the patient (or customer, or widget, or whatever you call them at your place) supersedes that a bit. We cannot predict pending issues without an exam, although I, like you, feel that annual exams may be a bit excessive for the general public. The American Academy of Ophthalmology agree as well, by the way, but that is another issue. Here is what I used to do in my area that had a lot of tourist travel. I would call the patients provider and ask if we could provide them a limited supply until they could return home. Most were appreciative and would work with them. Some would just say no and ask that the patient call their office. Heaven forbid the loss of a sale of a 25.00 box of disposables we may make 50 cents on anyway! I would also offer them an exam and update them.

You make an excellent point on the Rx transfer issue, as well as the malpractice insurance, although in the case of Opticians most insurers call it liability coverage. We have to get real about the value of the Rx, and I really like that idea of yours. Your state is one of the few remaining where we continue to fit CLs, which is a real shame, since Mr. Touhy is really the individual who developed the initial corneal contact lens (an Optician, for those who do not know).

Now to Georgia......I think the knowledgeable Ms. Drake was describing the board's interpretation of this question that has been asked and answered many times before. The statutes are what they are and are always being interpreted, just like the Bible. That is why we have all these religions........the Baptists and Methodists and all the rest can't agree either, so we have to interpret. One of our main issues you allude to here. you mention Licensed Opticians. Remember, in 27 states, the only requirement to be an optician is a pulse, so in much of the country we are not a recognized profession by anyone but us. And until we gain some real education, and not some very basic certifications that provide an alphabet soup behind peoples names, and a license in every jurisdiction (that means states for some of those with limited "pulses"), we are dead in the water. There will always be someone called an Optician, but with every generation we dumb ourselves down even further, so the most complicates questions we ask on wonderful boards like Steve's here, are ones like this one.

I see you are relatively new here. I must then assume you are possibly new to the field? You have a good mind, and I encourage you to continue to offer your views. There are many good people here. We vigorously debate many issues, and we all have our pet topics. As you are probably aware, mine is education and licensure for Opticians, so that is basically what I comment on. I probably sound like a broken record to some, and for that........sorry, but I am passionate about improving the field, and I hope even those who may disagree recognize that. Find your pet issue, and help us shape the future. Some of us are near the end of our careers, and we need new blood. I like your ideas, and hope you hang around. But know that if you make a challenge, get ready. Don't get upset........discuss the topics, and we are all better for it.
Welcome.

[Barry Santini]

Interesting. So the whole possession of Rx issue inspires me to ask if in Canada, the home of mail-order/internet pharmacies, there are any more bodies from dispensing drugs via online?

B

[optical24/7]

On a side note, an Optician can duplicate lenses (eyeglasses, contact lenses, etc.) without prescription and fill it. So if you really wanted to cover yourself, I'm guessing you could just duplicate it, right??

No. Unless your state allows it. The FCLC Act clearly states you cannot sell CL's (duplicate them) with out verification from the prescriber, (within 8 business hours).

[drk]

In my opinion, one of the main issues that causes all this confusion about expiration dates and ordering more than a year's supply is that patients are allowed to keep their original optical prescriptions (unlike Rx's for pharmaceuticals and other medical devices). You never get to keep the original Rx for anything you have filled at a pharmacy, so why should an Rx for eyeglasses or contact lenses be any different?? Each Rx should have a maximum number of refills on it specified by the prescriber and the Optician filling the Rx should keep the original and upon request, give the patient a copy that says "VOID". If a patient wants to go to another dispenser for additional refills, the Rx would need to be transferred and only the appropriate number of available refills would be allowed. This would solve the whole problem. That's my two cents on the subject

That's worth more than two cents.

[drk]

How about this?

If a prescription is authored on Jan 1, 2014, the expiration date should be written as Jan 2, 2015.

Would that help?

[vcom]

It sounds like we mostly agree, CL RX should expire after 1 year, unless notated or extended by original Prescriber. As a whole, I have always felt that consumer accountability is where we are lacking in this issue, which actually originates with us, the prescribers and dispensers. We MUST do better at explaining how the CL RX system works, what to expect, what is allowed, and what is not. I think contacts have become such a luxury/convenience, that no consumer thinks of them as a medical device. Just a cheap, easy fix.

If we spend the time to explain rules, regulations, limitations, and expectations to each and every CL patient, whether they have worn them for 50 years or 50 seconds, you would think that would help with some of the abuse and drama that goes hand in hand with CLs.

[NavyChief]

Isn't there a 3 month "emergency" extension clause in the CL act? That would make this moot.

No, there is not.

[tripleh3lix]

I would never recommend expired contacts to my patients, ever. Are they safe to wear if they're unopened? Most likely a month or two, but you have no idea what damage can be done to their eyes.

[wmcdonald]

I would never recommend expired contacts to my patients, ever. Are they safe to wear if they're unopened? Most likely a month or two, but you have no idea what damage can be done to their eyes.

Oh good grief.......no one else would either! Read the posts. We are discussing the Rx expiration date, not the CL itself.