Expired Contact Lens Prescription? Here’s What to Do Next

Why do contact lens prescriptions expire?

Your prescription is a snapshot of your eyes on the day of your exam. Over a year, your vision can shift. More importantly, problems from wearing contacts don’t always hurt in the early stages. The yearly exam is where we catch changes on the surface of your eye before they turn into something you feel.

Under the federal Contact Lens Rule, a contact lens prescription has to be valid for at least one year, unless there’s a medical reason to make it shorter. Dr. Mai writes his contact lens prescriptions for one year, so once a year is when you’ll need to come back in.

Can I buy contacts with an expired prescription?

Not legally. Every seller, including online stores, has to verify your prescription with your eye doctor before selling you lenses. If a seller asks us to verify a prescription that has expired, we’re required to tell them it’s expired.

If a website ships you lenses without checking anything, that’s not a shortcut. It’s a sign you shouldn’t trust where those lenses came from.

Your glasses prescription won’t work either. A contact lens prescription includes measurements a glasses prescription doesn’t, like the base curve, the diameter, and the specific lens brand, because the lens has to match the shape of your eye.

What patients do when their prescription runs out

These are the four habits we see most often, and every one of them makes things worse.

Wearing the leftover supply for months. Running out of time on your prescription doesn’t mean your remaining lenses go bad that day. If they are unopened and still within the date printed on the packaging, it is fine to keep wearing them on your normal replacement schedule — but book the exam now rather than waiting until the box is empty. “I’ll just finish the box” has a way of turning into six months without an exam. Also check the expiration date printed on the lens packaging itself. The lenses have their own expiration date, separate from your prescription.

Stretching each pair. A two-week lens worn for six weeks is a common way to make a supply last longer. Lenses are meant to be replaced on the schedule your doctor sets. An old lens collects deposits and is harder to keep clean, and it’s sitting on your eye all day.

Sleeping in them. The CDC calls sleeping in contacts one of the riskiest habits a wearer can have, and one of the most common. Even occasional sleeping in lenses raises the chance of a corneal infection, no matter what kind of lens you wear. If you’re tired enough to nap, take them out first.

Buying from sellers who don’t check. Covered above, but worth repeating: a lens bought without a valid prescription might not be the right fit, the right power, or even the right brand for your eye.

When should I take my contacts out and call?

Take your lenses out and call us the same day if you notice:

• A red eye that doesn’t clear up after the lens is out
• Eye pain, or a feeling that something is stuck in your eye
• New sensitivity to light
• Blurry vision that doesn’t clear with blinking
• Discharge or a lot of watering

These can be early signs of a corneal infection called keratitis, which needs prompt treatment. Leave the lenses out until you’ve been seen, and bring your lenses and case with you.

Go to an emergency room or call right away for sudden vision loss, a sudden burst of new floaters or flashes of light, or any injury or chemical splash to the eye.

What happens at a contact lens exam?

Dr. Mai checks your vision and the health of your eyes, the same as a regular eye exam. Then he looks at how your lenses sit on your eyes and how your cornea is handling them.

If your vision has changed, or your current lenses just aren’t as comfortable as they used to be, this is the time to say so. We keep trial lenses at the fitting, so you can try a different lens on your own eyes before ordering a full supply. At the end of your fitting, you get a copy of your prescription. Federal law requires that too, and you’re free to buy your lenses wherever you like.

Here’s what Dr. Mai sees over and over in long-time contact lens wearers. The patients who come in every year, right on schedule, tend to have fewer problems with dryness and are happier with how their lenses see and feel. They’re also less likely to end up back in our office with a medical problem caused by their contacts. The yearly exam isn’t a formality. It’s a big part of why their lenses keep working for them.

How do I keep this from happening next year?

Look at the expiration date on your prescription now and book your next exam a few weeks before it, not after. Keep an up-to-date pair of glasses at home, too. They’re your backup on the days your eyes need a break from lenses, and the CDC recommends having them.

If dry, windy days like the Santa Anas make your lenses feel scratchy by the afternoon, mention it at your exam. That’s often an easy fix with a different lens or a better care routine.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a contact lens prescription good for?

At least one year under federal law. At Luminous, Dr. Mai’s contact lens prescriptions are good for one year.

Is a contact lens exam different from a regular eye exam?

Yes. It includes extra measurements and a fitting to check how the lens sits on your eye. The fitting is often billed separately from the routine exam, so check what your plan covers.

Do contact lenses expire too?

Yes. Each box and blister pack has its own expiration date, separate from your prescription. Throw out lenses past that date.

Can I use my glasses prescription to buy contacts?

No. A glasses prescription doesn’t include the fit measurements a contact lens needs.

Can you just extend my prescription without an exam?

No. Dr. Mai won’t renew an expired contact lens prescription without seeing you first. In his words, doing that would put the health and comfort of your eyes at risk. The exam is how he makes sure your lenses are still safe on your eyes, not just that the numbers still work.

Prescription ran out? We can usually see you fast.

At Luminous Optometry in Santa Ana, we can often fit you in the same day or the next. Call us at 714-542-2226 or book your contact lens exam online.

This article is for general information and isn’t a substitute for an eye exam.