COVID-19 UPDATE #14

June 27, 2020

Can I Do A New Contact Lens Fitting?

During these times of COVID-19, there continues to be misconception as to what we are permitted to do, not permitted to do, and what is left up to our own professional judgement. One of these misconceptions is whether we are permitted to do a new contact lens fit. The College of Opticians of Ontario guidelines state that we are permitted to perform this service. However, we must use our professional judgement to ensure the safety of the patient and ourselves. The College of Optometrists of Ontario does permit new fits. When making the decision to provide a new contact lens fit, we need to give full thought and professional judgement due the fact that when we teach a new contact lens wearer how to insert and remove a lens, we spend a fair amount of time in close contact and possibly touch the patient’s face and eyes. The current science says that the longer we expose ourselves to an infected person, the bigger the risk of contracting COVID-19. So, in the end, you can do a new fit. We strongly recommend that you use all appropriate PPE and be sure to have the patient wear a mask. Of course, you as an optician, must wear a mask while serving patients.