Illegal to buy contacts online??? So says an optometrist

[Knut]

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

Quick question to anyone who knows:

I have a box for right eye and a box for left eye, but the labels fell off the boxes and I'm not sure which one goes where (monthlies I need to change very soon). My right eye is worse than my left. Is a lower number or a higher number on the box indicitave of a stronger prescription?

Lower number = lower prescription....

for instance..... - 1.00 is less than - 2.00

[PsYcNeT]

So is the hyphen (or minus sign) negligible then? say its - 1.60 and - 2.00, does that mean the - 1.60 is the weaker prescription?

Sorry for all the fuss, google has no answers for me :<

[Knut]

the Minus sign indicates that it is a Nearsighted prescription, while a + sign would indicate a farsighted prescription.

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

So is the hyphen (or minus sign) negligible then? say its - 1.60 and - 2.00, does that mean the - 1.60 is the weaker prescription?

Sorry for all the fuss, google has no answers for me :<

[NuclearFart]

Originally Posted by JimmytheT

I'm hoping you are being sarcastic with this one.

Though an Optometrist is limited in a skill set relative to an Opthamologist, they certainly are not even close to the same quack league as Chiropractors, Podiatrists, Iridologists et al.

To include them with Chiropractors is a definite insult to optom's everywhere! They at least are based on real science.

I'm sure they're not all like this but I've seen some scary stuff when the Optom's attempt to exceed their limits. Just saw a case of a young woman who saw an optom 2 month ago because of vision disturbances + a headache, and she was "diagnosed" with migraines....she finally came into ER last week and had a nice brain tumor growing away.

Optom's do provide a neccessary service though, as alot of my opthamology friends won't do lens prescriptions because it doesnt pay enough for their time, not to mention the waiting lists. There's also been some good calls on the optom's part, getting a patient in to see an opthamologist who likely wouldnt have presented until much later.

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by Hesla

... however, there are aspects about it which make it unsafe. For one, you can often keep on buying the contacts even without an up to date prescription.
...
It is ILLEGAL for the website to dispense you the contacts without an up to date prescription. If they are doing this for you, it is sketchy and you should get them somewhere else.

where are you from? I'm just wondering because I didn't think it is illegal for a website to sell contacts without a prescription in Canada but I know its required in the states. Most of the American sites I come across require prescription info but I have never seen that on any Canadian based site.

Completely agree with you on the not switching contacts without seeing an optom tho, that doesn't seem like a good idea. But if you are already prescribed you can match up the same exact box you have to what you are buying so no worries there just massive savings.

[Kipper is King]

Well, improperly fitted contacts can scar your corneas permanently. In the event that a mistake is made, then you're really messed up. If it were me, I'd pay just to have the peace of mind that my optometrist is checking things over with my contacts.

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by Kipper is King

Well, improperly fitted contacts can scar your corneas permanently. In the event that a mistake is made, then you're really messed up. If it were me, I'd pay just to have the peace of mind that my optometrist is checking things over with my contacts.

Not sure what you mean. Is this the initial trial/fitting of a type of contact that you are talking about? After he helps you find a contact brand and type that works for you then you are set. After that they just hand you a box.

[Knut]

From what i understand, and chatting with another Optometrist about it, it is Illegal in Canada to dispense contacts without a valid prescription.

While i could not find a link to the Canadian Regulations themsleves, this is from the clearly contacts website.

From http://www.clearlycontacts.ca/ terms and conditions

VALID PRESCRIPTION REQUIRED
You hereby certify that you have a valid prescription for any prescription contact lenses that you order. You represent and warrant to us by placing an order for prescription contact lenses that the information you enter into the Site is valid and true and matches exactly your prescription as provided by your eye care provider. You further certify that you will renew your prescription in strict accordance with your eye care provider's suggested regime. You represent and warrant that the prescription contact lenses you are ordering are replacement contacts lenses only and the original contact lens prescription was filled by your eye care provider. You understand that we will not fulfill your order for prescription contact lenses unless you have a valid prescription. You hereby consent to our contacting your eye care provider, if necessary, to verify your prescription information and any other necessary information.

