More Images
WOONSOCKET, R.I.—CVS Health, which drew attention from the eyecare community last week after announcing the debut of its QuickRenew online prescription renewal service, has clarified its position on eye exams and its support of both the “basic principles” of the optometric community and patients looking for convenient access to care. The new QuickRenew platform, powered by technology from Premium Vision, is available on the CVS Optical website and enables customers to renew their prescription with an independent ophthalmologist and then order contact lenses to be shipped to their home, as VMAIL reported.

The new CVS online service prompted a strong response from the American Optometric Association (AOA), which noted in a statement that its affiliates and optometrists “call on CVS to acknowledge that this offering will lower the overall level of eye health care received by the public and that this test places them in the ranks of questionable vision tests apps that have and should continue to be investigated by the FDA.” Read the VMAIL story about AOA’s reaction here and the complete AOA statement here.

On Thursday, however, CVS said in an email to VMAIL that it, too, believes “there is no substitute for the clinical benefits of a regular, in-person encounter with an eyecare professional.” And it noted that the QuickRenew service reminds patients who are renewing a prescription that “this service does not take the place of an in-person comprehensive eye exam.”

The CVS statement said, “CVS Health has been a member of the optical community since 2015 and we stand firmly behind the basic principles of the AOA and its members, while continuing to invest in innovations that expand convenient access to services for our customers. We believe that there is no substitute for the clinical benefits of a regular, in-person encounter with an eyecare professional, as demonstrated by our full service Optical locations, staffed with doctors of optometry.

“During the pandemic, CVS Health has responded to the needs of our customers by investing in digital technologies, including the recently announced QuickRenew online contact lens prescription renewal service. As a result of quarantine orders and reduced operating hours at provider offices, consumers have experienced significant disruption to all aspects of health care, including routine eyecare services.

“QuickRenew requests are reviewed by a board certified ophthalmologist, and users are prominently reminded that this service does not take the place of an in-person comprehensive eye exam,” the statement concluded.