Contact Lens Canada

Contact lenses are medical devices which, like drugs, provide benefits while posing certain risks. If you wear contact lenses, you should take steps to minimize these risks and protect your vision.

Medical devices, including corrective contact lenses, must be licenced by Health Canada before they can be imported and sold in Canada. The Medical Devices Regulations require that the medical devices imported and sold in Canada are safe, effective, and of quality manufacture. This is achieved by a combination of a pre-market review prior to licencing, and post-market surveillance of adverse events.

Non-corrective colour contact lenses or cosmetic contact lenses are not considered to be medical devices in Canada as they do not correct or modify a body function or structure. Therefore, you do not need a prescription to buy them. Non-corrective colour contact lenses are currently managed by the Cosmetics Division. Manufacturers and importers must notify Health Canada that they intend to market the product, and are required to provide safety data.

Contact Lens Canada