Believe in the Power of Daily Disposable Lenses to Build Your Business
Eye Care Practitioners dispense best practice pearls for you and your staff.
Daily disposable contact lenses are the fastest growing contact lens segment in the United States today.1 Fortunately, the opportunity remains substantial. Daily disposable contact lenses currently compromises only 26.6% of the soft contact lens total dollar market share.1 We’ve convened an expert panel to share their proven strategies for increasing the number of patients in daily disposable lenses in your practice.
How can a practice benefit from daily disposable contact lenses?
Dr. Sindt: Daily disposables drive my practice because my patients expect me to provide the latest and best innovations. The daily modality offers outstanding sharpness of vision and comfort.1 It’s also a healthy option.
Dr. Bennett: More than 50 percent of my practice is daily disposables. As we put more patients in them, we’ve noticed a decrease in the number of calls citing contact lens related discomfort and irritation. And the built-in single-use compliance* of DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® contact lenses had patients coming in for exams more regularly.2 This changed my philosophy of what’s best for the patient in favor of the daily modality.
Dr. Gailmard: We also see higher patient compliance* with daily disposable contact lenses in my practice. And they do come back sooner for eye exams.
Dr. Gerber: There’s more of a bond to go back to a doctor who’s solved your problem.
Dr. Sindt: Anytime your patients feel comfortable and successful in contact lenses, it can positively impact your practice financially. Plus, anytime you can clearly explain the benefits of a particular lens, and why you’re recommending it, that patient is more likely to generate a referral into your practice.
Daily replacement yields the highest patient compliance3**
Fitting all of your vision correction patients in daily disposable lenses is a fast and easy way to grow your practice. Greater compliance* can increase the frequency of exams, which can really boost your practice’s profitability.
Dr. Bennett: At least one person a week comes in asking for DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses. We’ve never seen this phenomenon in the past. I believe it’s because before patients leave our office, we emphasize that these lenses are like nothing else on the market, and we encourage patients to share their positive experiences with friends.
Dr. Gailmard: When you do what’s best for your patients, the profits will follow. Daily disposable contact lenses are essentially an annuity. They’re profitable on an ongoing basis because patients will be buying them for years.
Dr. Sindt: As people become more aware of daily disposables, you must offer your patients the best products available or you risk losing patients. They will talk to friends and find doctors who will prescribe daily disposable lenses.
What are the keys to recommending the daily modality to patients?
Dr. Gerber: On average, 29 percent of new contact lens wearers opt for daily disposables.4 Practices that actively promote patient health and happiness with the daily modality have the potential to grow that number dramatically. As a doctor, you are obligated to give the best option first—which is the daily modality.
Dr. Sindt: Health is always my first concern. I choose what is healthy for the patient’s eye and healthy for their lifestyle. I offer contact lenses in the good, better, best categories starting with daily disposables as the best. They’re a great, healthy option, with outstanding comfort and convenience.
Dr. Bennett: Your job is to educate patients about daily disposable lenses; otherwise they may not know the modality exists. Beyond health, not having to clean the lenses is a big deal for new patients and first-time contact lens wearers. Lifestyle and convenience are also important for allergy sufferers and those who play sports.
Which daily disposable contact lens brands rise to the top in the recommendation process?
Dr. Bennett: I believe DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses truly deliver an amazing lens-wearing experience. Don’t ask patients if they want to try them, tell them you’re going to put DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses on their eye. Once you educate patients that these new lenses exist, there’s a strong chance they’ll become DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lens wearers.
Benefits of daily disposable lenses
• Convenience that fits patients’ on-the-go lifestyles
• Patients use a brand new, clean pair every day
• They require no lens care solution, to simplify patients’ busy daily routines
• Eliminates the risk of contact lens case contamination
• Can reduce the frequency and severity of common contact-lens related symptoms, like dryness and irritation
Dr. Gailmard: Today, I believe DAILIES TOTAL1® and DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® contact lenses have the clear advantage in the category. They offer an advanced combination of comfort and technology.
