Visual Inspection of Non-Prescription Monthly Colored Contact Lenses: Safety Issues for Contact Lens Wearers

Latiporn  Udomsuk; Siripong  Siramon

doi:10.33192/Smj.2021.76

Authors

Latiporn Udomsuk College of Medicine and Public Health, Ubon Ratchathani University, Ubon Ratchathani 34190 Thailand
Siripong Siramon College of Medicine and Public Health, Ubon Ratchathani University, Ubon Ratchathani 34190 Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33192/Smj.2021.76

Keywords:

colored contact lens, e-marketplace, defective product, dirty product, foreign body

Abstract

Objective: To survey the prevalence of non-prescription monthly colored contact lenses (CL) defects in an electronic
marketplace (e-marketplace) in Thailand using visual inspection (VI).
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included the 252 items listed from 23 online shops in an
e-marketplace in Thailand during April 2021. Online customer reviews for each shop were examined and complaints
regarding colored CL product defects, delivery, services and abnormal symptoms after use were collected. Product
packing and visible internal and external product characteristics were visually inspected under sufficient light for
the prevalence of defects by three examiners.
Results: Sixteen out of twenty-three online shops (69.57%) had customer complaints. Wrong delivery was the most
common complaint (60.87%). Five characteristics of product defects were described by customers, of which abnormal
scratches/marks on CL (8.70%) was the most common. Abnormal symptoms after use were found in 43.84% of the
shops. Two hundred and thirty-seven pairs of colored CL (94.05%), 470 vials and four blisters from 19 shops were
examined. Defective products were found to be 8.02%. The most common visible external and internal product
defects were dirty products (3.80%) and foreign bodies in the original sealed manufacturer’s containers (1.90%),
respectively. Other defects, e.g. scratched or peeling label, incompletely closed aluminum cap, surface wear of CL,
abnormal scratches or marks on CL and immobility of CL in solution were also found.
Conclusion: Non-prescription monthly colored CL in the e-marketplace have many visible defective characteristics
that CL wearers should be concerned about. This study suggests that VI of CL products before use may be an
important potential safety factor for CL wearers.

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