Optometrists Association Victoria is often asked by optometrists and patients for information regarding expiry dates on optical prescriptions.
Expiry dates on prescriptions are a convention arising from the need to ensure that a patient is using the lenses with the most appropriate correction for their condition, and has clear vision for all tasks. Since patients' eyesight can change over time, so too, optical prescriptions need regular review.
Download our full Guidelines on this issue at the left. Below, here are some Frequently asked questions, summarised from the Guidelines.
Q: Do I need to include an expiry date on scripts?
In Victoria, there is no legislation specifying the content that should appear on an optical prescription. This means there is no law specifying that an expiry date should or should not be included on a prescription.
In general, Optometrists Association Victoria recommends that an Expiry Date be included on all optical prescriptions.
Q: How do I select an expiry date?
When nominating an expiry date for a prescription, the optometrist should take into account factors including the patient's age, the expected or observed rate of change to the underlying conditon needing correction, and any other complicating factors or risks.
There are no grounds on which to recommend generic expiry dates used for either contact lenses or spectacle lenses.
The date nominated should be the date beyond which the optometrist would not be prepared to vouch for the suitability or validity of that prescription for the individual patient, and would want to re-examine the patient.
Q: Is it illegal to dispense from a prescription once the Expiry Date has passed?
There is no legislation in Victoria that specifically states that you cannot fill an optical prescription if it is passed the expiry date. However, nor is an optometrist or dispenser legally required to dispense the prescription, even if the patient requests it.
An important question is whether an optometrist might be held liable for any adverse event caused by dispensing from someone else's prescription once the expiry date has passed. We are aware of no precedents for this, but nor can we say that this could not happen.
Optometrists are legally required to act in the best clinical interests of their patients. The Optometrists Association Code of Ethics requires optometrists to practice with conscience and integrity. An optometrist should therefore exercise his or her own clinical judgement in determining whether to dispense from a script written by another optometrist once the Expiry Date has passed.
In general, Optometrists Association Victoria recommends that optometrists and dispensers observe the Expiry Dates when filling prescriptions written by other optometrists, unless there are compelling reasons for doing otherwise. To protect yourself, we recommend you note these reasons on the patient's record.
The Association recommends that contact lenses should only be supplied on the presentation of a valid prescription.
Optometrists Association Victoria is often asked by optometrists and patients for information regarding expiry dates on optical prescriptions.
Expiry dates on prescriptions are a convention arising from the need to ensure that a patient is using the lenses with the most appropriate correction for their condition, and has clear vision for all tasks. Since patients' eyesight can change over time, so too, optical prescriptions need regular review.
Download our full Guidelines on this issue at the left. Below, here are some Frequently asked questions, summarised from the Guidelines.
Q: Do I need to include an expiry date on scripts?
In Victoria, there is no legislation specifying the content that should appear on an optical prescription. This means there is no law specifying that an expiry date should or should not be included on a prescription.
In general, Optometrists Association Victoria recommends that an Expiry Date be included on all optical prescriptions.
Q: How do I select an expiry date?
When nominating an expiry date for a prescription, the optometrist should take into account factors including the patient's age, the expected or observed rate of change to the underlying conditon needing correction, and any other complicating factors or risks.
There are no grounds on which to recommend generic expiry dates used for either contact lenses or spectacle lenses.
The date nominated should be the date beyond which the optometrist would not be prepared to vouch for the suitability or validity of that prescription for the individual patient, and would want to re-examine the patient.
Q: Is it illegal to dispense from a prescription once the Expiry Date has passed?
There is no legislation in Victoria that specifically states that you cannot fill an optical prescription if it is passed the expiry date. However, nor is an optometrist or dispenser legally required to dispense the prescription, even if the patient requests it.
An important question is whether an optometrist might be held liable for any adverse event caused by dispensing from someone else's prescription once the expiry date has passed. We are aware of no precedents for this, but nor can we say that this could not happen.
Optometrists are legally required to act in the best clinical interests of their patients. The Optometrists Association Code of Ethics requires optometrists to practice with conscience and integrity. An optometrist should therefore exercise his or her own clinical judgement in determining whether to dispense from a script written by another optometrist once the Expiry Date has passed.
In general, Optometrists Association Victoria recommends that optometrists and dispensers observe the Expiry Dates when filling prescriptions written by other optometrists, unless there are compelling reasons for doing otherwise. To protect yourself, we recommend you note these reasons on the patient's record.
The Association recommends that contact lenses should only be supplied on the presentation of a valid prescription.