HB 149 Amended to include provision regarding cosmetic contacts

A provision has been added to HB 149 – the optometry bill – that would require the Ohio Optical Dispensers Board to regulate the dispensing of cosmetic contact lenses and other forms of contact lenses that are not used for vision correction. This was one of several amendments to the optometry measure that were contained in a substitute version of the bill. Attorney General Marc Dann along with other organizations conducted a pre-Halloween news conference to warn of the health risks associated with the decorative lenses that are available in some costume shops and other stores without a prescription. AMCNO member, Dr. Thomas Steinemann, the AMCNO and other organizations spearheaded the initiative to regulate cosmetic lenses at the federal level. This latest amendment to HB 149 would close a loophole that allowed for sales in despite changes in federal law. The AMCNO continues to advocate for the regulation of dispensing of cosmetic contact lenses in Ohio.