RX Verification Request - Prescription Check
What Is The RX Verification Process & How Does It Work?
The RX Verification Process allows you to safely purchase contact lenses by verifying your prescription. Under the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act, you have the right to purchase your contact lenses from any reputable seller. This means that once you have had a contact lens fitting and been given a prescription, the optometrist must give you a copy of your prescription if you request it. This, in turn, allows you to safely shop for the prescription you need from another seller; in this case, the seller must verify your prescription before selling you the lenses.
The Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act gives you these rights and imposes duties for optometrists and sellers that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces. The FTC implemented the Contact Lens Rule in July 2004 to lay out the requirements of the Act.
Why You Can Get An RX Check?
The Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act applies to the sale of non-prescription and prescription contact lenses thus covering all types of contact lenses including costume, fancy dress, corrective, and specialist lenses such as anti-fatigue. Therefore, the seller provides contact lenses under the rules of this act by selling only to persons with a verified valid prescription that is to be presented directly through our system or verified through contact with your optometrist.
There are several ways to verify a prescription, under the Act. This includes in-person, via fax, or via email. The other way to verify is via contact with the optometrist for confirmation.
Crazy Lenses uses an established RX Verification system called ‘Approve My Prescription’. This program was developed to make it quick and easy to verify your prescription without interrupting your shopping experience. It runs directly on the Crazy Lenses website as part of your checkout process and will automatically contact your optometrist when you select them from the database.
The Approve My Prescription system directly communicates with your optometrist. It provides them with your order details and our contact details. The information that is in our communication to your optometrist includes:
- Your full name and address.
- The contact lens prescription strength, manufacturer, base curve, and diameter (where each is applicable).
- The date and time of your order.
- The date and time of the Approve My Prescription request.
- The number of lenses in your order.
We ask the provider to confirm the accuracy of the information you have provided and whether it matches your prescription. There are several outcomes leading from this. Your optometrist will either:
- Confirm the accuracy of the information you have provided, allowing the order to be processed.
- Inform us that the information is inaccurate, meaning we may be unable to process the order.
- Failure to provide communication, resulting in auto-approval. This applies if your optometrist does not respond to our request within 8 business hours. *A business hour refers to the period of time between 09:00 am and 17:00 pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays), in your optometrist’s time zone.
The Stages Of The RX Verification Process
Firstly, you will be able to fill in an Approve My Prescription request while you are placing your order. This tool is placed within our checkout for your convenience. You select who to send your request to. Once your payment has been successfully processed, the Approve My Prescription communication will be sent to your optometrist and you will be emailed an order confirmation.
Next, when your order reaches the processing stage, the Prescription Check will be in progress. Your order will be on hold while our system awaits a response from your optometrist. It will begin processing again once the optometrist approves your order or once 8 business hours have passed. During this time, your order will be picked and packed so it is ready to go as soon as the verification is received.
If your optometrist informs us that the order does not match your information, your order will be canceled and refunded, and you will be emailed.
If your optometrist approves your information, your order will be dispatched and you will receive an email to confirm it has been shipped.
Reasons For An RX Decline
We understand that it can be frustrating to have your RX request declined by your optometrist but your eye health is a priority. You can place another order, and with a bit of troubleshooting, your next order may be accepted. Here are some of the most common reasons that an optometrist declines an RX check.
We ask that you don’t submit repeated attempts without first checking and amending your information.
Did you select the wrong optometrist?
Don’t worry if you have selected the wrong optometrist from our list. The chances are the optometrist will simply decline your request and your order will be canceled. We strongly urge you to contact us if you know you have selected the wrong optometrist as we can help by manually canceling it for you. You can then place a new one, double-checking you have selected the correct optometrist.
We also need to make sure that the request is not automatically processed after 8 business hours if the verification request is not replied to so make sure to contact us as soon as possible to ensure this doesn’t happen.
Why has my request been declined?
- Has your prescription expired? Your prescription will be valid for one year from the issue date so make sure you are up to date with your contact lens fitting.
- Did I fill in my information correctly? Your optometrist will likely need the exact name and address you used when you received your prescription in order to locate you on their system.
- Did I choose the correct prescription strength? Check details like whether you need a Plus or Minus prescription, whether the prescription strength matches your latest fitting, and what the other measurements on your prescription are.
- Is there any reason you can no longer wear contact lenses? If your optometrist knows of any reasons that you can no longer wear contact lenses, have an allergy to certain products, or need a specialist type of contact lenses they may decline the request.
How will I know if my order has been successful?
At various stages of the process, we will provide email updates so you know the status of your order. Despite our best efforts to contact optometrists directly, we do experience a high volume of auto-approvals after 8 business hours. In any case, or even if your request is declined, you will hear from us to confirm the status.
Do I need to place another order if my request is rejected?
If your request is rejected your order will be canceled and you won’t receive your products. You can place another order and try amending some of the information or ensuring the contact lenses are the right measurements for you. You may find it helpful to contact your optometrist for more information to avoid repeated failed attempts or a passive pass attempt that could put your eye health at risk.
How do you know it has been 8 business hours?
You can work out 8 business hours by first checking the time zone of your optometrist. The business hours include Monday to Friday, 09:00 am to 17:00 pm. Anything inside this time counts as a business hour so you can calculate it based on the time your RX request was sent.
What if my optometrist has different business hours?
Some optometrists open on a Saturday or have different business hours, however, our system works on a standardized working week, unless we have received official documentation that confirms your optometrist’s opening hours.
Do I need to tell my optometrist they will be sent a request?
It is not an obligation to tell your optometrist they will be sent a request. The optometrist will receive detailed information such as your name, address, and order information to ensure you are easily identifiable on their system.
What do I do if I can’t find my optometrist on the list?
You can request to add your optometrist to the Approve My Prescription database. Please fill out the form to add their information. Approve My Prescription will then verify the accuracy of the information you have provided before sending your request to a newly listed optometrist.
Please DO NOT input your own information into this form. It is for licensed optometrists only.