§7603 Prescriber Verification

Summary

Sellers must only sell contact lenses if they have a prescription given by the patient or the prescriber, or if the seller checks the prescription by direct communication. Sellers must keep a record of those direct communications. When asking a prescriber to verify a prescription, the seller must give the patient’s full name and address, the lens details (power, maker, base curve or other designation, and diameter when needed), how many lenses are ordered, the date the patient asked, the date and time of the verification request, and the seller’s contact person with fax and phone. A prescription is verified if the prescriber confirms it, tells the seller it is wrong and gives the correct one, or does not reply within 8 business hours (or a similar time set by the Federal Trade Commission). If the prescriber says before that deadline the prescription is inaccurate, expired, or invalid, the seller must not fill it and the prescriber must say why. Sellers may not change prescriptions, except they may fill with the same company’s lens sold under another label. Direct communication means phone, fax, or email.