Crackdown on illegal sale of contact lenses launched

MANILA, Philippines - To protect the health and safety of the general public, the Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists (IPAO) has initiated an aggressive campaign against the rampant illegal dispensing and sale of contact lenses online and in small retail stalls in Metro Manila.

“Contact lenses are not cosmetic products, they are regulated medical devices. As such, only certified and accredited optometrists are authorized and qualified to examine and determine a patient’s need for prescription contact lenses and to legally dispense these,” said IPAO president Dr. Mary Gaw-So.

“Contact lenses not registered with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and dispensed by non-doctors can cause serious adverse effects. We urge the general public to consult only certified and licensed optometrists for their contact lens and other eye care needs,” said Dr. Charlie Ho, IPAO immediate past president who is also a practicing lawyer.

The dispensing, importation, manufacture and sale of contact lenses are legally governed by the FDA and Professional Regulatory Board of Optometry of the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC).

FDA registration is proof that a particular contact lens brand has undergone and passed the requisite quality testing, complied with established product standards, and is safe for public consumption or use.

Contact lenses regardless of clarity, color and grade must be prescribed/dispensed to and/or fitted only on patients who have been properly examined and assessed by qualified and certified optometrists.

“A qualified optometrist ensures optimum fit and biocompatibility of the contact lens to achieve its desired performance through proper device delivery and after-care service,” said Dr. Anita S. Villarta, chairperson of the Professional Regulatory Board of Optometry.

According to Republic Act 8050 otherwise known as the Revised Optometry Law of 1995, an optometrist is “a person who has been certified by the Board of Optometry and registered with the PRC as being qualified to practice optometry in the Philippines.”

Optometry is defined as “the science and art of examining the human eye, analyzing the ocular function, prescribing and dispensing ophthalmic lenses, prisms, contact lenses, and their accessories and solutions, low vision aids, and similar appliances and devices, conducting ocular exercises, vision training, orthoptics, installing prosthetics, using authorized diagnostic pharmaceutical agents (DPA), and other preventive or corrective measures or procedures for the aid, correction, rehabilitation or relief of the human eye, or to attain maximum vision and comfort.”

 IPAO is the integrated national organization of optometrists practicing in the country accredited by the PRC. It was formed in 1976 through the integration of three organizations: Samahan ng Optometrist sa Pilipinas (SOP), Philippine Optometric Association (POA) and Optometric Association of the Philippines (OAP). To date, IPAO has more than 3,000 members in 65 local chapters and seven international chapters.

“Beyond improving the standards of optometry practice, IPAO is also duty-bound to protect the general public from harm caused by unscrupulous individuals who illegally practice our profession,” said Gaw-So.

“To those who illegally dispense and sell contact lenses, whether online or in small retail stalls in Metro Manila, your days are numbered,” Ho warned. “IPAO, in partnership with the police enforcers, will find, arrest and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”