BEAT THE CONTACT LENS CLOCK
BY DELORES T. BROWNE GIBSON, COA, NCLC, Houston
By now, we've all had some experience with the
Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act, which requires all eyecare practitioners
to verify contact lens prescription requests from outside vendors within 8 hours
of receipt. Here are some tips that will help you incorporate this new
requirement into your daily routine.
Designate a point person. Only two
staff members in our office -- one primary and one backup -- process
verification requests.
Keep track of time. Our entire
staff knows about the 8-hour limit and the importance of notifying the point
person as soon as requests arrive. When we receive faxes, we write the date and
time on the form before placing it in a special in-box. Our point person checks
the box periodically and responds immediately with the correct information,
again recording the date and time on the form.
Maintain complete files. We
frequently receive multiple verification requests for the same patient. To avoid
wasting time rechecking patient records, we keep a copy of our response in a
separate, easily accessible vendor file. Now, when we receive redundant
requests, we can resend forms without having to search the patient's files again
or fill out a new verification form.
Contact Lens Spectrum, Issue: May 2004