when i worked at a clinic, i had to help with contact lens orders and such. If the patient wants to buy contacts from an online source or over the phone, the company (i.e. 1800contacts) is required to fax over a form to the optometrist to verify the information (Rx and expiration date).
I do not know if the "1 year expiration for CL Rx's" is set in stone anywhere.
Also, you might notice that certain brands of contacts come as monthlies (i.e. Focus Night and Day), quarterlies, and even annuals. If a patient's monthly CL tears or they lose it, then their 1 year supply becomes an 11 month supply. 11 months goes by, the patients vision insurance hasnt kicked in to get a new CL exam, so the patient needs some more contacts until it does. The patient will need to order more contacts. Only solution they know of is to refill the prescription. Focus Night and Days come in boxes of 6 (6 month supply). So at some point, someone will have to bend the 1 year supply rule, and he/she will end up 18 months instead of 12 months of contacts in the long run.
Im sure you wont be able to gather much factual evidence, but rather rely heavily on personal quotes for this paper topic. If you could gather real evidence that companies are bending rules and ignoring proper Rx procdures, I'm sure you can put them out of business. Which I doubt will happen.
