vision wear

Disposable Income

Use this approach to increase daily disposable contact lens sales.

Jason R. Miller, O.D., M.B.A., F.A.A.O.

Daily disposable contact lenses are a fast-growing segment in the industry, which means this modality can create a win-win for your patients and your practice.

Consider making a unified approach to growing this market in your practice by discussing the following with your patients:

Focus on convenience.

Inform patients that daily disposable contact lenses offer the convenience of a fresh lens each time, without the hassle of cleaning and keeping track of a replacement schedule.

Those who are busy or traveling will love hearing that they do not have to mess with cleaning and storing their lenses every night. The same can be said for patients who are looking for part-time wear, such as when they are participating in sports or for freedom from glasses on weekends. Also, target patients who have had a history of non-compliance, solution or material sensitivity or toxicity, such as the pediatric and teen population.

Address comfort.

The one-day disposable category has many options for maximizing vision along with comfort and excellent choices in materials and design.

Stress to patients that most of these contact lenses feel great out of the pack, and that they will love that feeling every morning.

Dispel the fear of high cost.

In a study of current daily disposable contact lens wearers, patients identified “convenience” (54%), “easy to care for” (52%), “comfort” (44%) and the feeling of a “fresh new lens every day” (44%) as the top reasons they wear daily disposables. Conversely, “value for the money” arose as the attribute with the lowest satisfaction ratings (39%).¹

Despite this perception, the overall annual cost is very close to the other options when you factor in the cost of lens supplies. Focus on the savings of contact lens solutions throughout the year and the aggressive manufacturer rebates currently available. You’ll be surprised at the number of patients interested and excited about trying this new modality.

Talk to those who are already satisfied.

If presented with the option, many patients will at least consider the daily disposable option. The discussion may set the stage for a future appointment, if nothing else.

Use words like, “Your current contact lenses are working great, but you may want to consider trying the daily disposable lenses. They offer the same excellent vision and ocular health, but with the added convenience of throwing away your lenses every night.” From there, I usually explain how the cost is virtually a break even.

A winning solution

Daily disposable contact lens wearers have the highest compliance rates (88%) when compared with their two-week (48%) and one-month (72%) counterparts.² By offering this opportunity to all of your patients, it offers a potential for the addition of a significant number of contact lens exams to your office. OM

1. Daily Disposable Contact Lens Wearer Research, Decision Analyst, 2008 www.bausch.com.

2. Dumbleton K, Woods C, Jones L, et al. Patient and practitioner compliance with silicone hydrogel and daily disposable lens replacement in the United States. Eye & Contact Lens. 2009 Jul; 35(4): 164-71.

DR. MILLER IS A PARTNER IN A PRIVATE PRACTICE IN POWELL, OHIO, AND IS AN ADJUNCT FACULTY MEMBER FOR THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY. SEND COMMENTS TO OPTOMETRICMANAGEMENT@GMAIL.COM.