The Malaysian Medical Device Authority (MDA) recently released a statement banning the sale of optical devices and contact lenses on e-commerce platforms in accordance with the Medical Devices Act 2012 (Act 737). The statement can be found on the MDA’s official website here.
According to the MDA’s chief executive Dr P. Muralitharan, optical devices and contact lenses are classified as medical devices that require a prescription before they can be sold. This prescription must then be prepared and dispensed by a registered optician or optometrist, according to Section 30 of the Optical Act 1991.
Under the ban, individuals who continue to sell optical devices and contact lenses illegally will violate the Medical Device (Advertising) Regulations 2019, Regulation 2(1) and could face fines of up to RM200,000, or imprisonment for up to two years, or both.
The announcement sent shockwaves through the local cosplay community, as most cosplayers mainly purchase their coloured contact lenses through online storefronts. Some cosplay contact lens brands took to social media to announce that they would be ceasing their activities, while others such as Sweetycon assured their customers that they would only be minimally impacted.
Are All Online Contact Lens Sales Banned?!
As far as we can tell (we aren’t legal experts or optometrists, so take this article with a grain of salt) – no, not exactly. According to the announcement, the MDA will still permit brands to sell contact lenses and other optical devices online, as long as they abide by the MDA’s guidelines.
The ban mainly targets sellers who are not licensed optometrists or opticians, and those who only operate through social media platforms such as Facebook or Whatsapp, instead of through a licensed online storefront. This is also not a new ban, but simply the latest enforcement of existing guidelines. A previous 2021 crackdown saw contact lens sales being banned from Shopee, for example.
I Want To Buy Contact Lenses Online – How Does This Affect Me?
If you’re a cosplayer looking to buy contact lenses from online stores, you should keep in mind the following:
- You will likely only be able to purchase from MDA licensed stores or websites, and no longer through social media or e-commerce websites (e.g. Facebook or Shopee).
- You will need to get a prescription from a registered optometrist or optician. This will have to be done in-person at a registered shop or clinic.
- Make sure you purchase your contact lenses within six months of getting the prescription.
- Keep a copy of your prescription as you may be required to upload it to the website you’re purchasing from.
While we’ve tried to capture the important points here, we’d also recommend that you read through the MDA guidelines yourself to make sure you get all the facts straight from the source.
In conclusion, while abiding by the guidelines might seem like a hassle, we should remember that it’s something that is ultimately good for us (much like how your parents forced you to eat your veggies as a kid). This will hopefully ensure that all contact lenses being bought and sold are totally safe, and give everyone a better cosplaying experience overall.
