Major contact lens manufacturers (eg. J&J) have recently begun shifting to a new pricing policy (Unilateral Pricing Policy or UPP) to dictate that their lenses have to be sold by retailers and doctors at or above a set price, prohibiting anyone from offering discounts. Ultimately, consumers lose the ability to shop around for a better price.
The simple fact about this policy is that you, the consumer, will pay a higher set price for your contacts. It is not fair to allow doctors to prescribe a medical product, and to bind patients to a brand specific prescription and ultimately allow the doctor to sell that same prescribed medical product directly to the patient at a fixed price. This represents a conflict of interest that is being strengthened by the manufacturer's pricing policies.