ABO NOCE Basic Opticianry Laws, Regulations, and Standards 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under ANSI Z80.3, which property is specifically regulated for sunglass lenses sold in the United States?
- Impact resistance only
- Refractive power tolerances only
- Luminous transmittance and UV absorption (Correct answer)
- Minimum lens thickness
Correct answer: Luminous transmittance and UV absorption
ANSI Z80.3 sets requirements for nonprescription sunglasses, including luminous transmittance levels and UV radiation absorption standards.
Question 2: A dispensary sells a frame labeled 'Z87+'. This marking indicates the frame meets standards for:
- Dress eyewear with UV protection
- High-impact occupational eye protection (Correct answer)
- Pediatric safety frames
- Sports protective eyewear only
Correct answer: High-impact occupational eye protection
The 'Z87+' marking on frames indicates compliance with ANSI Z87.1 high-impact criteria for occupational and educational eye protection.
Question 3: Which standard governs the requirements for prescription safety eyewear lenses and frames used in industrial environments?
- ANSI Z80.1
- ANSI Z80.5
- ANSI Z87.1 (Correct answer)
- FDA 21 CFR 801.410
Correct answer: ANSI Z87.1
ANSI Z87.1 is the standard for occupational and educational personal eye and face protection, including prescription safety eyewear.
Question 4: The FTC's Contact Lens Rule requires sellers to verify a contact lens prescription before dispensing. A seller may dispense without verification if the prescriber:
- Has not responded within 8 business hours (Correct answer)
- Cannot be reached by any means
- Has not responded to a single fax within 48 hours
- Fails to respond within 1 business day
Correct answer: Has not responded within 8 business hours
Under the Contact Lens Rule, if a prescriber does not respond to a verification request within 8 business hours, the seller may treat the prescription as verified (passive verification).
Question 5: Under HIPAA's Minimum Necessary Standard, when an optician retrieves a patient's file to dispense new glasses, they should access:
- The entire patient history for completeness
- Only the information needed for the current dispensing task (Correct answer)
- All prescription records to check for patterns
- Insurance information and all prior authorizations
Correct answer: Only the information needed for the current dispensing task
HIPAA's Minimum Necessary Standard requires that only the protected health information necessary to accomplish the current task be accessed or disclosed.
Question 6: An optical lab ships a pair of progressive lenses that measure 1.5 mm outside the ANSI Z80.1 tolerance for optical center placement. The dispensary should:
- Dispense the lenses if the patient approves
- Return or remake the lenses, as they fail ANSI standards (Correct answer)
- Adjust the frame to compensate for the decentration
- Document the deviation and dispense with a patient waiver
Correct answer: Return or remake the lenses, as they fail ANSI standards
Lenses that fall outside ANSI Z80.1 tolerances should be returned or remade; dispensing non-compliant lenses exposes the dispensary to liability and harms the patient.
Question 7: Which of the following actions by an optician would violate the FTC Eyeglass Rule?
- Recommending anti-reflective coating when handing over the prescription
- Requiring the patient to purchase lenses before releasing the prescription (Correct answer)
- Providing the prescription in electronic format rather than paper
- Offering a discount to patients who fill the prescription in-house
Correct answer: Requiring the patient to purchase lenses before releasing the prescription
The FTC Eyeglass Rule explicitly prohibits conditioning the release of a prescription on any purchase, including requiring the patient to buy lenses first.
ABO NOCE Basic Opticianry Laws, Regulations, and Standards 5
Under ANSI Z80.3, which property is specifically regulated for sunglass lenses sold in the United States?