RX VERIFICATION

Rx Verification for U.S. Customers


Unicon Hk is committed to comply with rules and laws of different countries due to the nature of our business. We have implemented a prescription verification system that complies with US FCLCA (The Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act) and Rules which is currently applied to US customers only.

VERIFICATION PROCESS HAPPENS IN 2 WAYS, EITHER YOU PROVIDE US:

  • Copy of your valid contact lens prescription by upload, or
  • Your eye doctor's name and phone number and allow us to contact them by fax / phone / email to verify the validity of your contact lens prescription
  • Please send us the information to this email: info@unicon.hk

The verification process takes 8 hours and if no response received from your eye doctor, your contact lens prescription will be assumed as valid and your order will be processed and shipped.



The Contact Lens Rule: A Guide for Prescribers and Sellers
SOURCE: UNITED STATES FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC)

The Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act increases consumers' ability to shop around when buying contact lenses. The Act gives consumers certain rights, imposes duties on contact lens prescribers and sellers, and requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to develop and enforce implementing rules. The FTC issued the Contact Lens Rule in 2017 to spell out the Act’s requirements.

The Contact Lens Rule requires prescribers to give patients a copy of their contact lens prescriptions at the end of a contact lens fitting, even if the patient doesn’t ask for it. A patient who wants to buy contact lenses from another seller then may give the prescription to that seller. If a consumer doesn’t give his prescription to that seller, the seller must verify the prescription before selling the lenses.

The verification process works like this: the consumer provides prescription information to the seller, who then submits it to the prescriber in a verification request. The prescriber has eight-business-hours to respond. If the prescriber does not respond within the required time, the prescription is verified automatically, and the seller may provide contact lenses to the consumer.


FOR PRESCRIBERS
According to the Rule, “prescriber” refers to anyone permitted under state law to issue prescriptions for contact lenses — including ophthalmologists, optometrists, and licensed opticianswho also are permitted under state law to fit contact lenses (sometimes called “dispensing opticians”).

PRESCRIBERS MUST:

  • give a copy of the contact lens prescription to the patient at the end of the contact lens fitting – even if the patient doesn’t ask for it.
  • provide or verify the contact lens prescription to anyone who is designated to act on behalf of the patient, including contact lens sellers.
  • In any response to a verification request, prescribers must correct any inaccuracy in the prescription, inform the seller if it’s expired and specify the reason if it’s invalid.
PRESCRIBERS CANNOT REQUIRE PATIENTS TO:

 

  • buy contact lenses
  • pay additional fees or
  • sign a waiver or release in exchange for a copy of the contact lens prescription.

Prescribers may require a patient to pay for the eye exam, fitting and evaluation before giving the patient a copy of the contact lens prescription,but only if the prescriber also requires immediate payment from patients whose eye exams reveal no need for glasses, contact lenses, or other corrective eye care products. Proof of valid insurance coverage counts as payment for purposes of this requirement.

Prescribers cannot disclaim liability or responsibility for the accuracy of an eye examination.

PRESCRIPTION EXPIRATION

The Rule allows prescribers to set prescription expiration dates – one year or more from the date the prescription is issued to a patient. If applicable state law requires a specific expiration period that is longer than one year, however, the prescriber must follow that law.

A prescriber may set an expiration date of earlier than one year only if that date is based on the prescriber’s medical judgment about the patient’s eye health. In these cases, the prescriber must document the medical reason for the shorter expiration date with enough detail to allow for review by a qualified medical professional, and maintain the records for at least three years.



FOR SELLERS
Sellers may provide contact lenses only in accordance with a valid prescription that is directly presented to the seller or verified with the prescriber. That means sellers may provide contact lenses when the consumer presents his prescription in person, by fax, or by email if the prescription has been scanned and attached to the email. The consumer also can authorize the seller to verify his prescription via “direct communication” with the prescriber.

Verification
WHEN VERIFYING A CONTACT LENS PRESCRIPTION, SELLERS MUST PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO THE PRESCRIBER USING DIRECT COMMUNICATION:

  • patient's full name and address
  • contact lens power, manufacturer, base curve Facts for Business or appropriate designation, and diameter when appropriate
  • quantity of lenses ordered
  • date of patient order
  • date and time of verification request
  • a contact person for the seller, including name, fax and phone numbers
  • a clear statement of the prescriber’s regular Saturday business hours if the seller is counting those hours as “business hours” under the Rule