Contact Lenses According to Philippine Law, or why is it ILLEGAL to sell contact lenses ONLINE: RA No. 8050 and RA No. 9711
What your online seller and you should know:
1. Under the law,
contact lenses are medical devices/prescription products, which may only be prescribed, dispensed, sold by licensed eye care practitioners;
2. The
sale or dispensing of contact lenses (a medical device)
by unauthorized persons is prohibited by the Revised Optometry Law or RA No. 8050 and the Food and Drug Administration Law (FDA) or RA No. 9711;
3.
Sale of medical devices without the corresponding license to operate (LTO) is prohibited by the FDA Law or RA No. 9711;
4.
Sale of non-registered medical devices (FDA) such as contact lenses is a violation of the FDA Law;
5.
Price advertisement of eyeglasses or contact lenses in any media outlet (print tarps, billboards, broadcast, radio, internet (websites, social networks)
is prohibited by law.
6. Persons or entities who aid or abet such illegal acts abovementioned by supplying unauthorized channels whether directly or indirectly shall also be penalized with
one ( 1 ) to eight ( 8 ) years imprisonment and/or fine;
7. If the violator is an optometrist or ophthalmologists, in addition to criminal charges, an administrative case may be filed against the offender and his/her PRC license may be suspended or permanently revoked.
The integrated national organization of optometrists accredited by the Professional Regulation Commission, is mandated to take appropriate actions in order to protect the interest of the public and preserve the dignity of the eye profession.