Break Up the Contact Lens Cartel to Give Consumers More Choice

One of the most egregious examples of an industry guarding its established franchise at the expense of consumers is optometry, explains Rob Atkinson in The Hill. Unlike medical doctors who sell only their services (examining, diagnosing and treating patients), optometrists sell both their services (eye exams) and the products they prescribe: contact lenses. It is against the law for consumers to buy lenses without a prescription. And so the profession has both a powerful economic interest (profits) and a powerful tool (the prescription) to ensure that consumers can't buy their lenses from cheaper providers, such as online contact lens companies or big-box retailers.