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TIPS, TRENDS & NEWS YOU CAN USE

CONTACT LENS MARKET SEES GROWTH IN FOUR AREAS Aaron See, ABB Optical Group, Coral Springs, Fla.

Dollar sales of contact lenses (CL) in 2015 accelerated each subsequent quarter, with a total growth rate of +9.1% for the year. In addition, year-to-date CL dollar sales were up +10.9%, according to ABB Optical Group data. Four notable trends are worth calling out.

1. Daily disposables continue gain

The wholesale market for daily disposables in the U.S. was up +22.5% in 2015, with accelerating growth each quarter. Also, year-to-date, daily disposable sales grew +29%, led by the Midwest at nearly 36% growth. Why the Midwest? It is the least penetrated market for daily disposables. The Northeast has a much more concentrated urban population and, as a result, much more pollutants that affect CL comfort and thus, make daily disposable wear attractive. Also, the Northeast has more concentrated wealth, which makes daily disposable wear a feasible option.

Year-to-date, total daily disposable growth represented more than 90% of the total category growth throughout the U.S. Daily disposables comprised 34% of sales (in contrast to the global market at ~45%). The Northeast leads the country in daily disposable lens wear, where that wear frequency represents nearly 49% of the market, because of the factors mentioned. Daily disposables are a hyper-growth segment that will be critical to harness to maximize growth potential.

2. Multifocals see boost

This segment grew by 18% in 2015 in the U.S., and year-to-date it’s up nearly 20%. The Southwest and Southeast lead the country in the development of the multifocal market, likely driven by a concentration of retirees in markets like Florida and Arizona. Specifically, the Southwest and Southeast represent 14% and 10% of multifocal wear, respectively.

Innovation in this segment has significantly spurred its growth, and there is more on the horizon. Looking across thousands of practices, it is clear that unlocking the presbyopic opportunity is critical to driving accelerated growth in the market. Doctors who make it a practice to find multifocal solutions for their patients’ contact lens needs are growing their total contact lens business 55% faster than the market. Why is this? Multifocals command a premium — higher value per patient. Innovative offerings, by providing contact lens solutions for emerging and developed presbyopes, further extend the life of CL wear. Preventing age-related dropouts is an important component to driving portfolio growth for a practice.

3. Sclerals and ortho-k help GPs

GPs grew in 2015 in the U.S. by 6%, spurred on by hyper-growth in both sclerals (+135%) and orthokeratology (+20%). Also, year-to-date, GPs are up +9%, again due to scleral and ortho-k fits. Year-to-date, sclerals are up 52%. (I would still categorize this as hyper growth because it’s compared against a triple digit growth from last year.) Year to date, ortho-k is up 24%.

4. Direct shipping valued

More independent eye care professionals are choosing patient-direct shipments as a means of competing with online retailers. In fact, more than 20% of category sales are shipped directly to patients’ homes, with the Mid-Atlantic region leading the charge at more than 30%. A theory for the Mid-Atlantic region: Traveling may be a problem in these areas. In Washington, DC, for example, traffic is absolutely atrocious.

Shipping a patient’s contact lenses directly to his or her home, vs. the patient having to pick them up, results in 5x to 6x fewer returns. Asking a patient to pick up his or her lenses leads to more than a 500% increase in patient walks.

Innovation continues

Looking on the horizon, it is clear that across the manufacturer base, the pace of innovation is on the rise, and this is good news for future growth in this space. ■

Mr. See is vice president of marketing for ABB OPTICAL GROUP, where he is responsible for all marketing and communications initiatives including brand positioning, PR and customer interaction.

LARRY J. ALEXANDER, O.D., EDUCATOR AND TRAILBLAZER

Larry J. Alexander, O.D., F.A.A.O., a pioneer in optometric education, passed away, at age 69, in late April.

Dr. Alexander, a 1971 graduate of the Indiana University School of Optometry (IU) and former Naval officer, was most well known for his fervor for educating fellow optometrists on the role of the profession in medical eye care. Specifically, he authored the seminal medical optometry textbook “Primary Care of the Posterior Segment,” which was released in three editions; contributed to several chapters of eye care textbooks; lectured on ocular and systemic disease; served as an Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry consultant and on the Council on Optometric Practitioner Education; and was the clinical editor for “Optometry & Vision Science,” a full professor of ocular disease and chief of the ocular disease service at the UAB School of Optometry.

When asked by IU staff “What have been your career milestones?” Dr. Alexander answered, “Being a husband, father and grandfather; serving in the Navy in a hostile optometric environment, which shaped my determination to facilitate our persona; having the opportunity to teach at the UAB School of Optometry for 20 years; writing the three editions of “Primary Care of the Posterior Segment;” contributing to other texts and articles and having the opportunity to provide continuing education for my peers.”

Dr. Alexander last served as consultant for the industry and creator of the clinical website eyelessons.com. At the news of his passing, his fellow IU classmates have decided to establish a scholarship in his name. ■

Dr. Alexander receiving the Foley House Distinguished Alumni Award.

LOUISIANA SENATOR INTRODUCES NATIONAL CONTACT LENS SAFETY BILL

In mid-April, Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D., (R-La), introduced the Contact Lens Consumer Health Protection Act of 2016 (Senate Bill 2777), which would strengthen the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act by:

• Creating a live, toll-free phone number and email address for contact lens prescribers to ask sellers questions regarding prescription verification.

• Enabling prescribers to determine the method of communication with the seller, be it live phone, facsimile or email.

• Ensuring sellers dispense exactly what was prescribed.

• Allowing the prescriber to correct prescription inaccuracies.

• Raising fines to $40,000 per infraction.

• Directing the CDC to assess the public health and health care cost impact of contact lens sales indiscretions.

• Requiring sellers to keep a database of the issue and expiration dates of prescriptions, with written prescriptions being kept for no less than three years.

Contact lens retailers have responded by forming the Coalition for Contact Lens Consumer Choice. (See tinyurl.com/CLcoalition) ■

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED

The AOA has announced these National Optometry Hall of Fame inductees:

• Joseph Babcock, Sr., O.D. The late Dr. Babcock Sr. pushed for the U.S. military to recognize the value of optometry and was chosen by President Franklin Roosevelt as an advisor to the Healing Arts Educational Advisory Committee, which was comprised of several medical associations and doctors of different disciplines.

• Richmond Lewis Scott, O.D. The deceased Dr. Scott was a proponent of scope-of-practice advancement and played a role in requiring CE for Indiana O.D.s.

• Louis Catania, O.D. Dr. Catania has contributed to post-graduate residency education, scope-of-practice expansion and community organizations, such as the Special Olympics, where he has volunteered.

The induction takes place at Optometry’s Meeting in Boston, June 29 to July 3. ■

GSLS PROGRAM OFFERED AT OPTOMETRIC MANAGEMENT SYMPOSIUM

Attendees of the Optometric Management Symposium can participate in a one-and-a-half day Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS) CE program (accredited COPE and NCLE courses), which will take place at Disney’s Grand Floridian Hotel, in Orlando, Fla., Dec. 1-2.

The GSLS program will cover the role of ocular shape in custom contact lens fitting; ortho-k; custom soft lenses: astigmatism and presbyopia; myopia control; scleral lens wear and billing and coding. Faculty include Dr. Ed Bennett, Dr. John Rumpakis, Dr. Lynette Johns, Randy Kojima and Patrick Caroline, among others.

For registration details, visit OMConference.com. ■