Online Vendors - Be Very Cautious With Contact Lens – Eyeglass Purchases
What Happens to Your Health and Your Privacy when Purchasing Eyeglasses or Contacts Online
In recent years, we have seen a growing number of health care-related websites and apps have opened the door for self-diagnosis and treatment, often giving the public the false perception that they can forgo visiting a medical professional as well as the acquisition of medical devices (i.e contact lenses and eyeglasses).
In an era where convenience and cost tend to be given more weight than quality care, this trend has accelerated, especially since the pandemic and a further shift away from in-person services leading to increased health care risks and alarming trends. [i]
In fact, ordering contacts through your eye doctor (Hopewell Lambertville Eye www.seelife.net) is cheaper in many cases. Not only can we apply vision plan material allowances, but in addition, manufacturers rebates which can be applied to substantially reduce your costs even further – this cannot be done by online providers. Online providers suggest they can accommodate vision plans, but all they do is a supply you a receipt and you must submit on your own, in which your reimbursement is often at a lower rate than the provider would apply to your purchase.
To avoid these risks and potential catastrophic health problems – return to your trusted neighborhood eye doctor (Hopewell Lambertville Eye www.seelife.net ). First and foremost is the care of our patients. We are here to address the immediate health care needs on a one -to one basis. In contrast, online vendors and big box – large chain stores are more concerned about your credit card and profit margins. Way before they ask or show any concerns about your medical well -being. This results in many questionable actions by these vendors.
It is the old caveat “Customer Beware” - when making purchases online your private information is at high risk for fraud and theft. Particularly with unreputable vendors, some of whom have been sued by government and private agents for unlawful actions such as illegal sales and substitution of contacts lenses (medical devices), deceptive practices, fraudulent – eye exams online, sales of illegal contact lenses, price fixing…. (see appendix at end of article : Various lawsuits and legal actions against online vendors and large chain retailers.)
What happens with Your Information and how is it used.
Online companies collect your information passively using platforms (such as Google Analytics - see "Analytics" below) to help them better understand how visitors interact and navigate a website. If you use a desktop or mobile device, general information about your location and internet service provider may be documented.
Websites passively (unknown to the consumer) collect information when you submit a form or submit basic data; the information is collected on these forms is contained in the fields you fill out. Some forms may require you to fill out sensitive information. Algorithms them collect this data to be "sold" to other vendors which will show up as un wanted ads or pop ups in your browsers and email.
Sensitive Information Online Vendors Collect
Online vendors may collect sensitive information, for example, when you purchase a product or membership. This sensitive information includes and is not limited to full name, address, and credit card information, and as related to medical devices sites - your medical information. These files should be encrypted for protection but hacking and data breaches are not uncommon, particularly with companies who do not put efforts into the security of their systems.
Making Money on Your Private Information
It’s no secret that your personal data is routinely bought and sold by dozens, possibly hundreds, of companies. What’s less known is who those companies are, and what exactly they do with this your private information. The only goal they have is to make more money with your data – it is called data mining. [ii] This is inherent on most retail websites including online contact lens and eyeglass vendors.
On these sites, or linked to them, are Browser cookies and trackers are a major part of this infrastructure, and like many websites, in which data is collected and then subsequently sold to others in order to serve content and ads. This information I also used which can collect information including ISP, browser type, IP address, general geographic location. Google Analytics collects this information (and more, as listed in their Privacy Policy) to serve us anonymous user statistics and website browsing behavior. Some sites have a "Do Not Track" requests., but this is a rare find on contact lens and eyeglass sites.
Private Information Online Vendors Collect.
Information collected by online vendors when you visit websites includes and is not limited to: name, email address, and phone number, and details of your medical record.
As an example, one online vendors (a major contact lens firm) is illegally requesting authorization for prescription without a patient request. This is done to update their records beyond the federal expiration and then solicit the patient. Unknowing to the doctor, we are not given the information if this is a legitmate request or a solicitation for information. As well, they are telling your doctor to send medical records without your permission.
