I thought I should look again and update these contact lens reminders, especially in view of very distrurbing developments related to counterfeit, contaminated and unsafe products that are more available. They will contribute to the safe and successful continuing wear of these prescribed medical devices.

1. Wash and thoroughly dry hands before; handling contact lenses and before application/removal and ideally dry with paper towels
2. Place contact lenses on your eyes before applying eye make-up
3. Return for all follow-up and after-care visits as advised
4. If you have any concerns or questions - contact your Contact Lens Practitioner
5. In case of any irritation, discomfort, loss of vision or eye redness lenses must be removed immediately. If symptoms persist seek medical advice, do not delay. During normal practice hours call your practice for advice. If not able to discuss with the practice call 111 or go to A & E at the nearest hospital. Do not attend a GP or pharmacy.
6. Remove contact lenses after each recommended period of wear each day – do not wear longer than advised
7. Discard contact lenses at the recommended time interval
8. Clean you lens case weekly with your disinfecting solution, NEVER USE WATER, and allow to air dry
9. Replace your lens case at least at 3 monthly intervals
10. Replace bottle tops immediately and keep bottles out of direct sunlight
11. Clean your contact lenses after removal from eye with the recommended solutions and method
12. Replace solution in case daily, do not top up
13. Discard solution in bottles at recommended time after first opening
14. Keep contact lens wear within advised wearing times each week
15. Avoid contact lens contact with, fingernails, saliva, or water of any kind
16. Avoid showering or swimming in contact lenses (wearing tightly fitted googles whilst swimming reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk of microbial keratitis and permanent vision loss)
17. Avoid wearing contact lenses with any form of eye medication unless advised otherwise
18. Do not sleep in contact lenses unless advised that they have been prescribed for this
19. We would strongly recommend purchasing lenses and eye care products from this practice, aftercare fees for patients that do so are significantly less than otherwise. Web based suppliers of products will often not supply exactly the same products you are using, claiming substitutions are equivalent or there is an ‘upgrade’. There is also an increasing concern regarding counterfeit products with packaging looking identical to the original but not being of safe quality and/or contaminated, some have resulted in eye removal and a number of fatalities. Here in our specialist Contact Lens and Dry Eye/Allergy Eye Clinics we have available high-technology eye-drops. It is better to use drops that do not contain eye irritating preservatives, we normally only recommend drops that are non-preserved. It is vital that contact lens wearers use drops that are lens compatible. In order that you use drops that are both safe and effective we recommend you do not change from our recommendation without consulting us.
20. The practice cannot help with products not supplied from here.
21. In the same vein we much prefer for all eye care being provided in the same practice, where records are readily available and findings can be looked at easily and discussed by staff members, this continuity of care is in the patient’s best interest.