I will see if i can track down the actual regulations....

Regardless... you really should get your eyes checked on a regular basis (at least every two years). This is especially true if you are a contact lens wearer. 100 Dollars every two years is not much if you consider how much you drop at the Dentist every year.

[Nancy]

I buy my contacts from an overseas web site based in India, and I have no problems other the burning and the swelling and the blurred vision and the erection that lasts more than 4 hours.

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

To include them with Chiropractors is a definite insult to optom's everywhere! They at least are based on real science.

lotta hate for chiropractors in this thread. care to enlighten me? all i know is when i had some pretty painful back problems last year, after a couple visits to a chiropractor i could get out of bed again and after a half dozen or so the pain was gone.

[photon]

I think it depends greatly on the chiropractor. Some use good evidence based procedures and would be similar to a physio type person.

Others though base their practice on the idea that every malady is a result of vertebral subluxation of the spine, including flu, infections, chicken pox, whatever you can possibly get (basically ignoring germ theory), to the point that they recommend to their clients to NOT vaccinate their children and such. Anytime they start throwing terms around like "Big Medicine" and "Big Pharma", start to look deeper.

I knew one personally that was a complete quack.. he went through all their programs and was up to date, but he was one of the most magically thinking people I've ever known. I remember once where he was telling a group of people that cable companies can actually watch you through the cable system. I prefer a bit more rationality in my medical practitioners (not saying all are like that).

[NuclearFart]

Originally Posted by photon

I think it depends greatly on the chiropractor. Some use good evidence based procedures and would be similar to a physio type person.

Others though base their practice on the idea that every malady is a result of vertebral subluxation of the spine, including flu, infections, chicken pox, whatever you can possibly get (basically ignoring germ theory), to the point that they recommend to their clients to NOT vaccinate their children and such. Anytime they start throwing terms around like "Big Medicine" and "Big Pharma", start to look deeper.

I knew one personally that was a complete quack.. he went through all their programs and was up to date, but he was one of the most magically thinking people I've ever known. I remember once where he was telling a group of people that cable companies can actually watch you through the cable system. I prefer a bit more rationality in my medical practitioners (not saying all are like that).

Nicely worded, cannot agree more. Even if you actually look at most of their research, the quality is often very poor: underpowered and relying on alot of subjectivity and without correcting for obvious bias. There's also a bit of smoke and mirrors in what they do, claiming to be able to move some joints that are in reality impossible to move. Ask anyone who has ever dissected the spine of a cadaver what they think of chiro's.

In the end I've got no problems with patients spending their own money on chiros from a massage / physio therapy perspective, as long as they don't touch the neck. Modern medicine sucks in the treatment of mechanical back pain.

[KTrain]

Originally Posted by Hesla

It amazes me that someone will complaint about paying 100 bucks every two years for an eye exam when your eye health is as stake.

It pisses me off that there is a charge for this. I don't understand how your eyes aren't covered under Alberta Health Care. Are they no more important than other parts of your body? Regular medical check-ups are covered. So should eye exams.

I know my benefits only cover $250 every 2 years. With the exam I'll have around $150 for glasses or contacts. Good luck. No wonder people go for the cheapest contacts they can find.

[photon]

Originally Posted by KTrain

It pisses me off that there is a charge for this. I don't understand how your eyes aren't covered under Alberta Health Care. Are they no more important than other parts of your body? Regular medical check-ups are covered. So should eye exams.

I know my benefits only cover $250 every 2 years. With the exam I'll have around $150 for glasses or contacts. Good luck. No wonder people go for the cheapest contacts they can find.

Totally agree, I've always wondered why eye and tooth care weren't covered!

It's not like you can be at all functional in society without glasses if your vision is poor, and given how many people wear glasses it's a pretty significant chunk of society.

Dental maybe not quite as much, but not taking care of your teeth can have serious health issues down the road.

