Both glasses and contact lenses are generally manufactured by someone other than the optometrist. The eye doctor is primarily responsible for writing the prescription, but someone has to fill the prescription while at the same time delivering to either the office or the home of the purchaser. What is interesting about optometry prescriptions is that you can order them online from many sources. Here is how you order colored contact lenses online.

The first step is just to obtain a recent prescription. Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, which are controlled, an eyeglass prescription has few restrictions on who can place an order. The customer can shop online for both glasses and contacts and simply insert the numbers provided by the optometrist. If you insert the wrong numbers or pick the wrong product, you waste your money and have to try again.

It is more convenient to have the office fill the order and have it delivered there. Most first-time customers choose this, but there are so many more options when choosing online. Some brands have advantages over others, while other products are much cheaper without sacrificing much quality. Since an eyeglass vendor acts as a middleman, the fact might increase the price tag. Unlike glasses, fresh colored contact lenses must be ordered frequently. The cost tends to add up over time.

A person with a little knowledge of different brands will know that different types are meant to treat specific conditions. An example is a lens that is designed specifically for astigmatism. It has parameters that cannot be filled on regular lenses. The most common and cheapest brands only are able to fill prescriptions with a negative offset. On the plus side, the brand name will generally address which conditions they are able to treat.

An optometrist can give general directions and suggest a specific brand or therapy name. It is still a good idea to shop online and discover the options in person. Since a commitment to contacts does cost money over many years, being able to buy more at a time could dramatically improve cost efficiency for the buyer.

An even greater advantage is selecting a brand for a preference the optometrist might not be aware of. The customer might find one brand irritating and desire another brand that is specifically designed to deal with dry or sensitive eyes. The great thing about contacts is since they are disposable it is possible to different brands with no lasting sense of loss.

A final advantage is being able to choose disposable over those that are supposed to soak in a solution. Switching to a disposable brand does not generally require the permission of a doctor. Since disposable contacts are sterile and have a high water content, they might be the most comfortable option for some people.