Washington, DC—Today, Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) sent a letter to the Honorable Maureen Ohlhausen—the Acting Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)—urging that the proposed amendments to the Contact Lens Rule be finalized to spur competition and consumer choice in the marketplace for prescription contact lenses. This letter was submitted as formal comments for a workshop the FTC is holding today on “Examining the Contact Lens Marketplace and Proposed Changes to the Commission’s Contact Lens Rule.”
The Fairness to Contact Lens Consumer Act (FCLCA) guarantees contact lens wearers the right to a copy of their prescription, so they can comparison shop and purchase from the seller of their choice. Unfortunately, many contact lens prescribers have been flouting the requirements to release prescriptions, forcing consumers to buy their lenses straight from prescribers. The FTC proposed reforms will improve the eye care providers’ compliance in releasing contact lens prescriptions.