Dr. Sindt: DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® contact lenses provide a great deal of comfort at an excellent value. It’s helpful that the DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® contact lens line is growing to accommodate more patient needs. Their new toric lens also offers outstanding comfort, and it’s available in over 800 more parameters than the previous toric daily disposable contact lens.
The DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® Multifocal contact lens fits the convenience, comfort and lifestyle needs of my patients who are busy people. It’s a great addition because presbyopes who wear contact lenses want to continue in contact lenses.
Dr. Bennett: DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® Multifocal contact lenses feature the same design and parameters as the #1 AIR OPTIX® AQUA Multifocal contact lenses1 on the #1 daily disposable contact lens material.1 This design drives the success of the DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® Multifocal contact lens. I look forward to success with this lens.
How to increase daily disposable fittings in your practice
Dr. Gerber: Doctors should always strive to get daily disposables on a patient’s eyes. When you tell patients that you have something that’s a healthy option and safe and better than what they’re doing now, most patients will want to try them.
Dr. Bennett: After recommending the daily modality to new patients, we give them two options. We recommend DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses for all of our patients. We also realize no one lens is right for everyone. Our next go-to lenses are DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® contact lenses. This strategy garners a very high success rate and ensures that we get our patients in the daily modality.
Dr. Gailmard: I’ve written a letter that every patient receives when they walk into my office. The letter describes the benefits of DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses and recommends that they try on a pair today. My entire staff recommends daily disposables to virtually every patient in the office.
While the doctor runs the exam, technicians are in the room to get trial lenses when required. When you tell patients you have a contact lens that feels like nothing,5 they want to try it. The goal is to get a pair of DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses on the eyes in the office. We let the patient wear them around the office and have them return to the exam room. Then we discuss if they’re interested in switching into the lens.
Dr. Sindt: When I’m on board with a product, my staff is always supportive. They are very good at listening to patients and communicating new options and technology all the way from the initial phone conversation to the exam chair to dispensing.
Dr. Gerber: Doctors have a perception that the daily modality is overkill and too expensive. But, prejudging and withholding a healthy option is unfair to the patient. The goal should be to educate every patient on the benefits of daily disposable contact lenses.
Dr. Sindt: The key is to make patients understand that they would be missing out on a great experience by not trying daily disposable contact lenses. When you convey passion for their positive benefits, your patients will know that you have their best interests at heart.
Never let ‘fine’ be the final word in a contact lens conversation
With 1 in 6 patients dropping out of contact lenses every year,9 we know that many contact lens wearers are not happy with their experience. A thorough contact lens history is vital to identifying opportunities to offer daily disposable contact lenses. Patients often believe that it’s normal to feel their lenses at the end of the day, which leads them to suffer silently. How do you find out if a patient is really satisfied with their lens-wearing experience?
Suggested Statements for sharing DAILIES® technology with your patients
DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses
• “I want to recommend a contact lens using truly breakthrough water gradient technology. The contact lens is so comfortable it actually feels like nothing, even at the end of the day.”5
• “The low water content at the core helps make the lens 6× more breathable†† than the leading daily disposable contact lens8 for white, healthy-looking eyes.”
• “The very outer surface is designed to approach100% water6 and minimize inter action with the delicate tissues of the eye, so it may feel like you’re not wearing a contact lens at all.”7
DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® contact lenses
• “I am providing you with the #1 selling daily disposable contact lenses.”1
• “These are the only contact lenses that give you three different moisturizing agents for comfort throughout the day.”
• “Blink-activated moisture technology releases moisture every time you blink to provide a comfortable wearing experience.”
DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® Multifocal Contact Lenses
• “To best meet your need for smooth transitions at all distances, near through far, I’m recommending the #1 multifocal contact lens design1 and parameters on the #1 daily disposable contact lens material.”1
• “The leading lens design1 provides smooth, uninterrupted transitions from near to intermediate to distance.”
