Calls on Agency to Support ECP Expertise and Consumer Health & Safety
PLEASANTON, Calif., August 19, 2019—CooperVision has submitted comments to the United States Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) regarding its proposed changes to the Contact Lens Rule. The company continued to recommend approaches that protect competition while ensuring the safe use of contact lenses and good wearing experiences, including the essential role of eye care professionals.
In its letter, which is available at https://coopervision.com/practitioner/ecp-viewpoints/legislative-advocacy%E2%80%8C/coopervision-submits-comments-ftc, CooperVision emphasizes five areas of consideration:
- Patient ocular health and safety should be kept at the forefront of the FTC’s concerns, as it is for the approximately 40,000 eye care professionals (ECPs) across the country.
- ECP expertise in selecting a contact lens for each patient is vital, with no place for brand or prescription substitution—a view also held by the FTC.
- Providing prescriptions to patients is best practice and is reflected in the actions taken by the vast majority of ECPs. Education and enforcement are key to increasing compliance, not increased administrative burdens applied equally across the profession.
- When consumers buy their contact lenses from non-prescribing retailers, stronger FTC enforcement of the Contact Lens Rule’s provisions will help ensure patient well-being.
- Technology should be leveraged to modernize the Contact Lens Rule, with electronic platforms playing a larger role in prescriber-seller-wearer communications, as well as the elimination of antiquated robocall verifications in favor of modern written means such as e-mail.
“It’s a privilege to voice our perspectives with the FTC, as well as helping to share ECPs’ knowledge, viewpoints and unmatched clinical experiences with policymakers. Together, CooperVision and the ECP community are committed to advancing principles that enable healthy contact lens wear, including product innovation, practice management advancements, patient education, and advocacy,” said Michele Andrews, OD, Senior Director of Professional and Academic Affairs, North America for CooperVision. “Thanks to our joint commitment, there has never been a more exciting time to be fitting and wearing contact lenses.”
CooperVision has been actively involved in ongoing Contact Lens Rule discussions, including serving on FTC panels, educating Congressional and agency officials, encouraging eye care professionals to share their own experiences, and further elevating the dialogue as a charter member of the Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety.
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About CooperVision
CooperVision, a unit of The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses. The Company produces a full array of monthly, two-week and daily disposable contact lenses, all featuring advanced materials and optics. CooperVision has a strong heritage of solving the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism and presbyopia; and offers the most complete collection of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit coopervision.com.
About The Cooper Companies
The Cooper Companies, Inc. ("Cooper") is a global medical device company publicly traded on the NYSE (NYSE:COO). Cooper operates through two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision brings a refreshing perspective on vision care with a commitment to developing a wide range of high-quality products for contact lens wearers and providing focused practitioner support. CooperSurgical is committed to advancing the health of women, babies and families with its diversified portfolio of products and services focusing on medical devices and fertility & genomics. Headquartered in Pleasanton, Calif., Cooper has more than 12,000 employees with products sold in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com.
Media Contact
Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA
McDougall Communications for CooperVision, Inc.
mike@mcdougallpr.com or +1-585-545-1815 (mobile)