Solar Eclipse Glasses for Pharmacies & Optometrists

The short version. Range certified eclipse glasses (also called eclipse shades) from a maker on the American Astronomical Society's list, with an accredited lab's ISO 12312-2 test report and batch codes on file. Keep them away from the sunglasses stand. Brief staff on five answers: glasses stay on for the whole eclipse, sunglasses are never enough, check for damage, never use them with optics, and children need an adult beside them. Anyone with eye symptoms afterwards should see an optometrist promptly. Order in 2027.

This guide is the health-practice version of our guide for Australian retailers, which covers demand by town, pricing and margin in more depth.

Why do customers ask a pharmacist or optometrist about eclipse glasses?

Because it is about their eyes, and you are the people they already ask about their eyes. On Saturday 22 July 2028 every part of Australia gets at least a partial eclipse, and the path of totality runs from the Kimberley through the Northern Territory and south-west Queensland to Dubbo and Sydney. Most of your customers will want to watch it, and plenty will not know what is safe.

The risk is real. ARPANSA says eclipse light can burn the retina in a matter of seconds, that the retina has no pain sensors and symptoms can take hours to appear, and that there is no treatment to restore lost vision. Children are especially at risk, because young eyes let more light reach the retina. Before the 2023 Ningaloo eclipse, Optometry Australia pointed the public to the Astronomical Society of Australia's guide and to makers whose viewers meet ISO 12312-2. A customer who can't find certified glasses at a shop they trust may try sunglasses or a homemade filter instead. Our guide to why you need eclipse glasses explains the damage in plain language.

Diagram of the eye: the lens focuses sunlight onto a tiny spot on the retina, which has no pain sensors, so a burn gives no warning — Why eclipse eye damage is easy to miss: focused light, no pain, symptoms that can take hours, and no treatment to restore lost vision. Facts from ARPANSA. Diagram: Aura Sight.

Should a health practice stock eclipse glasses at all?

Yes, if you stock the right ones and say the right things. ARPANSA recommends indirect viewing, such as a pinhole projector or a live stream, as the safest way to enjoy an eclipse, and says glasses that meet ISO 12312-2 can allow safe viewing when they are in good condition, properly fitted and used correctly. RANZCO, the college of eye doctors for Australia and New Zealand, says eclipse viewers must meet ISO 12312-2 and be checked for scratches or other damage, and that the only full guarantee against solar retinopathy is never to look directly at the Sun at all.

A pharmacy or optometry practice can hold both positions at once: certified glasses on the counter, and honest advice that indirect viewing is safest. That is more credible than either a hard sell or silence, and it is what your staff should say.

What should you range, and where should it go?

Single pairs in a counter display. Our counter display units hold 50 pairs each and sit by the register or the dispensary counter.
Family packs. The family eclipse kit has four pairs and a printed viewing guide, one sale for a whole household.
Your practice's name on the frame. Optometry practices and pharmacy groups can have certified frames printed with their own artwork, after a proof. See custom-branded glasses.

Two placement rules matter more than the planogram. Keep eclipse glasses away from the sunglasses stand, with a sign that says sunglasses are not eclipse glasses, because customers will otherwise assume one does the job of the other. And keep stock in its original packaging at room temperature, away from anything that could scratch or puncture the filters, as the AAS advises. Paper glasses are one size and fit adults and children.

For a pharmacy group or banner, buy from one supplier for every store, so each store holds the same batch paperwork and staff give the same answers.

What should staff say at the counter?

The chart shows the five answers that cover almost every question, and the papers to keep behind the counter.

Checklist for pharmacies and optometrists selling eclipse glasses: what staff say at the counter and the paperwork to keep on file, with Optometry Australia's advice to see an optometrist promptly about eye symptoms — Five answers for the counter and five documents for the file. Glasses stay on for the whole eclipse. Facts from ARPANSA, the AAS and Optometry Australia. Diagram: Aura Sight.

Some questions come up more at a health counter than in a newsagent:

"I wear glasses." Keep prescription glasses on and wear the eclipse glasses over them, as the Astronomical Society of Australia advises.
"How do I know these are real?" Show them the ISO 12312-2 mark and the maker's name on the frame, and the QR code that opens the batch certificate. Our guide to spotting fake eclipse glasses has the full check.
"Can I use them with my binoculars or camera?" No. Optics need their own solar filter fitted to the front. Behind a lens, concentrated light burns through the filter of eclipse glasses.
"Can I test them first?" Check the filters for scratches, creases and pinholes. Never test a pair by looking at the Sun through it.

