AOA's pro-active work protects contact lens wearers

A commitment to safeguard the public against illegally sold contact lenses has yielded positive results with AOA's influence on major retailers—most recently against the online auction site, eBay and Urban Outfitters.

A March 2014 letter from AOA President Mitchell T. Munson, OD to eBay's CEO, John Donahoe, cited not only a failure on eBay's part to enforce their own policy to prohibit sale of medical devices that require a prescription, but a violation of the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumer Act (FCLCA). E-Bay responded that the appropriate internal steps were being taken for an in-depth investigation of reported accounts. The response reaffirmed eBay's Medical Drugs and Devices Policy, and stated the company's commitment to removing prohibited listings via internal tools and member reports. Although the company would not disclose results of their investigation or any actions, AOA did note specific "flagged" accounts had removed novelty lenses altogether, and there has been a noticeable decrease in novelty lens availability since. 

Pro-active outreach by Dr. Munson was also effective with the retailer Urban Outfitters, which started selling "one size fits all" decorative contact lenses without a prescription on its website in October 2013. Again, Dr. Munson contacted the company's CEO to insist Urban Outfitters discontinue the unlawful sale of contact lenses without a prescription, and, within days, the retailer withdrew online sales of the product completely.

Curbing illegal contact lens sales

AOA is taking the message straight to consumers with a social media campaign about the dangers of purchasing contact lenses without a prescription, through the use of a targeted advertisement on Facebook. Read more.

In additional direct consumer outreach, AOA is working with the FDA and the Entertainment Industry Council (EIC) to produce and distribute a television public service announcement (PSA) to bring the dramatic realities of illegal and unsafe decorative contact lens use to the forefront. Read more.

Members are encouraged to report illegal sales to AOA and appropriate federal agencies. Send email copies of complaints to Kara Webb, regulatory policy and quality assessment specialist in AOA's Washington, DC, office, so AOA can log documents internally for discussions with federal agencies.

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