Plano CLs could be regulated by 2009

Zero-powered contact lenses could be regulated as medical devices in Europe as early as 2009, according to the industry body Euromcontact.

Speaking at last week's BCLA conference, Euromcontact president Helmer Schweizer said that the current revision of the Medical Devices Directive could change the situation on the regulation of plano lenses.

At present, the European directive covers prescription spectacles and CLs, as well as CL care products, but not zero-powered CLs or sunglasses. In the US, plano lenses are already regulated as medical devices but in other countries, such as Australia, there is no federal regulation and the law varies from state to state.