FTC Warns Sellers of Cosmetic Contact Lenses
WASHINGTON D.C., July 2006 — The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has warned on-line sellers of cosmetic contact lenses that they must comply with regulations requiring verification of prescriptions issued from an appropriate eye care professional.
The FTC sent 18 warning letters in late June 2006 to on-line sellers of cosmetic or decorative contact lenses, primarily because their web sites erroneously state that such contact lenses do not require a prescription. An FTC news release also indicates that these on-line entities appear to be selling decorative contact lenses without requiring a prescription from the buyer or verifying that such a prescription exists.
In November 2005, the U.S. Congress responded to concerns regarding safety hazards of unregulated contact lenses by amending laws to include colored or decorative contact lenses as restricted medical devices.
"...Decorative contact lenses present significant risks of blindness and other eye injury if they are distributed without a prescription or without proper fitting by a qualified eye care professional," according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The FTC says contact lens sellers who violate related federal regulations face civil penalties of up to $11,000 per incident.
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