2 May 2016
Thank you for your commitment and feedback over the past few months as we work alongside you to defend against any legislation threatening our industry and the critical doctor-patient relationship. As this debate evolves from the states to the federal level, it’s time to redouble our collective efforts.
Our research shows that most legislators are unfamiliar with how contact lenses are prescribed and used, making it more important than ever that we work to make sure lawmakers hear your members’ voices. Here are three things members can do right now to promote patient health and safety and advocate on behalf of the future of our industry:
Write to your federal representatives to share your support for the
Contact Lens Consumer Health Protection Act (S.2777). Your hard work in states across the country has built to this federal milestone, and our
"Take Action” page gives members the tools to voice their support for this important legislation, which would strengthen the contact lens prescription verification process. It is urgent that we maintain the momentum following the bill’s recent introduction by attracting new advocates and cosponsors. Feel free to share this link with your members.
Report violations of the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act (FCLCA) to the Federal Trade Commission. Any time you see sellers that aren’t complying with the act, use this
FTC website to report them. Some
examples of noncompliance include multiple requests for the same patient after receiving a response, selling lenses without a prescription, substituting lenses, and leaving unintelligible messages.
Visit our website and explore our educational federal and state
resources – including our new digital, interactive, and mobile-friendly
Patient Journey that you and your members can use to help educate lawmakers on issues that matter to your patients, our profession, and our industry. In the hands of ECPs across the country, we believe this will be a powerful tool to educate policymakers in this critical election year. Please feel free to download these materials and use them however they can be helpful.
We know how effective we can be in raising the volume on the issues that matter to patients’ health and safety when we work together. As always, thank you for your commitment to your patients and to ensuring a bright future for our industry.
Sincerely,
Carol Alexander, OD, FAAO
Director of Professional Communication
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
calexan4@its.jnj.com
(t) 904-738-3996