I think it is sensible to require a prescription for contact lenses so that a new user will have the opportunity of being taught how to take care of the lenses (and their own eyes of course). Of course you would need a prescription if the lenses were for eye sight correction and not plano coloured lenses because the spectacle correction is not the same as the contact lens correction (Vertex correction).

However, because you can do serious damage to your eyes with ordinary coloured plano lenses if you are not educated about them, a prescription should be necessary for them also.

But, I don't really see that it is so essential for an experienced user to have a prescription, which only applies to one particular name of lens (e.g. SiH48, etc).

The problems is how can Mail Order companies differentiate between an experienced contact lens wearer and a novice wearer?

(P.S. I do now have a formal prescription for my RGP lenses, but they do require special fitting).

Maybe some opticians don't automatically give out prescriptions because they assume you are going to buy your lenses from them?

knotlob