Contact Lens Rx Question
I have a question for all of you. Would you please share how you handle your contact lens sales? Specifically with regard to how many boxes you sell on a prescription. I am in Georgia where the contact lens rx is valid for one year.
Thanks in advance for sharing!!
Cindy Galloway, LDO, ABOC, NCLEC
When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people are going to be disappointed they are not it.
The CL Rx is valid for one year, and we try to sell a one year supply to each patient if possible. However,( and I think this is what you might me asking about ) as far as I know, in my state there is no limit on the quantity they can order within the one year validity of the Rx. I've heard some states do limit the quantity to a one year supply, and then Rx is no longer valid.
So far in my experience, a patient wanting/trying to order MORE than a years supply has never been an issue. The issue is trying to get them to actually be compliant and order a years supply at all, and NOT to over wear the 3 months supply they bought 9 months ago.
Patient, ".. Doctor says I have a subscription for stigmata.. Can you fill that?"
Me, "..Um.. "
A contact lens Rx is valid until the expiration date the Dr puts on it.
That being said, here in Florida a contact lens Rx is good for 2 years if it does not have a expiration date. In that time frame I will sell them a train load of contacts if they want them.
Now that being said. The staff working in the prescribing Dr's office KNOW the Dr wants the pt back every year so they, out of training for the job they are quick to tell everyone the Rx has expired even though there is no expiration date on the Rx.
So now lets hear from the OD's and MD's. Outside of medical reasons, (those are a given). What are your training guidelines for contact lens expiration dates? Your dates obviously should trump anything that is dictated to us who are filling the Rx's.
Agreed vcom, rarely is it the case that the patient is compliant and asking to order more than the years supply. I am torn when someone tries to purchase a two year supply simply because they should come back in a year for a new exam. That being said I would rather sell more boxes than less or know that someone is purchasing a 3month supply and stretching them to a year which always makes me shake my head. I recently had someone in who had their exam and then expressed disappointment that he could no longer get Ciba vial lenses. He said "they lasted me 4 years"...I wanted top clasp my chest and fall to the floor.
Cindy Galloway, LDO, ABOC, NCLEC
When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people are going to be disappointed they are not it.
Gotta love those patients who come in wearing the trials from last years exam...EW. Legally, as far as I know you are ok to sell as many boxes as the pt wants as long as the rx is valid. It's not something we run in to very often. Occasionally we have the pt who calls to order a new 6 month supply just before the rx expires and I sell them, pushing the need to go ahead and make the next appointment while on the phone. At least you know those pts are not overwearing...much. :)
Not trying to take the thread off topic, but I am interested to see what if any response we will see when/if all the manufacturers go unilateral pricing and phasing out the 6pack in favor of the 12. Could they just go ahead and package a year supply at the time and make all our lives a little easier?
We have a good mix of one year orders, 6 month, 3 month, 1 box, 2 box, etc. But when someone wants to order a 6 month supply and they are due for an exam in a few weeks, we generally do not order the large quantity. We'll order enough to get them through their next exam (with some extra to spare), or offer trials to get them by until the exam. Either way, they are happy and this seems to work well for us. It's a nice courtesy, no pressure or cost to them, and they definitely get their next exam done in a timely manner.
if you guys want to see some really entertaining contact lens non-compliance google "amoebas eat woman's eye after wearing contacts for six months"
yup. that happened.
"what i need is a strong drink and a peer group." ... Douglas Adams - Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy
We have to balance practicality and humaneness with practicality and humaneness.
It's practical and humane to expire CLRxs after one year. It's a good universal standard.
But stuff happens.
What we do, if they need to reorder BEFORE one year is allow them to buy the minimum quantity available.
What we do, if they need to order AFTER the Rx expires but within six months of expiration is to allow them to buy the minimum quantity available IF THEY SCHEDULE FOR AN EXAM. We call that a "grace period". But we have that option because we prescribe and fill.
Most people just fill the Rx (as many times as the patient wants) until it expires. The issue at hand is that prescribers should put a refill quantity (# of refills) on Rx's and when the patient fills the Rx, the dispenser should keep the original Rx, just like a pharmacy does. Patients don't get to keep their original Rx's for antibiotics, pain killers, birth control pills, etc., so why should they keep it for contact lenses (a class 2 medical device)? If a patient wants to go to another dispenser (where the original Rx is not on file) and purchase contact lenses, the new dispenser would call the original dispenser and find out how many refills the patient has left and send them a copy of the original Rx for their records. Am I the only one that has ever thought of CL Rx's this way?
That would be the drug Rx model. I agree, in 1955 we should have started using the drug model.
Unfortunately, but at the time logically, CL Rxs were the offspring of Sp Rxs, which is a whole different grandpa.
Does anyone know if in Wisconsin doctors can prescribe for 2 years? I have someone at my optical who says in Wisconsin it is illegal for a doctor to do a 2 year contact prescription. Anyone?
Thanks much!
Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. - Richard P. Feynman
Experience is the hardest teacher. She gives the test before the lesson.
Robert; thanks but...
I couldn't find anything there about the time limit or lack there of concerning contact lens prescriptions. So I still do not know if someone can have a 2 year contact RX.
(I know there used to be a dr. in Fond du Lac who wrote 2 yr contact RXs.)
Right.Originally Posted by Joyley
Here's a link to what the FTC has to say about minimum intervals for Rx expiration dates.
http://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/fil...ctlensrule.pdf
Scroll down to § 315.6 Expiration of contact lens prescriptions.
Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. - Richard P. Feynman
Experience is the hardest teacher. She gives the test before the lesson.
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