By Tonyatta Hairston, OD
SYNOPSIS
Daily disposable and monthly replacement contact lenses offer patients an easy wear and lens care regimen. The convenient routine promotes greater compliance* and successful lens wear.1,2**
ACTION POINTS
PRESCRIBE DAILY DISPOSABLE CLS WHENEVER POSSIBLE. Make daily disposable contact lenses the go-to option for patients.
PROMOTE MONTHLY REPLACEMENT CLSTO FIT LIFESTYLE. Monthly replacement contact lenses are easy to remember and an affordable option for many patients.
TURN STAFF INTO CL ADVOCATES. Fit all staff members in the contact lenses you prescribe for patients.
Keeping contact lens patients comfortable and in their lenses long-term are cornerstones of my practice in Jackson, Miss. About 30 percent of my patients are contact lens wearers, and of that 30 percent, nearly all are in daily disposable or monthly replacement lenses. I have found those two modalities to be the most successful for patients, making it likely they will follow the proper wear and lens care regimen and be able to stay in their contacts for years to come.
Editor’s Note: A comprehensive study by Kathryn Dumbleton of the University of Waterloo in the UK, revealed that wearers of one-day and one-month contact lenses are more compliant* than those in the two-week wear modality.1 Click HERE to learn more about the impact of compliance*.
Tonyatta Hairston, OD
EnVision Eye Care & Optical Boutique
Practice History: Started cold in 2003
Doctors: 3
Locations: 2
Support Staff: 12
Comprehensive Exams: 9,000 a year
Daily Disposable Lenses: An Option for Contact Lens Related Dryness Patients
In the South, many contact lens patients experiencediscomfort possibly due to dryness. A lens that can be replaced every day is often the best option because it allows them to start each day with a fresh, clean pair of contacts. Daily disposable lenses are effective as they allow the wearer to put on a new lens every morning.
One-Month Replacement Gives Greater Options
My first choice is for all patients to be in daily disposable lenses, but not all patients are suited for the contact lenses currently available in the daily disposable modality. Monthly replacement lenses are an option for patients who want an extended wear lens they are able to sleep in. In addition, offering monthly replacement lenses gives patients great options in pricing.
Eyecare costs are frequently a concern for my patients, and so it is economical to have a lens that only needs be replaced once a month. Having this affordable option allows me to provide contact lenses that are comfortable and are a healthyoption for patient’s eyes, when the recommended wear and lens care routine is followed.
It is also easy to sell patients an annual supply of monthly replacement contact lenses. With only four boxes per year, they are easy to calculate.
Show Patients Why They ShouldSwitch to Daily Disposable or Monthly Replacement Lenses
My approach involves staining the cornea and looking at the lids of my contact lens patients. I use anterior segment photography to show patients the impact the contact lenses, their lens care regimen, and/or improper wear, are having on their eyes. In my experience, my patients more readily accept the need to switch to an advanced lens in the daily disposable or monthly replacement modality when they can visualize the impact.
Along with images of the patient’s own eyes, I use images found online to show them the eye conditions that can develop when contact lenses are not worn properly.I stress thatwearing a lens beyond my recommended schedule may affect the eye.
The contact lens area in Dr. Hairston’s office.
Turn Staff Into CL Advocates
When a new lens brand is introduced, I have my staff trial the lenses to experience being fit in the same lenses our patients wear. While all of my current staff members may not require vision correction, I still want every staff member to experience wearing contact lenses. It is important for the doctor and staff to know what their patients are experiencing and how the most advanced contacts on the market will benefit them.
Related ROB Articles
One-Day and Monthly CLs: Enhanced Patient Compliance, Greater Long-Term Wear
One-Day, One-Month Replacement CLs: Enhance Compliance, Decrease Dropouts
One-Day and One-Month Replacement CLs: Compliance Booster
Tonyatta Hairston, OD, is the owner of EnVision Eye Care & Optical Boutique, with two locations in Jackson, Miss. Contact: thairston1908@yahoo.com
References
* Compliance with Manufacturer Recommended Replacement Frequency (MRRF)
1. Dumbleton, K.;Richter, D;Jones,L.W. Compliance with lens replacement and the interval between eye examinations. Optom Vis Sci. 2012;89(E-abstract 120059).
2. Dumbleton, K;Woods, C;Jones, L.;et al. Comfort and vision with silicone hydrogel lenses effect of compliance. Optom Vis Sci 2010: 87(6): 421-425.
** Based on subjective ratings at end of day and when lenses need replacing, in a survey of 1,389 silicone hydrogel contact lens wearers.