RCW 18.195.040 Prescription not referring to contacts—Verification of performance—Notice—Prescription time limit—Safety notice—Noncompliance.

(1) If the patient chooses to purchase contact lenses from an optician and the prescription is silent regarding contact lenses, the optician shall contact the prescriber and request a written prescription with a notation of "OK for contacts" or similar language. However, if no evaluation for contact lenses had been done during the eye examination, the prescriber may decline to approve the prescription for contact lenses without further evaluation.

(2) If a patient chooses to purchase contact lenses from an optician, the optician shall advise the patient, in writing, that a prescriber is to verify the performance of the initial set of contact lenses on the eyes within six months of the date of the eye examination or the "OK for contacts" portion of the prescription will be void. The patient shall be requested to sign the written advisement and the signed document will be maintained as part of the patient's records. If the patient declines to sign the document, it shall be noted in the record.

(3) No practitioner may dispense contact lenses based on a prescription that is over two years old.

(4) All fitters and dispensers of contact lenses shall distribute safety pamphlets to their patients in order to improve consumer decisions as well as health-related decisions.

(5) It is unprofessional conduct under chapter 18.130 RCW for a practitioner to fail to comply with this section.

[ 1994 c 106 § 4.]