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Thread: Rx expiration

  1. #1
    Master OptiBoarder
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    Rx expiration

    I know this has been brought up before, but can't find a definitive answer. Speaking with a friend last night, she stated she was taught (Durham tech) that even with no expiration date, cl for 1 year, eyeglass 2 years, I disagree. She told me they said it was the "law", written expiration or not. My answer was maybe guidelines from state optometric boards, but they can't write laws. I have spent the morning seaching, no luck. I do honor expiration dates, but scripts with none, okay by me. I don't think anyone has died from wearing a 4 year old script,

    Anyone have a link to a LAW, not an AOL "guideline", that does address this. Other then the feds 1 year minimum on cl's, I don't think there is one, state or federal. If you have specific state info, give state and link to the LAW only, no guidelines from agencies that can't enforce.

  2. #2
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    In Florida, I always thought it was CL 1 year and glasses 2 years. But I started seeing many glasses rx's where it was 1 year expiration. One of the new drs I work with actually does one year. She says that when they put their signature on something, its a liability. They are allowed to put 1 year as an expiration date because there could be medical reasons for it. She automatically does one year expiration for all pts and if they call back in a year and ask her to extend it, she will check their chart and extend it on a case by case situation. A lot of places near our office does one year also, especially the optical outlets. When I asked one of the people when verifying rx, they said their drs are allowed to put one year and they put one year bc they want them to come back for an exam every year. They wouldn't extend the rx for the patient.

  3. #3
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    Thanks Theresa, but that is what your Doc prefers, for whatever reasons they decide. I do respect those, right or wrong, a date of expiration ties my hands. I am interested in state or federal laws, the kind that send me to club fed. We seem to all have heard the 1 year/2 year thing but no one has seen it in print. Must be the same person saying that who is that"I have a friend who got those, and couldn't get used to them" person everyone knows, no one has seen.

  4. #4
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    Here in Canada what I was taught was that Dr's Can put a exp date and Opticians can recommend a patient not fill a certain rx but that no glasses RX actually expires. You can fill a 10 yr old RX if the patient decides to and you think its still in his best interest. As for contacts I personally wouldn't fill a rx for contact lenses thats over 1-1/2 years old

  5. #5
    OptiWizard OptiBoard Silver Supporter peyes's Avatar
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    Until ALL online retailers are required by an ACTUAL LAW to adhere to an expiration I will continue to decide for myself whether to refill an Rx or not. I believe an expiration is a suggestion only.

  6. #6
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    I was also taught the 1 year contacts 2 year glasses rule. This is what I found for laws in my state of MN.
    https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=145.712

    Glasses - Prescription expiration date.

    A prescription written by an optometrist or physician must expire two years after it is written, unless a different expiration date is warranted by the patient's ocular health. If the prescription is valid for less than two years, the optometrist or physician must note the medical reason for the prescription's expiration date in the patient's record and must orally explain to the patient at the time of the eye examination the reason for the prescription's expiration date.

    https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/doc...-lens-rule.pdf
    Contacts - In my state, a contact lens prescription expires two years after it’s written. Does the Contact LensRule change that?No. If state law specifies an expiration date of one year or more from the prescription’s issue date, theprescription expires on that date. But if state law specifies an expiration date of less than one year fromthe prescription’s issue date, the expiration date is determined by the Rule. Under the Rule, a prescriptionexpires one year from its issue date, unless there’s a legitimate medical reason for setting a shorterexpiration date.

    Hope that helps.

  7. #7
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    In NC, it has always been considered a moral and ethical responsibility not to fill an RX beyond the dates described......1 year for CLs, and 2 for spectacles. That has been taught to folks in the Tar Heel sate long before Durham Tech came on the scene. But you are correct, it is not specifically addressed in the law, as it was generally left up to the person prescribing the device to set the expiration dates. If there is no expiration on the Rx, it is perfectly legal to fill it in NC. But, again, my take was to always recommend an exam past those long-standing accepted dates above. I hope this is helpful.

    Now to the person in Alabama, peyes.......an expiration date on the Rx from a prescriber is not a suggestion, and may be in place for a reason. If you fill it you place yourself and your organization in a position to have defend your actions legally. There is one saving grace.........Alabama requires no more than a pulse to use the title Optician, so you can always plead ignorance.

  8. #8
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    As I thought Warren, thanks. People confuse guidelines from industry organization's with actual laws. Any expiration date does tie my hands, and I honor them. Using a wrinkled 5 year old eyeglass script, sure. I can only explain so much about getting a new exam, their call in the end.

  9. #9
    OptiWizard OptiBoard Silver Supporter peyes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wmcdonald View Post
    In NC, it has always been considered a moral and ethical responsibility not to fill an RX beyond the dates described......1 year for CLs, and 2 for spectacles. That has been taught to folks in the Tar Heel sate long before Durham Tech came on the scene. But you are correct, it is not specifically addressed in the law, as it was generally left up to the person prescribing the device to set the expiration dates. If there is no expiration on the Rx, it is perfectly legal to fill it in NC. But, again, my take was to always recommend an exam past those long-standing accepted dates above. I hope this is helpful.

    Now to the person in Alabama, peyes.......an expiration date on the Rx from a prescriber is not a suggestion, and may be in place for a reason. If you fill it you place yourself and your organization in a position to have defend your actions legally. There is one saving grace.........Alabama requires no more than a pulse to use the title Optician, so you can always plead ignorance.
    Very well said although how often does the doc really think about the expiration date as opposed to just writing it by rote? Look I've been doing this for 35 years and have several Od's working for me. I have never known a doc that depends on an expiration date on a spectacle rx to bring a patient back for pathology. Now there are other very valid reasons for an expiration date. Pulse is strong.

