The terms "Prescription Contact Lenses" and "Contact Lens Prescription" are often mistaken for each other, even though they are two very different things. This can be confusing for new lens buyers. Below is an explanation of the terms and what they mean to you as a potential contact lens wearer.
Contact Lens Prescription
A "Contact Lens Prescription" is what you must have in order to purchase contact lenses. The FDA now considers all contact lenses medical devices – this includes non-corrective Plano (0.00) lenses – and can only be sold with the involvement of an eye care professional. Due to new Federal law, it is required that you, the customer, see an eye care professional and obtain a valid prescription before purchasing any corrective or Plano contact lenses. Obtaining a "Contact Lens Prescription" or "Prescription for Contact Lenses" is easy. Just set up an appointment with a local Eye Care Professional for an examination.
Contact lenses come in various styles and sizes and not all contact lenses are not suitable for everyone. On each product page under Additional Information is listed the following lens information:
- Base Curve
- Diameter
- Materials
- Lens Type
It is helpful to have this information on the lenses you are interested in purchasing available for your Eye Care Professional.
Prescription Contact Lenses
"Prescription Contact Lenses" are contacts that have prescriptive powers meant for vision correction. Power refers to the strength of vision correction for contact lenses. Measured in diopters, it is scaled in 0.25 increments and is always preceded by a + (plus) or a – (minus). If you do not require corrective vision, please select the Plano (0.00) option when purchasing contact lenses.
Article ID: 64, Created On: 11/2/2012, Modified: 11/15/2012