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Press Release

Follow-up care requirements ensure that customers return
to the optometrist to buy their contact lenses

Muriel W. and her son moved to Tenaha, Texas from Houston. Both had worn contact lenses before. They went to a new optometrist, underwent an exam and a fitting, and purchased contact lenses. Later, Mrs. W. decided that she wanted to buy her contact lenses from WalMart since they offered cheaper prices and they were closer to her. When she called the optometrist he said she could not obtain her prescription because she did not return for a follow-up visit. Mrs. W. was shocked because this optometrist had told her that she did not have to come back for a follow-up visit since she had worn contact lenses before.

Mrs. W. filed a complaint with the Texas Optometry Board. In response to her complaint, the Board said, "the doctor determines the final prescription and since there was no follow-up visit, the doctor may not have been able to finalize the parameters of your prescription." The Board did not take any action but suggested that Mrs. W. contact her doctor and see if they could work together to complete the exam. The doctor did not respond to the complaint, according to the information provided to Consumers Union.

Of 44 complaints reviewed by Consumers Union, about a third related to followup visits. Typically the Board responded to these complainants that it had no jurisdiction. Generally it said that this was a problem between the doctor and patient, and that the doctor may not have been able to finalize the parameters of the prescription, and therefore did not have to release it.

TOB complaint #99059, February 19, 1999