Here is an example of a response from a patient in which this vendor requested private information without the patient’s consent. We emailed her to ask if she had initiated the request for contact lenses. She (HEA ford) and Laura (HEA) responded:
“I guess disregard. I haven't requested contacts from them, so I don't know why they reached out to your office. Maybe it's something they do to ensure business. “
"Hi Dr. Daniels, Thanks for reaching out—I did not initiate this request. That's very strange! Thanks for letting me know about it. All best, Laura"
" I haven't contacted them in awhile now, so I didn't initiate that request - and honestly they have an outdated prescription so I wish they would stop. I can try calling them. I'm sorry they are bothering your office. " Sincerely, Ashley (LEA)
Additionally, this firm illegally places a stipulation on their request for verification demanding a copy of your medical record. A company who is NOT a sanctioned medical provider nor has any form of license to practice medicine nor any right by law to request medical records. They are absolutely NOT medical providers and have no legitimate right to have access to your medical record. These firms are simply “fulfillment” services. The state the following:
“Absent a valid medical reason, the prescription cannot expire less than one year after the issue date in any state (or in states that permit longer prescription lengths, the prescription cannot expire before the date specified by the state). If the prescriber has a valid medical reason for the deviating from the default prescription length under the state law at the time the prescription was issued, we ask that the medical judgement be documented and attached” . [iii]
So why is it a risk to order contact lenses or eyeglasses online. Not only what was discussed regarding your private information, but the risk to your eyesight and health.
Reasons Not to Buy Glasses Online
- You become your own optician – as such ask yourself – do you have any training it this field to properly acquire prescriptive eye wear that affects your everyday activities and quality of life.
- You don't get to try the glasses on or have someone, a trained - licensed provider, to help you in person.
- You cannot make the proper and critical measurements needed to fabricate the your glasses correctly. Especially with progressive glasses, there are other fitting measurements that need to be exact that are usually measured in person when you try on the frames.
- It may be difficult to return the glasses and there is no access to proper dispensing and adjusting the glasses.
- A large study found about half the online glasses had the wrong prescription or other problems.
- An incorrect prescription may give you blurred vision or make your eyes feel uncomfortable, uncomfortable, appreciate distortions, induced headaches and blurred vision - not because the doctor gave you the wrong prescription – but because the online vendor could not make the proper measurements nor supply the correct materials.
- Websites do not take insurance
- The materials utilized by the online vendors are a much inferior quality and apt to break more easily, be improperly fit and misaligned , poor lens quality leading to distortion of optics and inferior lens coatings which craze very quickly leading to further visual distortion.
Reasons Not to Buy Contact Lenses Online
When you go online, disreputable sellers will offer no transparency when it comes to exactly what they're selling. They may have well-crafted counterfeits, and you may be none the wiser. These contacts may look and feel like brand name contacts, but they can have contaminants or harmful materials in them.
- Contact lenses are medical devices. What are medical devices? Pacemakers and surgical items, right? But did you know that contact lenses are also, in fact, medical devices? They are on the FDA’s medical devices list. This means manufacturers must apply for a legal permit before being able to sell lenses.
- FDA-approved contact lenses are always tested before they’re released on the market. An unlicensed vendor might sell you non-approved and non-tested lenses. You often see these types of lenses in gag shops and seasonal Halloween stores. Using these contacts can put you at serious risk of injury or infection and even permanent loss of vision.
- Unscrupulous sellers may let you purchase lenses without a prescription. [iv] You may think this isn’t a big deal. Your vision hasn’t change much after all, right? But there can be small differences in your eye shape (particularly with children) and sight that you haven’t noticed. By ordering lenses on an old prescription, you put your eye health at risk. The contacts will not fit right on your eyes, and they’ll fail at providing good visual acuity. In the long run, you’ll end up wasting money on this order. More importantly, you have placed the health of your eyes and your eyesight a risk.
