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Be a wise consumer if you buy contact lenses on the Internet, over the phone or by mail. Getting these products through the mail or from Internet shops are often convenient and practical, but as always; Internet, phone, or mail orders require consumers to exercise some caution. The following questions and answers should help you take simple precautions to make your Internet, phone or mail purchase safe and effective for you.

When you buy contact lenses, first ask yourself if your contact lens prescription is current or updated. This is a must. Never order lenses with a prescription that has expired. If you have not had a check-up in the last one to two years, you may have problems with your eyes that you are not aware of. In these cases, your vision may not be properly corrected by your contact lenses.

Ordering lenses without a up-to-date and legit prescription may cause serious complications to your eyesight. This also goes for the check-up. The fit of your contact lenses will be reevaluated, and any changes in the cornea from the contact lenses will be observed and taken care of if necessary. During regularly scheduled visits, your eye doctor looks for irregularities that, if left untreated, may lead to severe problems. Contact lenses that are not properly fitted by an eye doctor might not work well, or even worse, may harm your eyes.

A legit prescription for contact lenses should include your name, the name of your doctor, and the brand and material of your contact lens. Other lens information such as power, diameter, and base curves should also be included. These are the minimum that should be in a prescription, but some detailed prescriptions also have directions for use, indications for daily or extended wear, the number of refills allowed, and an expiration date. These all depend on the local laws of the state you're in, as state laws often define a prescription's requirements.

Internet stores sometimes make inquiries and check the prescription with your doctor. If they do check with your doctor and receive a verbal okay, they comply with the Federal prescription device regulation. If the stores do not check, then they have not obtained a legit prescription. Some state laws require that a written prescription be presented.

You won't get into any legal trouble if you buy contact lenses by mail, phone, or through the Internet without a legit prescription. This means, however, that the store is selling you those contact lenses as if they were an OTC (over the counter) product. This will be in violation of FDA regulations. Some Internet sites will allow you to fill out a chart with the ordering information about your contact lenses, and ask you to fill in your doctor's name and phone number.

Choose a reliable and well-established store when buying contact lenses. Request the manufacturer's written patient information for your contact lenses, which will give you important risk/benefit information, as well as instructions for use. Beware of attempts to substitute a different brand than you presently have. There are differences in the water content and shape between different brands. Carefully check to make sure the company gives you the exact brand, lens name, power, sphere, cylinder and axis (if any), diameter, base curve, and peripheral curve (if any). In cases where you received the incorrect lenses, check with your eye doctor.