Two pharmaceutical bodies this week said they would launch an awareness campaign to ensure members knew they must not sell plano cosmetic contact lenses without supervision.
Optician understands that the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) gave this undertaking following a meeting with the GOC.
This latest development follows news that the GOC had received a formal complaint about a number of pharmacies selling plano cosmetic contact lenses without supervision (News, November 9). At the time, in a subsequent letter to Optician (November 30), Shen Sidana, managing director of Protea, supplier of Eye 2 Eye Contactz, had offered an extensive explanation of how its lenses were a cosmetic product which fell under the regulation of the EU Cosmetics Directive and therefore were not governed by the Opticians Act. Sidana pointed out that a recent debate on the issue in the European Parliament confirmed this.
In response, the GOC insisted that sales of plano contact lenses in the UK were governed under revisions to the Opticians Act and that this included a requirement of supervision of sales.
Both pharmaceutical bodies said this week that they would now work alongside the GOC to ensure pharmacists were aware of the Council guidelines.
In a statement, Jackie Giltrow, chief inspector and head of regulatory task force, Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, told Optician: 'The Society is working closely with the GOC to ensure supplies of plano contact lenses through community pharmacies are undertaken in accordance with the relevant legislation and that the supervision requirements are met, in order to ensure the health, safety and well being of the public.'
She added: 'The Society is supportive of the need to seek clarity on the legislative provisions surrounding supplies and pharmacists seeking advice on these matters are referred to the GOC for expert guidance.'
Colette McCreedy, chief pharmacist, National Pharmacy Association, said: 'We are totally in line with the views of the GOC and take the lead from them on this issue.'
McCreedy added that it was the lack of awareness among pharmacists about the GOC guidelines that had led to the continuing sale of plano lenses by them without supervision.
A GOC spokeswoman said: 'We are pleased that the NPA and the RPSGB have given us their support to raise awareness of an issue which is high on our agenda.'