Then the rule we repeat everywhere: certified glasses stay on for the whole eclipse, from the first moment to the last, totality included.

What if a customer comes back with eye symptoms?

Refer them promptly. Optometry Australia recommends that anyone with eye discomfort, irritation or vision problems after an eclipse gets immediate attention from their local optometrist. ARPANSA lists the symptoms of solar retinopathy as loss of vision, distorted vision or altered colour vision, and notes that they can take hours to appear.

For optometry practices, that means planning for eclipse week: a few appointment slots held in the days after 22 July 2028, and front-desk staff who know to book a customer in rather than reassure them over the phone. Pharmacies should have the nearest optometrist's details at the counter.

What paperwork should you keep on file?

Enough to answer a customer, a head office or a regulator without calling the supplier:

The ISO 12312-2:2015 test report from an accredited laboratory, for the product you sell. Ours are tested by ICS Laboratories, an A2LA-accredited lab.
The maker. Ours are made by Rainbow Symphony, a manufacturer on the American Astronomical Society's list. The list names manufacturers, not resellers.
Batch traceability. Every pair of ours carries a QR code that opens its batch certificate.
CE documentation, and your supplier's ABN and Australian contact details.

Australia adopted the international standard as AS ISO 12312.2:2020, identical to ISO 12312-2:2015, and Standards Australia tells people to use eclipse glasses certified to it. Our certification page shows the documents behind ours.

What does Australian Consumer Law mean for a pharmacy or practice?

The same as for any retailer. Goods must be of acceptable quality and fit for their purpose, and the ACCC says businesses must not send customers to the manufacturer for a remedy. Product Safety Australia says every business in the supply chain, including anyone selling in store, must report a death, serious injury or serious illness associated with a product within 2 days of becoming aware of it. This is general information, not legal advice; the retailer guide covers it in more detail.

When should a pharmacy or optometry practice order?

In 2027. Have stock on the counter by the end of May 2028, because most sales come in June and July. Custom-printed runs should be ordered by the end of 2027. In the US in 2017 and 2024, certified glasses ran short in the final weeks, and our account of how eclipse glasses sold out twice shows how quickly it happened. Practices in the path of totality, from Dubbo and Mudgee to Sydney, should expect the biggest rush; the eclipse map has the times for each town.

If you serve New Zealand customers too, see wholesale eclipse glasses for New Zealand.

How do you order wholesale from Aura Sight?

Ask for a free sample pack for your business (we ask for your ABN), with the full test reports on request, so your pharmacist or optometrist can check them before you commit.
Get a quote for the formats and rough volumes you want, per store if you are a group. We reply within one business day.
Secure stock from NSW, shipped Australia-wide, with the compliance pack and repeat orders from the same certified batches.

Certified eclipse glasses for your counter: displays of 50 pairs, family kits and your practice's own frames, from NSW stock, with the test reports for your file.

Get wholesale pricing

FAQ

Can a pharmacy sell eclipse glasses in Australia?

Yes. Stock glasses certified to ISO 12312-2 (in Australia, AS ISO 12312.2:2020) from a maker on the American Astronomical Society's list, keep the test report and batch details on file, and brief staff. Under Australian Consumer Law the pharmacy is responsible to its customers for what it sells.

What do optometrists say about eclipse glasses?

Optometry Australia points people to makers whose viewers meet ISO 12312-2 and recommends prompt attention from a local optometrist for any eye discomfort or vision problems after an eclipse. RANZCO says viewers must meet ISO 12312-2 and be checked for damage, and ARPANSA says indirect viewing is safest.

Can customers wear eclipse glasses over prescription glasses?

Yes. Keep prescription glasses on and wear the eclipse glasses over them, for the whole eclipse.

Should eclipse glasses go next to sunglasses in the shop?

No. Keep them apart, with a sign that sunglasses are not eclipse glasses. Even the darkest sunglasses let through about a thousand times more light than certified eclipse glasses.

What paperwork should a pharmacy keep for eclipse glasses?

The ISO 12312-2:2015 test report from an accredited lab for the product, the maker's details, batch or QR codes that trace each pair to its test, CE documentation and the supplier's ABN and contact details.

How do pharmacies order eclipse glasses wholesale?

Registered businesses can ask us for a free sample pack and a quote on our wholesale page. Orders ship from NSW stock Australia-wide with the compliance pack. Order in 2027 and have stock on the counter by the end of May 2028.