• “These lenses also feature blink-activated moisture technology, which releases moisture with every blink to provide refreshing all-day comfort.”
DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® Toric Contact Lenses
• “To best address your astigmatism, I’m recommending a proven corrective contact lens design on the #1 daily disposable material.”1
• “The lens design works with the natural blinking action of the upper and lower eyelids to keep the lens balanced to prevent blur.”
• “These lenses also feature blink-activated moisture technology, which releases moisture with every blink for refreshing all-day comfort.”
Dr. Gailmard: We owe it to patients to dig beyond superficial questions to identify silent sufferers. Their annual exam represents our one chance to look them straight in the eye and ask probing questions to demonstrate we are prepared to move them into a better option.
Dr. Bennett: Never ask a patient, “How are you doing with your contact lenses?” because they will always say, “Fine.” Instead, try an approach that suggests that you’re ready to help solve any issues. Try asking, “What could I do to make you like your contacts more?” Then patients tend to open up and may get into specific problems.
Dr. Sindt: Patients experiencing dryness or discomfort are typically afraid the doctor will take them out of contact lenses if they complain. If you don’t specifically ask about comfort at the end of the day, or you don’t say to them, “When do you want to take your contact lenses out versus when do you actually take your contact lenses out?” you will not get a true picture of a patient’s needs.
Dr. Bennett: To identify silent sufferers, you should ask, “When you replace your lenses, does the next pair feel better?” In many cases, the patient will say, “Absolutely!”
Then, you follow with, “Well, they’re not supposed to. If you’re wearing the lenses properly, there shouldn’t be any difference in how your eyes feel. If a fresh pair doesn’t feel the same, then I ought to be able to fit you with a contact lens that feels comfortable throughout the day.”
Give all your contact lens wearers a silent sufferer questionnaire
Print a questionnaire that the staff can present to patients when they visit the office to probe their current lens-wearing experience:
• “On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best, how do your contact lenses feel:”
○ At the beginning of the day?
○ At the end of the day?
• “Do you use rewetting drops during the day? If so, how often?”
When patients report any number under a 9 or a change in comfort from the beginning of day to the end of day, you can quickly identify people you may be able to help with DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses.
How do you talk to patients about the science behind DAILIES TOTAL1® and DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® contact lenses?
Dr. Sindt: I give patients just enough science to build an implicit trust so they value my recommendation. It’s best to focus on the benefits. For example, the first thing I tell a patient about the DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lens is that this contact lens actually feels like nothing on the eye.5
For DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® contact lenses, I say they are designed to release refreshing moisture agents with every blink to provide all-day comfort.
Dr. Bennett: We wrap technology and science into a story so it helps patients understand the benefits. When recommending DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses, we tell them it’s the first and only water gradient contact lens, which means it’s designed with almost 100 percent water at the surface of the lens.6 The lens is so comfortable, patients say they can’t feel it.7 When telling patients about DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® contact lenses, I focus on how moisturizing agents are released with every blink for comfort throughout the day. I also tell them it’s the #1 selling daily disposable lens on the market.1
Dr. Gailmard: Enthusiasm helps the sell. Rather than get bogged down in technical information, I quickly share points with high patient appeal, such as comfort, convenience and clear vision.1 But I emphasize the wow factor—DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses feel like nothing5 and you won’t even know you have them in.7
How do you handle cost questions about daily disposable lenses?
Many eye care practitioners consider cost a barrier to prescribing daily disposables contact lenses. But once patients learn about their many benefits, the advantages tend to outweigh any initial cost concerns. Strong recommendations from you and your staff can help patients find the right fit for their eyes and budgets.
Dr. Gerber: You lead by discussing how daily disposable contact lenses are a healthy option that provides great vision and a comfortable lens-wearing experience. Your patients’ eyes deserve the best. Why focus on price, when the product can sell itself?
