By April L. Jasper, OD, FAAO
SPONSORED CONTENT
As eye care professionals, we want our patients to see their best, look their best and feel their best. For that reason, we like to prescribe both AIR OPTIX® AQUA, as well as AIR OPTIX® COLORS contact lenses.
AIR OPTIX® AQUA contact lenses offer all-day comfort and crisp, clear vision, which patients love, and now we also have a parallel lens to offer patients who want to change up their look now and then.
Introduced last year, AIR OPTIX® COLORS contact lenses offer a contact lens with breathability,* comfort and beauty.
A patient is now able to wear a lens every day with the same moisturizing agent and material she is accustomed to, whether she wants her natural eye color, or she wants to dress up her look with an enhanced eye color.
Greater Comfort & Compliance
In our office, we sell AIR OPTIX® AQUA and AIR OPTIX® COLORS contact lenses together because we find that our patients enjoy consistent comfort1,2 all month long.3 Our patients are more compliant** with AIR OPTIX® AQUA contact lenses due to the monthly modality4,5,6 (compared to the 2-week modality), which means they also return to our practice more frequently.7
Patients can easily wear both AIR OPTIX® AQUA and AIR OPTIX® COLORS contact lenses because of the material and parameter compatibility. The same technology across both lenses means that patients will experience the same performance1 when alternating between brands.
No Refit Necessary, Same Great Lens
It takes no extra time for me to prescribe AIR OPTIX® COLORS contact lenses along with AIR OPTIX® AQUA contact lenses because there is no refit required.8 Patients are excited about the fun of AIR OPTIX® COLORS contact lenses, and they like having the option of clear lenses, as well. It’s a wonderful opportunity to satisfy both my patients’ vision and beauty needs.
Have the Conversation with Patients
I bring AIR OPTIX® COLORS contact lenses into the conversation during the patient visit by asking every patient if they are interested in color and clear lenses. I think every patient deserves the opportunity to try both, and it’s very difficult to determine ahead of time who will be interested. It’s more efficient for my patients, for my practice, and for me to provide information about the contact lenses and give all of my patients the option before fitting them with contact lenses.
I tell my patients about the lens material and surface technology of the AIR OPTIX® family of lenses because I want them to know that silicone hydrogel contact lenses like AIR OPTIX® AQUA and AIR OPTIX® COLORS have an ultra-smooth surface for consistent comfort1,2 and clear vision. I also tell patients that both of these contact lenses offer excellent deposit resistance9,10 and wettability,11 which means they’ll be comfortable all month long.1,2, 3
Promote Both AIR OPTIX® AQUA & AIR OPTIX® COLORS
We promote AIR OPTIX® COLORS and AIR OPTIX® AQUA contact lenses in our office with point-of-purchase materials, and by our staff being involved in the patient education process and knowing about the products. We talk about both of these contact lenses as soon as patients check into the office, and then, most of all, we have our patients try them on.
Why Offer Any Other Lens?
We’ll have patients leave the office with a prescription for both AIR OPTIX® AQUA and AIR OPTIX® COLORS contact lenses if they need time to decide after trying them on.
Pairing AIR OPTIX® AQUA contact lenses with AIR OPTIX® COLORS contact lenses means that patients experience the same consistent comfort,1,2 outstanding wettability11 and deposit resistance.9,10 Why would we fit them in a different brand of clear contact lenses if the same brand as the color contact lenses they love is available?
April Jasper, OD, FAAO, is the owner of Advanced Eyecare Specialists in West Palm Beach, Fla., and a Vision Source Administrator. To reach her: dr.jasper@distinctivestrategies.com.
*Dk/t = 138 @ -3.00D. Other factors may impact eye health. **Compliance with manufacturer-recommended replacement frequency
Important information for AIR OPTIX® COLORS (lotrafilcon B) contact lenses: For daily wear only for near/far-sightedness. Contact lenses, even if worn for cosmetic reasons, are prescription medical devices that must only be worn under the prescription, direction and supervision of an eye care professional. Serious eye health problems may occur as a result of sharing contact lenses. Although rare, serious eye problems can develop while wearing contact lenses. Side effects like discomfort, mild burning or stinging may occur. To help avoid these problems, patients must follow the wear and replacement schedule and the lens care instructions provided by their eye doctor.
Important information for AIR OPTIX® AQUA (lotrafilcon B) contact lenses: For daily wear or extended wear up to 6 nights for near/far-sightedness. Risk of serious eye problems (i.e., corneal ulcer) is greater for extended wear. In rare cases, loss of vision may result. Side effects like discomfort, mild burning or stinging may occur.
References: 1. Alcon data on file, 2012. 2. Alcon data on file, 2014. 3. Eiden SB, Davis R, Bergenske P. Prospective study of lotrafilcon B lenses comparing 2 versus 4 weeks of wear for objective and subjective measures of health, comfort, and vision. Eye & Contact Lens. 2013; 39(4):290-294. 4. Alcon data on file, 2013. 5. 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. 6. 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. 7. Dumbleton K, Richter D, Jones L, Fonn D. Eye examination frequency and contact lens purchase patterns. Optom Vis Sci. 2013;90:E-abstract 135126. 8. Alcon data on file, 2013. 9. Nash W, Gabriel M, Mowrey-Mckee M. A comparison of various silicone hydrogel lenses; lipid and protein deposition as a result of daily wear. Optom Vis Sci. 2010;87: E-abstract 105110. 10. Nash W, Gabriel M. Ex vivo analysis of cholesterol deposition for commercially available silicone hydrogel contact lenses using a fluorometric enzymatic assay. Eye Contact Lens. 2014;40(5):277-282. 11. Alcon data on file, 2013.
See product instructions for complete wear, care, and safety information.
