Currently, Americans in all 50 states can buy contacts both from ECPs and other sources such as optical chains, warehouse clubs and online stores. This privilege originates from a 2004 legislation that patients are entitled to obtain a copy of contacts prescription from ECPs without extra cost, which was only available in certain states before that time. This law profoundly separated fitting and lenses buying. You will never be forced to buy contacts from ECPs after been fitted. Today, contacts prescriptions are just like ones of other medical products like medicines that may provide more information than eyeglasses prescriptions. With a prescription, customers can buy disposable lenses regularly.
An accurate prescription is needed for contacts. Poorly fitting contacts and lenses made of unsuitable materials may cause discomfort, inflammation, swelling, and most severely, permanent vision loss. Sharing contacts may also bring dangerous infections. In US, optometrists, ophthalmologists as well as opticians are entitled to fit contact lenses.
Subtle eye problems may have developed even you are still feeling good with your eyes and contacts. Some ophthalmologists have ever found eye problems during regular eye exams, so that you must update the prescription within a certain period, which is also listed by either federal law or state law. Another point worth mentioning is that you can change your contacts size, material or design if you are diagnosed with a lens-related problem.
Contacts prescriptions use standard terms, abbreviations and measurements, which look like secret codes yet easy for recognition. Besides regular items, your prescription may also tell the recommended replacement period or the expiry. By US law, the expiry normally is at least one year and in most of the cases it may be longer than this. However, you should always follow your ECP for final decision, rather than the products instructions.
article source:An introduction of contact lenses prescription
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