Dr. Gailmard: First, get patients excited about DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses, then give them five to ten free pairs to take home. Patients usually want to discuss price before the take-home trial. We are never defensive about price. We break the cost down for them—between $1 and $2 a day.
Make sure you put the cost into perspective
Break costs down to simple terms: “The lenses cost between $1 and $2 a day, which is about the same as a cup of coffee.”
How to succeed in selling your patients an annual supply
The key to successful annual supply sales is to ensure that your staff can confidently present the final purchase price to patients. Use a personalized sheet that breaks down the cost of a year’s supply—taking into account their insurance, rebates, savings on solution costs and any applicable discounts.
Dr. Gerber: Once the patient’s contact lens prescription is finalized, you say, “I’m going to approve you for a yearly supply” and help them place the order.
Dr. Gailmard: I have a laminated worksheet that shows the total yearly cost of various correction options. We can make an annual supply the best value for the patient by offering office rebates and free shipping to patients ordering four boxes of DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses or eight boxes of DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® contact lenses.
Dr. Bennett: We all emphasize the importance of an annual supply, from the exam room to the front desk, from the doctor to the contact lens technician. We don’t discuss cost until after we’ve planted the seed of the benefits—warranties, rebates, shipping discounts, ease of compliance.* If the patient declines at first, we say, “Are you sure you understand the value of getting a year’s supply?”
If a patient doesn’t order a year’s supply, we document their order on a calendar and call to remind them to re-order. Leaving the patient in control is no way to run a business.
Dr. Gailmard: Typically, patients ordering an annual supply are more likely to be compliant.10* And better compliance* can help grow your practice.
Our patients and our practices benefit from fitting daily disposable contact lenses. The daily modality offers a healthy lens-wearing experience, exceptional comfort, a welcome convenience, as well as added profitability through increased frequency of exams and contact lens revenue. When you do a cost and benefit analysis, you’ll find that daily disposable contact lenses are cost effective and great business builders.
With the DAILIES® family of contact lenses, you can address the majority of your patients’ needs, while introducing them to the, comfort and convenience of the daily modality.
Dr. Sindt: Most patients are so much more comfortable in DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses that they see the value in the lenses and do not have a problem paying for them. It’s all about meeting the patient’s needs.
*Compliance with manufacturer-recommended replacement frequency.
**Compliance with manufacturer-recommended replacement frequency; based on a survey of 1,654 contact lens wearers in the U.S. Wearers of SiHy monthly and 2-week replacement lenses, and non-SiHy daily disposable lenses represented. Corrected for optometrist recommendation.
†In vitro measurement of unworn lenses.
††High oxygen transmissible lenses: DAILIES TOTAL1® (delefilcon A) contact lenses: Dk/t = 156 @ -3.00D.
References
1. Based on third-party industry report, 2008-September 2013; Alcon data on file 2013.
2. MBA Best Practices of Contact Lens Management. March 2010.
3. Dumbleton K, Woods C, et al. Patient and practitioner compliance with silicone hydrogel and daily disposable lens replacement in the United States. Eye & Contact Lens. 2009;35(4):164-171.
4. Alcon data on file, 2013.
5. In a clinical study with 80 patients; Alcon data on file, 2011.
6. Angelini T, Nixon R, Dunn A, et al. Viscoelasticity and mesh-size at the surface of hydrogels characterized with microheology. ARVO 2013. E-abstract 1614872.
7. Based on an ongoing survey in Europe of 24 ECPs fitting 280 patients in DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses. Alcon data on file, 2012.
8. Based on the ratio of lens oxygen transmissibilities; Alcon data on file, 2010.
9. Rumpakis JMB. New data on contact lens dropouts: an international perspective. Rev Optom. 2010;1-4.
10. Dumbleton K, Richter D, Bergenske P, Jones L. Compliance with lens replacement and the interval between eye examinations. Optom Vis Sci. 2013;90(4):351-358.
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