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House, Senate pass bill requiring prescription for all contacts

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CHICAGO – The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have passed legislation that will require consumers to obtain a prescription from a licensed professional to purchase any type of contact lenses, according to a Prevent Blindness America (PBA) press release. S. 172 now awaits Pres. George W. Bush’s signature to become law.

The Senate bill, sponsored by Sens. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), was passed in July, and the House bill, sponsored by Reps. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), was passed Oct. 26. The bills classify plano contact lenses as medical devices.

According to PBA, in April 2003, the Food and Drug Administration re-categorized non-vision correcting cosmetic contact lenses as cosmetic devices. This is the second time in 2 years that the House has passed legislation. In 2004, the issue was not voted on by the Senate.