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Is this really a problem in practice? I've always had a valid prescription when I buy glasses, but at the glasses store I just flash them the prescription on my

Is this really a problem in practice? I've always had a valid prescription when I buy glasses, but at the glasses store I just flash them the prescription on my phone for a few seconds. It's a PDF on official looking letterhead, but I don't think there's any verification. I suppose it's probably not the best idea to fake an eyeglass prescription, but it certainly seems like it would be very easy to do.

bckygldstn 5y ago
* I had an optometrist only give me a prescription for glasses, even though I indicated I wear contact lenses on my intake form and was wearing them at the appointment! When I realised a few days later after being denied trying to buy contacts with a glasses prescription, the optometrist said I would have to come in again and pay for a full consultation (out of pocket as my insurance only covers one per year). * I've tried to buy contacts online in the US with an expired prescription, the retailers say their hands are tied, they need a current dated one. I now just buy contacts online from Europe or New Zealand. No BS, same price, the EU company I buy from includes a mini bag of haribo gummies :)
- weaksauce 5y ago
  i'm pretty sure us based online don't require a formal verification... i only have experience with coastal though and only for glasses.
  - bckygldstn 5y ago
    The law only applies to contact lenses, not glasses.
    - weaksauce 5y ago
      i see... any clue why it's only contacts? edit thinking about it a little bit i could see it being harmful to not have someone go through the "you don't want to do this or else you could potentially lose your eyesight" talk at least once.
    - handrous 5y ago
      I've used Vision Direct (someone linked them, above) for contacts, with an "expired" subscription. Entered whatever numbers I liked (so, the ones from my existing contacts boxes), paid, and received contacts. Only slightly cheaper than buying at my optometrist's office, but saved me pointless visits resulting in "yep, looks like your eyes haven't changed... yet again". Reckon I'll stretch those to every 3-4 years rather than annually, assuming I don't notice problems sooner. I've used Coastal and Zenni for glasses. No problems.
- xnyan 5y ago
  >I now just buy contacts online from Europe or New Zealand. I would love to do that, could you share which vendors you use?
  - bckygldstn 5y ago
    I usually just search for "contact lenses EU", check they ship to US (most will list this in their FAQ) and pick the cheapest. Looking through my email receipts, I've used: lenstore.co.uk visiondirect.co.uk contactsexpress.ca specsavers.co.nz
    - xnyan 5y ago
      Just got my contacts without an RX from contactsexpress.ca. Thank you!
    - throaway46546 5y ago
      I found it amusing that none of those are in the EU.
      - bckygldstn 5y ago
        Yeah, I mean EU as in EUrope, not EU as in The European Union.
        buildsjets 5y ago
        Neither Canada nor New Zealand are in EUrope.
    - iudqnolq 5y ago
      I've had a good experience from vision direct. A student I know says it's the recommended option for foreign students at the university in the UK they go to.
- fshbbdssbbgdd 5y ago
  I’ve successfully bought contacts online from multiple vendors by putting down a disconnected number as my optometrist.
- res0nat0r 5y ago
  My contact prescription hasn't changed in 10+ years and I've been tired of having to go across town somewhere to get an eye exam, 1-800-contacts has an online exam you can take and don't need to drive anywhere and it's all digital. I've used this the last 2 times I've renewed and gotten new contacts and what I'll keep doing from here on out.
hellbannedguy 5y ago
Thanks! I have been thinking about this route.
kempbellt 5y ago
For contacts, it's incredibly frustrating when your eyes barely change over many years, but prescriptions only last two years (or one, depending on state). You may need to resupply on contacts, but are not able to purchase them without a new prescription. You can be 1 year and 11 months into your prescription and buy 4 years worth of lenses, but at the two year mark, you can't purchase them at all without another visit to the doctor and explicit approval for a specific prescription. My particular annoyance is that I usually buy a year or two worth of lenses at a time - one set usually lasts a month, but I don't wear them every day. So I can stretch out the time a bit further. By the time I'm down to my last set and want to resupply, I'm required to visit an optometrist. Spending money on another eye exam that tells me nothing new. It's even more frustrating if I completely run out and have to use a set longer than is ideal while waiting for an opportunity to visit a doctor. I get that wearing the wrong prescription lenses isn't ideal, but I don't understand why prescription lenses are gatekept like narcotics. If you can't see well or have the wrong prescription, there's a natural incentive to visit an optometrist and figure out exactly what you need.
- bckygldstn 5y ago
  > I don't understand why prescription lenses are gatekept like narcotics Unfortunately, the answer is regulatory capture. Optometrists in the US make the majority of their income [1] from selling glasses and contact lenses, which of course they also prescribe. There's been a lot of lobbying, collusion, and non-compliance in the industry which the (admittedly biased) link below outlines well. [1] https://keepcontactlenschoice.com/the-issue/faq/ https://keepcontactlenschoice.com/the-issue/faq/
gmadsen 5y ago
yes, considering many people can't afford to see a doctor
jjeaff 5y ago
There isn't any verification. They certainly don't call the optometrist to verify. Not saying I've done this, but one could submit an old Rx and change the date in Photoshop as well as the name and number of the doctor and buy contact lenses or glasses online just about anywhere. Theoretically, of course.
- dymk 5y ago
  Of course, it's also both theoretically and practically fraud, and most people would rather spend the $100 on an eye exam every 2 years than expose themselves to rx fraud (2 years jail / $2k fine)
  - jjeaff 5y ago
    Yes, theoretically that is a risk. But practically, it has never and would never happen. And an eye exam for specialty contact lenses is way more than $100. Really, more than $100 in many places just for a simple reading glasses RX. And many docs won't just do your Rx. They require you do a full exam.
luckydata 5y ago
In California I couldn't buy anything without a US prescription when I immigrated, everyone refused it.