[FurnaceFace]

I've been buying contacts from clearly contacts for a few years now. I get my eyes checked yearly and have had my prescription plateau for the last 6+ years. I've been wearing PureVision extended wear lenses for probably 4 years now (they fit me great). I've worn contacts for over 20 years now so I've gone through a heap of different lenses.

At first I got my lenses through the Optometrist as they were new technology (the extended wear ones) and I felt it best he know what I have in my eyes. After a year or so of no problems I think I tried a 6 month supply from Clearly and they were still fine.

I do have to admit I did have a poor fitting lens from the ones I got from the Optometrist and they gave me a free replacement - that's not something the bulk stores would do. The flip side is the lower cost and if you have to bin a set of lenses because they fit poorly, you're still likely money ahead.

I would completely agree with Hesla though, don't wear extended lenses for longer than you're supposed to. Mine last a month, I take them out once or twice a month, and then I toss them. I would never go way over a month as that's asking for it. My eyes are not something I want to experiment with, I could live with the lose of hearing or speaking, but my eyes would be tough. Guess that comes from my grandmother who was legally blind and said she could handle the arthritis and anything else wrong with her, but not being able to see was the toughest.

[McG]

i have no probs paying for a yearly checkup for everyone in the family...even although i believe my health plan is every 2 years...it just make good sense to me.

what we do for contacts is we will buy the first box from the optometrist, and the guy we use gives you a free visit to check them out. when he is happy, i ask for the prescription. he always charges a fee for writing the prescription out (which bugs me, but I know why he is doing it), and then we order the balance of the year as the exact same type from clearly contacts.ca.

i want to give a shout out to that company...i did a sales pitch to clearly contacts.ca a few years ago...and the company that i was with at the time didn't win. But i did like how they did business and i liked their vision...(pun intended!)...and we have bought from them ever since.

its kinda a win win half win for everyone.

[kermitology]

I ordered contacts from clearlycontacts.ca for the first time recently. I ordered the same contacts that my optometrist was going to order for me. The main reason why I did it was that it was so much easier than getting them from my optometrist. It takes less time to get them in too.

[Bobblehead]

A few years ago they stop making the brand of contacts that I wore for a long time. After that (and with the guidance of my doctor) I tried a few different brands, but none of them feel as comfortable for as long as the old type (and my prescription hasn't changed in over a decade). I used to forget that I was wearing contacts. Now I only get that lucky in the first week of each set (30 day lenses), and as a result I find I wear my glasses much more than I used to. Which is alright, I like my glasses, but I still wish my contacts were as comfortable as I remember.

[Rahim]

This is what you do, get a trail pair of contacts from the Optometrist. Use the prescripton on there and order online. I saved 100.00 and thats after paying the duty. Most optometrists don't want you to buy online because they will lose a lot of money. They don't make much with frames and lenses. My Optometrist tried to tell me I can get eye cancer and all this other b.s.

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by photon

I think it depends greatly on the chiropractor. Some use good evidence based procedures and would be similar to a physio type person.

Others though base their practice on the idea that every malady is a result of vertebral subluxation of the spine, including flu, infections, chicken pox, whatever you can possibly get (basically ignoring germ theory), to the point that they recommend to their clients to NOT vaccinate their children and such. Anytime they start throwing terms around like "Big Medicine" and "Big Pharma", start to look deeper.

I knew one personally that was a complete quack.. he went through all their programs and was up to date, but he was one of the most magically thinking people I've ever known. I remember once where he was telling a group of people that cable companies can actually watch you through the cable system. I prefer a bit more rationality in my medical practitioners (not saying all are like that).

Thank you very much, sir.

If there are ones out there like that then I finally understand the bad reputation they get. The one I've been to was excellent and would not hesitate to recommend her to any of my friends if they were experiencing back pain. The only time she mentioned "big pharma" or anything of the like was when she recommended not to take robax platinum and such to treat the pain but instead use a proper diet, stretching, exercise and a bit of chiro to treat the underlying problem which IMO makes perfect sense.