ABDO has welcomed a new General Optical Council (GOC) consultation on contact lens regulations.
The GOC has published a draft position statement setting out that it will not enforce the requirement to verify a copy of a contact lens specification where a sale of prescription contact lenses is made under the general direction of a GOC registrant (or registered medical practitioner). The statement also provides a definition of aftercare following the sale of prescription contact lenses under general direction.
The GOC has announced its latest consultation following its call for evidence on the Opticians Act in 2022. At that time, the regualtor sought views on the need to verify a copy of a contact lens specification – and has now taken the draft position that verification is no longer necessary “provided that the specification is clear, does not contain any obvious errors and has not obviously been tampered with”.
Alongside this, the GOC is seeking stakeholders’ views on an updated definition of aftercare. The draft statement says that the GOC is seeking to ensure that a “definition of aftercare should be provided that gives sufficient detail to ensure the public is protected”.
Steve Brooker, GOC director of regulatory strategy, said: “We consulted on the need to verify a copy of a contact lens specification and define aftercare as part of our call for evidence. Stakeholders told us that it is now commonplace for contact lens specifications to be provided as electronic copies – for example, a scan of an original document – which we believe should be accepted. What’s more, it can be difficult to verify a specification with the exact person who signed it which can create inefficiencies that are then passed on to patients as costs.
“When it comes to aftercare, stakeholders told us it should include information for patients on how to wear and care for lenses, and advice on how to identify signs of infection or harm and what to do in this event. In drawing up this definition, we also reviewed guidance by the professional bodies and used elements that we consider are proportionate and would deliver appropriate public protection. We believe our definition provides sufficient detail to ensure the public is protected and so that it is clear what sellers of contact lenses are obliged to do to meet their legal obligations.
“We are consulting as we are interested in stakeholders’ views to ensure that there are no unintended consequences of this statement or risks that cannot be mitigated against,” added Steve.
The consultation will close on 24 October 2023 and ABDO is seeking members’ views and input into an ABDO response by the deadline of 5pm Friday 13 October. Members can share their feedback with ABDO here.
Max Halford, ABDO clinical lead, commented: “We welcome the GOC consultation following our submission to the original call for evidence, and this opportunity to feed back on the draft GOC position before changes are implemented. We are seeking feedback from ABDO members who will have valuable insight into how changes to both verification and the definition of aftercare affect the patients we provide clinical care for in practices.
“Many of our members will have experience of concerns following online supply of contact lenses with no guidance for aftercare, alongside demands to verify contact lens prescriptions – and we are keen to work with the GOC to ensure the highest standards of protection for our patients and guidelines for dispensing opticians,” Max added.
Read the draft position statement and take part in the GOC consultation via the GOC Consultation Hub.