KUALA LUMPUR: The Medical Device Authority (MDA) received 48 complaints about the sale, advertising and marketing of unlicensed optical devices and contact lenses since the ban on online sales came into effect in March.
Its chief executive, Dr P Muralitharan said that all medical devices, including optical devices and contact lenses are controlled under the Medical Devices Act (Act 737), which requires them to be registered and evaluated by the MDA and the Malaysian Optical Council to verify their safety.
“Such medical devices, such as contact lenses and eyeglasses and optical devices can only be bought at optical shops, where an optometrist can provide a prescription,” he said when met at Wisma Bernama today, adding that advertising of such devices required approval from the authorities as well.
He added that optical devices sold online could not only cause injuries to the cornea but also carried the risk of losing one’s eyesight permanently.
He also stressed that those selling such devices can be caught or raided by MDA, leading to two years’ jail or RM200,000 in fines for each offence, and urged those with information about such sales to lodge a complaint at the MDA (FEMES) feedback management system at https://femes.mda.gov.my/ or vial email to mdb@mda.gov.my.
