How do I place a contact lens order online?

Ordering contact lenses over the Internet is a relatively foolproof process, but as with any medical device it's of paramount importance to make sure that you get the right product.

To safeguard against any possible complications the General Optical Council (in the UK) recommend that contact lenses should only be supplied once a valid prescription has been produced.

In the United States a similar function is performed by the FDA. However in reality it's an impossible regulation to enforce and many websites supply contact lenses without a prescription. It is difficult to understand however why anybody would choose to take such a gamble with their eyes.

This is particularly so as online vision-care suppliers bend over backwards to make the process as painless as possible. Typically you can either send a copy of your prescription or just supply the name and telephone number of your optician and they'll do the rest.

If shopping for coloured or novelty contact lenses you don't need a prescription, but it's well-worth visiting your optician for advice on fitting and lens-care.

Once you've decided who you're going to place you order with you'll have to fill out an online prescription, which includes the following information:

OD refers to the right eye and OS to the left

Band Name, e.g. Focus or Acuvue

Base Curve is a figure between 8.0 and 10.0

Diameter is a number between 13.0 and 15.0

Power (also referred to as Sphere) is a figure between -20 and +20

A sample prescription looks as follows:

Brand name: Johnson & Johnson 1 day Acuvue
OS BC: 8.3 DIA: 14.2 Sphere/ Power: -12.00

OD BC: 8.3 DIA: 14.2 Sphere/ Power: -14.00

People suffering from astigmatism will also have to provide the following extra information:

Cylinder is a figure between -4.00 and +4.00
Axis is a figure between 0° and 180°

A sample prescription for astigmatism looks as follows:

OD BC : 8.7 DIA: 14.5 Sphere/ Power: -4.50
OD CYL & AXIS: -1.25 X 180°

Although all the above figures may at first seem slightly confusing in reality it's a straightforward process.

Once you've filled in your prescription double-check that everything's correct before submitting it, and similarly when your lenses arrive make sure that everything is correct (the prescription details are printed on the side of the packaging), and that the lenses are well within their expiry date.

Coloured and special effects lenses are sold as ‘one size fits all' so all you have to do is choose the design.

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