This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Arizona allows sale of adjustable focus eye wear without prescription
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
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.