Fair point after re-reading my above as if it were out of context of the article. I am not trying to say you should not get qualified advice - you should! But if my prescription is working for me 2-3 years in and I lose my glasses, there should not be a barrier to getting the glasses. I brought up the readers sold without a prescription to illustrate the point.
I get it, it's like two bad things (out of pocket health care for preventative medicine, and optician profit lobbying) have combined to make it worse for everybody, to make sure rich people have regular eye exams.
But the solution should be eye exams every 12-24 months; for everyone earning above a tax threshold, the Govt takes $50/year whether you have an exam or not (okay, with an exception for those without eyes/sight). When you go to get lenses you can get an exam without any extra cost. If you want to get lenses with an old prescription you can.
Especially advice not to get qualified advice.