Constitution Center
400 7th St SW
Washington
DC
20024
Event Description
The Federal Trade Commission will host a public workshop on May 18, 2023, to examine proposed changes to its Ophthalmic Practice Rules, also known as the Eyeglass Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 456). The workshop, A Clear Look at the Eyeglass Rule, is being held in conjunction with the Commission’s regulatory review of the Eyeglass Rule. A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NRPM) was issued in January 2023 announcing proposed changes to the Rule.
The Eyeglass Rule, in place since 1978, is designed to facilitate consumer choice and promote competition in the eyeglass market by requiring ophthalmologists and optometrists to provide patients with a copy of their prescription immediately after the completion of an eye exam.
Specific topics will include:
- The Rule’s prescription release requirement, including the ongoing barriers consumers are facing and the roadblocks to effective compliance;
- The proposed confirmation requirement and how a similar requirement in the Contact Lens Rule has been working in practice since it came into effect in 2020;
- Other proposed changes to the Eyeglass Rule, including changes permitting digital prescription release in certain circumstances, clarifying that proof of insurance coverage counts as payment, and changing the term “eye examination” to “refractive eye examination” throughout the rule.”
The workshop is open to the public, and there is no fee to attend. The event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET at the Constitution Center (first floor conference rooms), 400 Seventh St., SW, Washington, DC 20024, and webcast on the FTC’s website at FTC.gov. A link to the webcast, as well as the agenda and speaker information, will be posted in advance of the event. Registration is not required.
In conjunction with this event, the FTC is seeking additional public comment. The public will have until June 20, 2023 to submit comments to accommodate those who wish to provide input on the topics discussed at the event. Information on how to submit comments can be found on Regulations.gov.
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Agenda
Thursday, May 18
7:45 am Registration
9:00 am Welcome and Opening Remarks
Samuel Levine
Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission9:15 am Panel 1: Prescription Release
The FTC recently sent cease-and-desist letters to prescribers of eyeglasses and contact lenses based on consumer complaints that patients were not automatically given, or denied, or charged for their prescriptions. This panel will consider the need for the Eyeglass Rule’s prescription release requirement in today’s marketplace. Panelists will discuss the ongoing barriers consumers are facing and the roadblocks to effective compliance with the Rule.
Moderators:
Paul Spelman
Attorney, Division of Advertising Practices, Bureau of Consumer ProtectionBeth Freeborn
Economist, Consumer Protection Division, Bureau of EconomicsPanelists:
Sara D. Brown, MPA
Director of Government Affairs, Prevent BlindnessWallace W. Lovejoy
Chair, National Association of Retail Optical CompaniesDr. Jeffrey Michaels, OD
Co-owner, Family Vision CareFelecia P. Neilly
Consumer of eyeglasses and contact lensesDr. Andrew Stivers, PhD
Associate Director, NERA Economic Consulting10:15 am Break
10:30 am Presentation: Implementing the Contact Lens Rule Confirmation Requirement
Dr. Stephen M. Montaquila, OD
President, West Bay Eye Associates10:45 am Panel 2: Examining the Confirmation Requirement and Lessons Learned from the Contact Lens Rule
The proposed amendments to the Eyeglass Rule include a requirement that prescribers obtain a signed confirmation from patients when they provide a copy of the prescription. A similar requirement has been in effect for the Contact Lens Rule since 2020. Panelists will discuss how the confirmation of prescription release is working in practice: what methods are prescribers using to fulfill their obligations to obtain a signed confirmation and keep a record of it for three years; are there any options for easing the burden of this requirement; and what compliance issues have arisen?
Moderator:
Alysa Bernstein
Attorney, Division of Advertising Practices, Bureau of Consumer ProtectionPanelists:
Dr. Mahsa Masoudi, OD
Optometrist, Marietta Eye ClinicDr. Stephen M. Montaquila, OD
President, West Bay Eye AssociatesJoseph B. Neville
Executive Director, National Association of Retail Optical CompaniesDr. Michael Repka, MD, MBA
Medical Director for Governmental Affairs, American Academy of Ophthalmology
Vice Chair for Clinical Practice, Wilmer Eye Institute and Professor of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins MedicinePete Sepp
President, National Taxpayers Union & NTU Foundation11:45 am Break
12:00 pm Panel 3: A Focus on Other Proposed Rule Changes
In addition to the proposed confirmation requirement, the FTC is considering three other amendments to the Rule: allowing prescribers, with a patient’s verifiable affirmative consent, to provide the patient with a digital copy of a prescription in lieu of a paper copy; clarifying that a patient’s proof of insurance coverage is considered payment for the purpose of determining when a prescription must be provided; and changing the term “eye examination” to “refractive eye examination” throughout the rule. Panelists will discuss the likely effects these changes would have on patients and prescribers.
Moderator:
Sarah Botha
Attorney, Division of Advertising Practices, Bureau of Consumer ProtectionPanelists:
Dr. Aarlan Aceto, OD
Board of Director and Chair, Legislative Committee, Opticians Association of America
President, National Federation of Opticianry SchoolsDr. Artis Beatty, OD
Chief Medical Officer, MyEyeDr.Rebecca Hyder
Vice President of Governmental Affairs, American Academy of OphthalmologyWallace W. Lovejoy
Chair, National Association of Retail Optical CompaniesFile
- FileA Clear Look at the Eyeglass Rule: Speaker Bios (145.89 KB)
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Event Materials
FileStephen Montaquila, OD - Presentation (863.16 KB)
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Transcript - Files
File
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Location