In Focus: Illegal supply in crosshairs once again

Illegal supply from online retailers has blighted the industry for well over a decade now, but with a fresh consultation on strategy and protocol, the General Optical Council said it wants to be more proactive in its approach on the subject and provide clarity on when it will take action and what action will be taken.

At the same time, the Association of Optometrists has launched a new national patient campaign, Know Your Lenses, designed to highlight the risks of illegal supply in the UK. The AOP said the campaign had been devised in response to its members reporting a consumer shift during the coronavirus pandemic, with more patients reportedly buying prescription contact lenses online.