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University Daily Kansan, December 2, 1982
Deregulation may lower price of contact lenses
By VICKY WILT Staff Reporter
The Food and Drug Administration is eyeing lower costs of contact lenses if a proposed deregulation of the soft contact lens industry passes early next year. But the contact lens industry does not expect to result in a significant price decrease.
Last week the FDA proposed to reduce regulations on soft contact lenses. When soft contacts appeared on the market about 10 years ago, it was questionable as to whether they would be safe for general use, Jim McDonald, FDA compliance officer, said yesterday.
NOW, BEFORE A material can be used in the lens, it must meet pre-market requirements. McDonald is this costly and time consuming.
but a report issued by the FDA last week said that scientific data indicated that the material used in soft lenses was safe and effective. Out of the 10 lenses tested, five had adverse reactions of any type had been reported to the FDA, McDonald said.
"Their safety is well proven. There are very few adverse reactions and most are caused by user abuse, not a problem with the device itself." he said.
When deregulation occurs, it means the area is reclassified. Soft contact lenses would still be under some regulations but those would be relaxed, and manufacturers would not have to market their lenses. McDonald said.
DEREGULATION RAISENS several questions. Will it mean less expensive lenses? Will inferior products flood the market and will the smaller companies be hurt?
"One stated reason for the possible deregulation is to allow firms to bring contact lenses onto the market for a much lower cost," McDonald said.
Darrell Smith, a local optometrist,
said the cost of contact lenses could be
as much as one-third less if the
proposal was approved. The lenses
themselves would be less expensive but
could afford of dressing them will remain
the same, he said.
The average cost of a pair of skin contact lenses is $00. he said, excluding taxes and fees.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE ACRO Contact Lens Laboratories, Omaha, Neb., said that deregulation would be good for the labs that manufacture lenses because it would do away with the red tape, saving time and money.
But Vic Battery, lab manager at Duffens Contact Lens Co., Kansas City, Kan., said he did not foresee a reduction in price, because the FDA would require dispensers to meet more standards that would increase their
McDonald and Smith both said
oergulation would not bring problems
to the company.
RECORD-KEEPING requirements by the FDA call for staff in-house quality controls, McDonald said, which help eliminate shoddy companies. Manufacturers would still be subject to these controls, he said, as deregulation applies only to material now on the market.
If a company uses a new base
requirements and undergo testing
Consumers will have to wait until next! January to see whether the commissioner of the FDA rules to ban plastics in the factory and whether prices come down.
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Reps say they may support gasoline tax
By BRUCE SCHREINER
Staff Reporter
Two Kansas congressmen will do some mathematics homework before deciding whether to support the Reagan administration's proposed 5-cent increase in the federal gasoline tax.
THE GASOLINE TAX increase, which would create about 230,000 jobs in road and bridge construction, has become the overriding issue of the lame-duck Congress, which returned to work Monday.
U. S. Rep. Dan Glickman, D-Kan, and Bob Whittaker, R-Kan, said earlier this week that they would support the proposal if the revenue generated was dolled out through a federal highway funds.
No matter what formula is used, they both said, the bill is likely to pass because of the need to create jobs for some of the 11 million unemployed Americans. They also said pressure from administration would help the bill pass.
The effort to increase the federal gas tax from 4 cents to 9 cents has formed an unusual political partnership between the Commerce and House Speaker Thomas
"ip" O'Neill Jr., D.Mass. O'Neill has joined Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker, R-Tenn., in supporting the measure.
Whittaker, who represents the 5th Congressional District, said Kansas could emerge better off than many states because of the allocated under the current formula.
"I am inclined to support it," he said. "The way it is formally written right now, we do come out really well, we can't really argue much about it."
THE DISTRIBUTION formula considers total road mileage, tax revenue raised in a state and weather conditions. Whittaker said. Kansas ranks third among states in total road mileage, giving it a decided advantage when federal funds are distributed.
"Better highways will help the economy because people drive at normal rates of speeds and they don't have to worry about other poor road conditions," he said.
Glickman, the lone Kansas Democrat in the lame-duck Congress, said it was a good idea to tie a job bills to a gasoline tax. He any work done on deteriorating highways would boost the economy.
THE CONGRESSMEN said attempts might be made in the House to temper with the administration's original draft. One amendment that rural legislators may propose would allow the federal flexibility in using the federal funds.
Under the current bill, 4 of each 5 cents generated by the tax would be earmarked for highway and bridge construction. A penny from each 5 cents would go toward improving the nation's mass transit system.
The inclusion of mass transit financing in the package has concerned many rural legislators. Some lawmakers fear that a proportionally large amount of the tax revenues will be populated regions. Whittaker said.
HE SAID THE amendment would return money designated for mass transit in a block grant form, giving the city authority to determine how to use the funds.
Whitaker said such an amendment could be convenient for Kansas, because widely used mass transit trains were uncommon in most of the state.
This could allow Kansas to decrease the amount spent on city mass transit and put more emphasis on highway construction or a rural bus system.
"I don't know whether the amendment will pass." Whittaker said. "The big cities don't want it because they need to be moved out of their locked in to the mass transit fund."
Another proponent of the measure is Jack Kemp, Kansas secretary of transportion, who said his department was planning to invest in projects waiting to be financed.
Glickman said some Democrats were considering an attempt to expand the jobs bill by offering about 350,000 jobs for refurbishing public buildings and dams and working at parks.
But Glickman said he thought those additional jobs would come up in a continuing resolution, which the president has threatened to veto.
BOTH CONGRESSMEN said most jobs created on the nickel tax increase would not be permanent. But they said it could put a dien in the tax system.
"IT WOULD greatly accelerate our programs, and we could do many of the things that are in dire need to be done." Kemp said.
Kemp said most of the revenue would be directed toward resurfacing and patch-up work throughout the state.
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