bckygldstn 5y ago

* I had an optometrist only give me a prescription for glasses, even though I indicated I wear contact lenses on my intake form and was wearing them at the appointment! When I realised a few days later after being denied trying to buy contacts with a glasses prescription, the optometrist said I would have to come in again and pay for a full consultation (out of pocket as my insurance only covers one per year). * I've tried to buy contacts online in the US with an expired prescription, the retailers say their hands are tied, they need a current dated one. I now just buy contacts online from Europe or New Zealand. No BS, same price, the EU company I buy from includes a mini bag of haribo gummies :)

weaksauce 5y ago
i'm pretty sure us based online don't require a formal verification... i only have experience with coastal though and only for glasses.
- bckygldstn 5y ago
  The law only applies to contact lenses, not glasses.
  - weaksauce 5y ago
    i see... any clue why it's only contacts? edit thinking about it a little bit i could see it being harmful to not have someone go through the "you don't want to do this or else you could potentially lose your eyesight" talk at least once.
  - handrous 5y ago
    I've used Vision Direct (someone linked them, above) for contacts, with an "expired" subscription. Entered whatever numbers I liked (so, the ones from my existing contacts boxes), paid, and received contacts. Only slightly cheaper than buying at my optometrist's office, but saved me pointless visits resulting in "yep, looks like your eyes haven't changed... yet again". Reckon I'll stretch those to every 3-4 years rather than annually, assuming I don't notice problems sooner. I've used Coastal and Zenni for glasses. No problems.
xnyan 5y ago
>I now just buy contacts online from Europe or New Zealand. I would love to do that, could you share which vendors you use?
- bckygldstn 5y ago
  I usually just search for "contact lenses EU", check they ship to US (most will list this in their FAQ) and pick the cheapest. Looking through my email receipts, I've used: lenstore.co.uk visiondirect.co.uk contactsexpress.ca specsavers.co.nz
  - xnyan 5y ago
    Just got my contacts without an RX from contactsexpress.ca. Thank you!
  - throaway46546 5y ago
    I found it amusing that none of those are in the EU.
    - bckygldstn 5y ago
      Yeah, I mean EU as in EUrope, not EU as in The European Union.
      - buildsjets 5y ago
        Neither Canada nor New Zealand are in EUrope.
  - iudqnolq 5y ago
    I've had a good experience from vision direct. A student I know says it's the recommended option for foreign students at the university in the UK they go to.
fshbbdssbbgdd 5y ago
I’ve successfully bought contacts online from multiple vendors by putting down a disconnected number as my optometrist.
res0nat0r 5y ago
My contact prescription hasn't changed in 10+ years and I've been tired of having to go across town somewhere to get an eye exam, 1-800-contacts has an online exam you can take and don't need to drive anywhere and it's all digital. I've used this the last 2 times I've renewed and gotten new contacts and what I'll keep doing from here on out.

hellbannedguy 5y ago

Thanks! I have been thinking about this route.

kempbellt 5y ago

For contacts, it's incredibly frustrating when your eyes barely change over many years, but prescriptions only last two years (or one, depending on state). You may need to resupply on contacts, but are not able to purchase them without a new prescription. You can be 1 year and 11 months into your prescription and buy 4 years worth of lenses, but at the two year mark, you can't purchase them at all without another visit to the doctor and explicit approval for a specific prescription. My particular annoyance is that I usually buy a year or two worth of lenses at a time - one set usually lasts a month, but I don't wear them every day. So I can stretch out the time a bit further. By the time I'm down to my last set and want to resupply, I'm required to visit an optometrist. Spending money on another eye exam that tells me nothing new. It's even more frustrating if I completely run out and have to use a set longer than is ideal while waiting for an opportunity to visit a doctor. I get that wearing the wrong prescription lenses isn't ideal, but I don't understand why prescription lenses are gatekept like narcotics. If you can't see well or have the wrong prescription, there's a natural incentive to visit an optometrist and figure out exactly what you need.

bckygldstn 5y ago
> I don't understand why prescription lenses are gatekept like narcotics Unfortunately, the answer is regulatory capture. Optometrists in the US make the majority of their income [1] from selling glasses and contact lenses, which of course they also prescribe. There's been a lot of lobbying, collusion, and non-compliance in the industry which the (admittedly biased) link below outlines well. [1] https://keepcontactlenschoice.com/the-issue/faq/ https://keepcontactlenschoice.com/the-issue/faq/

gmadsen 5y ago

yes, considering many people can't afford to see a doctor

jjeaff 5y ago

There isn't any verification. They certainly don't call the optometrist to verify. Not saying I've done this, but one could submit an old Rx and change the date in Photoshop as well as the name and number of the doctor and buy contact lenses or glasses online just about anywhere. Theoretically, of course.

dymk 5y ago
Of course, it's also both theoretically and practically fraud, and most people would rather spend the $100 on an eye exam every 2 years than expose themselves to rx fraud (2 years jail / $2k fine)
- jjeaff 5y ago
  Yes, theoretically that is a risk. But practically, it has never and would never happen. And an eye exam for specialty contact lenses is way more than $100. Really, more than $100 in many places just for a simple reading glasses RX. And many docs won't just do your Rx. They require you do a full exam.

luckydata 5y ago

In California I couldn't buy anything without a US prescription when I immigrated, everyone refused it.