New FDA Warning
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to consumers regarding colored contact lenses worn for Halloween. The FDA is cautioning consumers regarding the dangers of purchasing and wearing decorative contact lenses without appropriate involvement from an eye care professional.
Read the warning on the FDA website:
http://www.fda.gov/default.htm
New Federal Law on Contact Lens Prescription Release
The Federal Trade Commission has several publications for providers and consumers at:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/10/contactlens.htm
Click here to link to the "Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act" on the Library of Congress website.
DSHS, Other State Agencies Issue Warning About Colored and Patterned Cosmetic Contact Lenses
Prompted by reports of unauthorized sales of colored and patterned non-corrective contact lenses, better known as cosmetic contact lenses, several state agencies are issuing a warning about possible health risks associated with use of the lenses.
A joint alert from the Texas Department of Health (TDH), Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, Texas Optometry Board, and the Texas Attorney General warns about wearing the lenses without medical supervision. Risks include bacterial infection, allergic reaction to the lens coating, insufficient oxygen to the cornea, abrasions and corneal ulcers. If not treated, these conditions can result in permanent eye damage or blindness.
All contact lenses are medical devices, which are sold and dispensed only by a legally authorized individual or business. All contact lenses must be dispensed by prescription from the physician or optometrist who examined and fitted the person.
Sharing or trading contact lenses, either corrective or cosmetic, also can result in the loss of an eye from viral or bacterial infections. Contact lenses are bathed in tears that may contain infectious or contagious agents.
The non-corrective cosmetic contact lenses, whose sales are often targeted to junior high and high school students, are worn to change the color or appearance of the eyes, rather than to correct vision. They also are sold through classified advertising in school newspapers and free community publications. An advertiser should publish his or her license or permit number in the ad. TDH investigates cases to ensure that all contact lens dispensers are in compliance with the law.
For more information, the Notice to School Superintendents and Nursing Staff is available on the "Applications/Forms" web page.