- Online vendors goal is to simply sell you lenses by avoiding the eye exam from your doctor, you are also taking other major health risks which can be determined during your comprehensive exam, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes, thyroid disease, high blood, neurological disease like MS - Lyme, cardiovascular disorders, relations to auto-immune disorders …. The eye exam is not just for eyeglasses or contact lens prescriptions.
- When you buy from Hopewell Lambertville Eye (seelife.net), you can be assured the lenses and eyeglasses come directly from the original manufacturers. But when you go online, disreputable sellers will offer no transparency of where the lenses come from, storage requirement before selling, risk of counterfeits, risk of third and fourth party diversion of products. Several companies have been caught distributing well-crafted counterfeits, and you may be none the wiser. These contacts may look and feel like brand name contacts, but they can have contaminants or harmful materials or may not be FDA approved and have been manufactured in contaminated environments. There are many counterfeit lenses circulating in the market often manufactured in overseas labs in India and Asia which do not meet FDA manufacturing regulations. This was recently seen with several OTC (over the counter) eye drops in which individuals developing catastrophic infections loosening their vision, the eye , several persons developing higher order infections and (1) person loosening their life from further complications. [v] [vi]
- If you buy contacts online from a non-reputable dealer, there is no ensuring that the company is FDA regulated. This can mean the contact lenses can be counterfeits or not FDA approved. This can increase the risk of eye infections that can lead to blindness. [vii] [viii]
In summary, you have the right to purchase your eyeglasses or contact lenses wherever you may wish. We have prepared this article to simply educate our patients and the public on the risks of using questionable online vendors to supply medical devices.
As most seek online purchases due to potential cost savings, one will find the costs are less with our office at Hopewell Lambertville Eye (www.seelife.net) as compared to Big Bx retailers and online vendors.
As well we will offer person to person service for full service and care. No online vendor can do this.
Our offices can immediately apply vision plan allowances and offer manufacturer’s rebates which substantially reduce the cost as compared to big box retailers and online vendors.
We offer direct to patient shipping and to match the convenience we have secure and encrypted online order methods which go directly through our office and fulfilled directly from the manufacturer, not a third-party unknown vendor.
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Information on Contact Lens Safety [i]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates all contact lenses as prescription medical devices. It is illegal for anyone to sell contact lenses without a prescription from an eyecare professional. With Halloween quickly approaching and consumers possibly looking to enhance their costumes with contact lenses, the FDA reminds the public that consumers need a prescription for all contact lenses, including “decorative” or “cosmetic contacts,” even if the user has perfect vision.
Additionally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Serious eye infections that can lead to blindness affect up to 1 out of every 500 contact lens users per year.
- Between 40-90 percent of contact lens wearers do not properly follow the care instructions for their contact lenses.
- Approximately 99 percent of survey respondents reported at least one contact lens hygiene behavior previously associated with an increased risk of eye infection or inflammation.
- Keratitis, a painful eye infection often linked to improper contact lens use, leads to 1 million doctor and hospital visits annually, at a cost of $175 million to the U.S. healthcare system.
Contact lens wearers are also at the highest risk for contracting acanthamoeba keratitis, which is a severe, painful infection of the cornea. The two biggest risk factors are poor lens hygiene, and exposure to water while wearing lenses. In the most extreme cases, a corneal transplant is necessary.
The single best way to avoid eye infections is to follow proper lens care guidelines as prescribed by your eye care professional. Prevent Blindness recommends the following for safe contact lens care:
- Before handling contact lenses, wash hands with soap and water, then rinse and dry them with a lint-free towel.
- Minimize contact with water, including removing lenses before going swimming or in a hot tub.
- Contact lenses should not be rinsed with or stored in water (tap or sterile water).
- Wear and replace contact lenses according to the schedule prescribed by an eyecare professional.
- During cleaning, using fresh solution, rub your contact lenses with your fingers, then rinse the lenses with solution before soaking them – even if the solution you are using is a “no-rub” variety.
- Contact lens cases should always be cleaned with fresh solution – not water. Then leave the empty case open to air dry.
- Never put your lenses in your mouth or put saliva on your lenses as saliva is not sterile.
