Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act (FCLCA) History
The Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act (FCLCA) became law on February 4, 2004. The Act mandates that eye care practitioners, including optometrists, release contact lens prescriptions to their patients. It also requires contact lens sellers to verify the validity of contact lens prescriptions before releasing contact lenses to consumers. Included below is additional information regarding AOA advocacy regarding the FCLCA, how to report FCLCA violations and additional resources to assist AOA members with complying with the FCLCA and ensuring contact lens seller compliance.
Resources
AOA Contact Lens Safety Advocacy
Ensuring that contact lenses are used safely by the public, and urging a robust response by Federal and state authorities to illegal and improper contact lens sales is a top priority for the AOA. In addition to efforts to educate consumers, AOA regularly meets with Federal agency officials to urge that more be done to crackdown on unscrupulous Internet and unconventional direct sellers, and these efforts are always informed and bolstered by reports AOA receives from individual doctors from across the country.
Eye care practitioners should report all violations of the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act (FCLCA) - including instances in which contact lens sellers fail to comply with the prescription verification provisions of the law.
Examples of non-compliance by sellers may include:
Click below to report:
Additionally, for AOA’s internal records, or simple for assistance is getting your message to the right people, please report all incidents to Kara Webb at kcwebb@aoa.org
Read more about AOA's contact lens advocacy below:
Join the Contact Lens and Cornea Section (CLCS):
Please contact Kara Webb at kcwebb@aoa.org with any questions or concerns regarding the activities of unscrupulous contact lens sellers or situations in which consumer safety is at immediate risk.
Looking for the AOA Contact Lens and Cornea Section webpage? Click here.