CLINICAL

  DIVERSIFY YOUR PORTFOLIO

DROPOUT SOLUTION

EMPLOY ONE OF THESE OPTIONS TO KEEP PATIENTS HAPPY IN LENS WEAR

JEFFRY D. GERSON, O.D., F.A.A.O.

WHY HAS the percentage of patients who drop-out of contact lenses stayed relatively level for decades? One possible reason is an incompatible solution-contact lens combination, which causes toxicity and discomfort for the patient.

Giving samples and a coupon can help to guide a patient in the right direction when he or she goes to the store. But, this is no guarantee of compliance. Patients are still left to their own devices as to what they walk out of a store with.

Here are some potential solutions:

1 ‘PRESCRIBE’

Although there is no prescription needed for contact lens solutions, a “pseudo-prescription” could be given to offer guidance. This will help not only to reinforce the doctor’s recommendation, but act as a further reminder of the importance of using the right solution, and that they are not all the same.

2 EDUCATE

Regardless of which solution we “prescribe,” it is not an Rx product and, therefore, patients can choose whichever they want once they get to a store. To reduce this occurrence, educate your patient on a few points. First and foremost, there are differences between name-brand solutions and generic options. Make this clear in your conversation with your patient. Second, we need to consider the potential benefits of a peroxide-based solution vs. a multi-purpose solution. For example, in a peroxide solution the lack of preservatives can be beneficial for those with dry or sensitive eyes.

3 CONSIDER SELLING SOLUTIONS

It may not take too much inventory to accomplish this. If you sell bottles from your office, it would be easy to create incentives to purchase them along with patients’ annual supply of contact lenses, thus promoting compliance not only to the solution, but also to the prescribed lenses.

If you do not want to sell directly from your office, you can have solutions on your e-commerce website. This may eliminate the need for inventory (depending on the e-commerce method you employ) and take away the need to sell the solution in your office. Of course, your website would only carry brands you prescribe and believe in. This makes the process convenient for your patient.

4 SUGGEST DAILY DISPOSABLES

Another potential solution is to recommend only daily disposable contact lenses to those patients who are candidates for daily wear. After all, more and more patients are wearing daily disposable lenses. Evidence of such gains can be seen in Contact Lens Spectrum’s “Contact Lenses 2015” report. This alleviates the need for solutions!

PATIENTS’ BEST INTEREST

By discussing the importance of solution compliance, selling solutions in your practice and discussing daily disposables, when feasible for the patient, you can increase patient compliance, which will decrease the likelihood of corneal toxicity and, thus, keep patients happy in contact lens wear. OM

DR. GERSON practices at Grin Eyecare in Olathe, Kan., a full-scope combined O.D./M.D. practice. Email him at jgerson@hotmail.com or visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment on this article.