Contact lens legislation
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
California Governor Gray Davis (D) signs bill Sept. 23 requiring ophthalmologists and optometrists to release contact lens prescriptions to patients. Sponsored by Lou Correa (D-Anaheim), AB 2020 is expected to help consumers buy their contacts through discount stores, mail order and online distributors. The bill also provides safeguards by requiring a valid prescription with an expiration date. On Sept. 4, lens maker J&J/Vistakon met with FDA, along with 1-800-Contacts and state attorneys general from Baltimore and New York, to discuss the firm's concerns about adequate eye care for lens wearers buying through alternative sources. The Federal Trade Commission will examine the issue during its Oct. 8-10 Internet anti-competition workshop in Washington, D.C. (1"The Gray Sheet" July 22, 2002, p. 11)...