  10. #10
    Master OptiBoarder rbaker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by peyes View Post
    I have never known a doc that depends on an expiration date on a spectacle rx to bring a patient back for pathology.
    A spectacle Rx has absolutely no bearing on any pathology

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by rbaker View Post
    A spectacle Rx has absolutely no bearing on any pathology
    Sorry, Marine, but it may in some instances. An example: a significant shift in Rx may indicate a number of conditions. But that is not really the point. OP was asking about the specific laws in NC, and I attempted to answer his question.

  12. #12
    Manuf. Lens Surface Treatments
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    Redhot Jumper in the United States, many eyeglass prescriptions didn’t HAVE an expiration date.....

    Wiki Answers- Why Does Your Optical Prescription Expire in 2 Years


    But not too many years ago in the United States, many eyeglass prescriptions didn’t HAVE an expiration date. Dispensing optometrists could do eye exams nearly at cost, since they could be fairly certain of selling eyewear to their patients.But some optometrists wanted to increase the odds of an eyewear sale, and so would not give patients a copy of their prescription.

    That was a problem which the Federal Government tried to remedy, firstin 1978 through the Federal Trade Commission “Eyeglass Rule”, and later in 1984through the legislature’s passage of the “Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act“, implemented by the F.T.C.as “The Contact Lens Rule(16 C.F.R. Part 315) and theEyeglass Rule(16 C.F.R. Part 456).

    These rules state that an eye doctor must give every patient a copy of their prescription, even if the patient doesn’t ask for it!


    That changed things. No longer could optometrists depend of the sale of glasses and contact lenses to be their profit center. They now needed charge more for eye exams, and they needed to do a lot more of them. And one way to do more exams was to have eyeglass and contact lens prescriptions expire, and to expire quickly.
    However, the F.T.C. stepped in again, and issued a rule that contact lens prescriptions must be valid for AT LEAST ONE YEAR. They also stipulated that if a State law required a longer period, that longer period would be the rule. So in California, for example,eyeglass prescriptions must be valid for AT LEAST TWO YEARS.

    The above is one argument as to why optical prescriptions expire after one or two years.


    Another argument is presented below.

    Depending on the doctor eye glass prescriptions will expire anytime within a 2 year period of time. This is for a few reasons. The doctors not only check you eyes for sight problems but also medical problems and such.
    For Patients with certain medical conditions eye exams are a very important part of their overall medical care. Although people may find that since their vision has not changed and there is no need for an eye exam there could be issues such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, certain types of pituitary tumours,optic nerve disorders that are picked up during routine eye exams. Most people will go for a physical every year even if they feel fine, so even though you feel you see fine your eyes still need their “physicals”.


    Continue and See all of it: ==============>
    http://www.theopticalvisionsite.com/...ire-in-2-years

  13. #13
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    Don't forget, duplication of eyewear. In some states an Optician can duplicate existing prescription off the lenses via neutralization by focimetry.

    P.S. Had an individual who purchased contacts online, they were given a list of doctors. They picked ours and were able to order contact for 6 years. Here's the kicker, we never saw this person and the company never contacted us to confirm or deny their Rx until 6 years had passed.
    Last edited by Paul Smith LDO; 06-27-2016 at 03:28 PM.
    I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it. Mark Twain

  14. #14
    Ghost in the OptiMachine Quince's Avatar
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    4. Minimum prescription requirements. The following are the minimum requirements for optometric prescriptions.
    A. [1993, c. 600, Pt. A, §146 (RP).]

    A-1. For ophthalmic lenses and contact lenses:
    (1) The prescription must contain all the information necessary to be properly dispensed;

    (2) The prescription must specify whether it is for contact lenses or ophthalmic lenses;

    (3) All prescriptions must include the name of the patient, date of prescription, name and office location of prescriber and an expiration date. A prescription may not contain an expiration date of more than 2 years from the date of the eye examination by the provider unless the prescription contains a statement made by the provider of the reasons why a longer time frame is appropriate based on the medical needs of the patient;

    (4) A person or entity may not dispense ophthalmic lenses or contact lenses to a patient without a valid prescription from a provider issued after an eye examination performed by the provider, except that a person or entity may dispense without a prescription spectacle lenses, solely for the correction of vision, that are of uniform focus power in each eye of between plano and +3.25 diopters; and

    (5) A prescription for ophthalmic lenses or contact lenses may not be made based solely on the diagnosis of a refractive error of the human eye as generated by a kiosk. [2015, c. 173, §2 (AMD).]

    4-A.Release of contact lens prescription.
    "...An individual, corporation or other entity, other than a mail order contact lens supplier, that improperly fills a contact lens prescription or fills an expired prescription commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture of not less than $250 nor more than $1,000 may be adjudged."




    http://www.mainelegislature.org/legi...32sec2417.html


    Maine state law has a fine for filling expired contact prescriptions but not eyeglass prescriptions. It is up to the individual or corporation. I would check state government sites for details on different states. There is no federal law that I can find.

    We fill old RXs after confirming the patient is aware and reminded that an exam is also a health screening. If they choose to proceed, we are happy to oblige.
    Have I told you today how much I hate poly?

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