Patient safety alliance briefs Senate staff on counterfeit contact lenses
January 08, 2019
Healio News - The Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety sponsored a briefing for U.S. Senate Policy Staff on the medical dangers and safety threats posed by counterfeit contact lenses in Washington.
A 2017 study conducted by the FDA found that 60% of counterfeit lenses tested were positive for microbial contamination, according to a press release from the alliance.
CooperVision urges FTC to protect patients, competition in Contact Lens Rule
August 20, 2019
Healio News - CooperVision asked the Federal Trade Commission to consider patient safety, the eye care provider’s expertise, stronger enforcement and the use of technology for prescription verification as it evaluates proposed changes to the Contact Lens Rule.
In a letter the company submitted to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) July 29, CooperVision said, “Fostering competition should not come at the expense of patient safety and excellent lens wearing experiences.”
Burgess offers bipartisan bill to protect America’s consumers of online contact lenses
August 9, 2019
The Ripon Advance - U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) recently introduced bipartisan legislation to protect the nation’s contact lens consumers from unsafe online sales practices.
“In the 21st century marketplace, American patients have more options for buying contact lenses than ever before,” Rep. Burgess said. “It is critical for patients to receive the correct prescription when ordering contact lenses — regardless of where they place the order.”
Outgoing AOA president prioritizes comprehensive eye exams for 2020
June 20, 2019
Healio News - Alabama practitioner Samuel D. Pierce, OD, closes out his 2019-2020 term as president of the American Optometric Association here at Optometry’s Meeting.
Primary Care Optometry News spoke with Pierce about the association’s accomplishments during his tenure and programs that will continue to be a priority over the next year.
Advocacy, innovation, patient experience priorities for new J&J president
June 20, 2019
Healio News - Advocacy in eye health, product innovation and the patient experience are three areas of focus for Thomas Swinnen, the new North American president for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care.
Primary Care Optometry News spoke with Swinnen here at Optometry’s Meeting about the priorities he has developed in his 3 months with Johnson & Johnson.
APS Members Brief Congressional Offices on Concerns Regarding Robocalls & Substitution of Contact Lenses
April 18, 2019
Invision - Members of the Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety (APS) visited nearly a dozen congressional offices. During these meetings, APS advocates briefed Members of Congress and their staffs on problems that vision care patients face including online sellers’ problematic use of robocalls and the medical dangers and safety threats posed by the substitution of lenses that have not been prescribed to a patient.
The 2004 Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act requires that all third-party sellers must verify prescriptions with an eye doctor and fill the prescription as written. However, the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Contact Lens Rule allows verification to be done via robocalls. Oftentimes, information relayed in these robocalls is garbled or do not align with a patient’s chart—making it difficult, or even impossible, to correctly identify the patient and proper prescription.
Doctor-Patient Relationship, Access To Primary Eye Health Care Are The Focus As More Than 600 Doctors And Students Of Optometry Advocate On Capitol Hill
April 9, 2019
Cision PR Newswire - Members of the American Optometric Association Met with Lawmakers to Maintain the Profession's Voice at the Center of Health Care Decision-Making
Hundreds of American Optometric Association (AOA) doctors of optometry, America's primary eye health care providers, and students from across the U.S. are in the nation's capital to meet with lawmakers to discuss the expanding the role of doctors of optometry in health care and the importance of eye health care for all Americans.
Congress must protect eye care patients from frightful prescriptions
October 24, 2018
The Hill - Halloween is supposed to be full of fright, but not when it comes to our vision. Millions of people are buying costumes and then purchasing colored contact lenses right off the shelf. While it can be fun dressing up and surprising your friends, very few people understand that many costume/colored contact lenses may not be safe to wear.
For the 40 million-plus Americans that use prescription contact lenses, the danger from improper use of those lenses is on the rise due to risks associated with counterfeits, deceptive selling practices and low quality “telehealth.”
Proposed Legislation Would Allow Doctors To Prescribe Drugs To Treat Opioid Addiction Through Telemedicine
September 28, 2018
Kaiser Health News - The push is part of a renewed focus on medication-assisted treatment for those addicted to opioids. It's often hard for patients to find a doctor who is able to prescribe the necessary drugs. Meanwhile, in Congress' sweeping opioid package is a provision to shield people who are trying to buy cheaper, needed prescription medication from other countries. More news on the drug crisis comes from Massachusetts, Ohio, North Carolina and Kansas, as well.
Contact lens manufacturers look to the future
September 27, 2018
Healio News – Moderator S. Barry Eiden, OD, FAAO, challenged representatives from the contact lens industry to share what their companies are working on for the future, here at the Global Contact Lens Forum during Vision Expo West.
“We are going to continue to focus on comfort, because that’s paramount,” Michele L. Andrews, OD, senior director of professional and academic affairs, CooperVision, said. “We’re also looking at things to help with patient compliance.