Use of contact lenses for longer than their intended use significantly increases the risk of complications, including microbial keratitis.
When recommending contact lenses, patients should be educated as to the significant risks of sleeping in lenses not licensed for this.
Purchasing contact lenses from unregulated sources – such as the internet – may be a risk factor in its own right for developing microbial keratitis.
Optometrists play a valuable educational role when prescribing contact lenses which is bypassed when purchasing lenses from unregulated sources.
There is potential for poorer lens hygiene and delayed presentation without the support of optometrists when lenses are purchased online.