§7601 — Title 15 Commerce and Trade | U.S. Code

Summary

When an eye care professional finishes fitting you for contact lenses, they must give you a copy of your contact lens prescription, even if you do not ask for it. They must also send or confirm the prescription to anyone you have authorized, by electronic or other means. The eye care professional cannot make you buy lenses from them or anyone else, charge extra beyond the usual exam/fitting fee, or make you sign a waiver in order to get or verify your prescription.

Title 15, §7601

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)When a prescriber completes a contact lens fitting, the prescriber—

(1)whether or not requested by the patient, shall provide to the patient a copy of the contact lens prescription; and

(2)shall, as directed by any person designated to act on behalf of the patient, provide or verify the contact lens prescription by electronic or other means.

(b)A prescriber may not—

(1)require purchase of contact lenses from the prescriber or from another person as a condition of providing a copy of a prescription under subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2) or verification of a prescription under subsection (a)(2);

(2)require payment in addition to, or as part of, the fee for an eye examination, fitting, and evaluation as a condition of providing a copy of a prescription under subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2) or verification of a prescription under subsection (a)(2); or

(3)require the patient to sign a waiver or release as a condition of verifying or releasing a prescription.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 108–164, § 12, Dec. 6, 2003, 117 Stat. 2028, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter and provisions set out as a note below] shall take effect 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 6, 2003].”

Short Title

Pub. L. 108–164, § 1, Dec. 6, 2003, 117 Stat. 2024, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter and provisions set out as a note above] may be cited as the ‘Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act’.”

§7601 Availability of contact lens prescriptions to patients