Arizona allows sale of adjustable focus eye wear without prescription

Arizona now permits the sale of adjustable eye wear without a prescription, based on a ruling by the assistant attorney general.

The Arizona Board of Dispensing Opticians initiated the case against Adlens, claiming it was a violation of current ready-to-wear state laws and a risk to the public, according to a press release from Adlens.

Adlens presented clinical trial data published in the British Medical Journal and Ophthalmology that found the product can be used safely without the need for a prescription.

They argued that over-the-counter sales of the products were in consumers’ best interests.

The board countered, claiming over-the-counter glasses could only be used for near vision correction, unlike Adlens’ products, which can correct both distance and near vision, according to Adlens.

Thus, Adlens commenced a consumer trial in Phoenix showing that many hyperopic patients use over-the-counter reading glasses to correct their distance vision, including while driving.

“The Assistant Attorney General’s ruling removes any ambiguity surrounding adjustable focus eye wear and makes a clear statement that selling it without a prescription is not only safe, but in the best interest of the public,” Graeme MacKenzie, OD, DPhil, Adlens director of industry and regulatory affairs, said in the release.