- Never share lenses with others.
- Do not re-use old solution or “top off” the solution in your lens case.
- Do not use cracked or damaged lens cases. Lens cases can be a source of contamination and infection.
- Remove contact lenses and contact your eyecare professional immediately if you experience any eye or vision problems.
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Various lawsuits and legal actions against online vendors and large chain retailers.
(accessed 10-07-2023)
https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2022/01/35-million-ftc-settlement-hubble-signals-ignoring-contact-lens-rule-can-be-costly (illegal substitution)
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/01/vision-path-inc-online-seller-hubble-lenses-settles-charges-it-violated-contact-lens-rule-ftc-act (deceptive practices)
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/09/ftc-returning-more-19-million-consumers-nationwide-who-purchased-hubble-contact-lenses-without (breach of Federal regulations)
https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/taking-action/settlement-holds-telehealth-company-accountable-for-ignoring-fda-requirements-misleading-patients/ (deceptive practices - breach of Federal regulations)
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/health-care/visibly-pay-500000-settle-investigation (deceptive eye exams)
https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/1-800-contacts-inc-strikes-15m-deal-with-customers/#:~:text=A%201%2D800%20Contacts%20Inc,%2C%20Vision%20Direct%2C%20and%20Luxottica. (pricing fixing by online vendors and big box retailers)
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/owner-major-online-colored-contact-lens-business-sentenced-46-months-prison-largest-ever (illegal sales of cosmetic lenses)
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-seizes-over-479000-worth-illegal-contact-lenses (illegal transport and sales of contact lenses)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/national-vision-investigation-initiated-former-025000864.html (questionable business practices)
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/fashion-/-cosmetics-/-jewellery/ray-ban-maker-accused-in-lawsuit-of-inflating-prices-1000/articleshow/102036337.cms?from=mdr (price fixing - gouging)
https://socradar.io/luxottica-data-leak-exposes-over-70m-customers-data/ (private information data breach)
https://www.aoa.org/news/advocacy/patient-protection/illegal-contact-lens-retailers-slapped-with-fines-penalties?sso=y (AOA report on illegal sales and transport of contact lenses)
references:
[i] Shannon H. Houser, Ph.D., MPH, RHIA, FAHIMA, Cathy A. Flite, Ph.D., RHIA, FAHIMA, and Susan L. Foster, EdD, MBA, RHIA, CHPS, CHC, CHPC, CIPP/US, FAHIMA Privacy and Security Risk Factors Related to Telehealth Services – A Systematic Review Perspect Health Inf Manag. 2023 Winter; 20(1): 1f. Published online 2023 Jan 10.PMCID: PMC9860467PMID: 37215337
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9860467/ (accessed 10-07-2023)
[ii] https://www.fastcompany.com/90310803/here-are-the-data-brokers-quietly-buying-and-selling-your-personal-information
[iv] https://www.wklaw.com/selling-contact-lenses-without-prescription/
[v] https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/recalled-eyedrops-causing-blindness-know-drug-resistant-bacteria-rcna78541
[vi] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-07-17/eyedrop-recall-2023-and-infections-were-result-of-lack-of-fda-regulation?embedded-checkout=true
[vii] https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/contact-lenses/contact-lens-risks
[viii] Michelle K. Rhee, M.D., Deborah S. Jacobs, M.D., M.Sc., Deepinder K. Dhaliwal, M.D., L.Ac, Loretta Szczotka-Flynn, O.D., Ph.D., Christina R. Prescott, M.D., Ph.D., Vishal Jhanji, M.D., Thomas L. Steinemann, M.D., Bruce H. Koffler, M.D., and Bennie H. Jeng, M.D.
Contact Lens Safety for the Correction of Refractive Error in Healthy EyesEye Contact Lens. 2022 Nov; 48(11): 449–454.
Published online 2022 Jun 10. doi: 10.1097/ICL.0000000000000938 PMCID: PMC9584055 PMID: 36282872
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9584055/
[i] https://preventblindness.org/2021-contact-lens-safety-month/
