FDA > CDRH > Contact Lenses > Contact Lens Prescription

Contact Lens Prescription

When you get an eye exam, you have the right to get a copy of your prescription. You can use this prescription at another vendor or to order contact lenses on the Internet, over the phone, or by mail. See Buying Contact Lenses.

As defined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations, a prescription should contain sufficient information for a seller to completely and accurately fill the prescription. This includes the following items:

• Patient's name
• Examination date
• Date patient receives prescription after a contact lens fitting (issue date) and expiration date of prescription
• Name, address, phone number and fax number of prescriber
• Power
• Material and/or manufacturer of the prescribed contact lens
• Base curve or appropriate designation of the prescribed contact lens
• Diameter, when appropriate, of the prescribed contact lens
• For a private label contact lens, the name of the manufacturer, trade name of the private label brand, and if applicable, trade name of equivalent brand name

The FTC enforces the requirement that eye care professionals are to give patients a copy of their contact lens prescriptions. Go to FTC's website to read:

FTC Consumer Alert: The Eyes Have It – Get Your Prescription
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/contactalrt.htm

FTC Facts for Business: The Contact Lens Rule: a Guide for Prescribers and Sellers
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/contact.htm

Updated May 12, 2006