By Yoongie Min, OD
August 5, 2015
I prescribe eye lid scrubs and eye masks for conditions like blepharitis and dry eye. My practice has found selling these items in our office to be a benefit both to the patient and to the practice. The patient appreciates the convenience of obtaining the product we have prescribed at check-out after their appointment, and our office benefits because it makes it easier for us to follow-up with these patients.
Lid scrubs are commercially available cleansers that can be used to control the signs and symptoms of blepharitis. They are usually available in foaming cleansers or pre-made towelettes. Some types of blepharitis are caused by bacteria, which leads to inflammatory reactions of the eyelids and the subsequent redness and crusting. Another type of blepharitis is called demodex and is caused by a tiny parasitic mite. These mites and their byproducts eventually cause a “collar” of material to form around the base of the eyelashes in a fairly obvious appearance. It is treated with scrubs that typically contain tea tree oil. Chronic blepharitis can also be managed and relieved with oral and topical medications.
Medical eyecare accessories like eye lid scrubs, and hydrating masks for dry eye, on display, along with nutraceuticals, in the front of Dr. Min’s office. Dr. Min says patients appreciate the convenience of purchasing the prescribed products as they check out after their appointment, and patient follow-up is also aided by these in-office sales.
In addition to lid scrubs, we also sell a hydrating eye mask called a Bruder Eye Hydration Compress. This is a mask that contains microwavable beads in it. This mask helps the performance of the meibomium glands in the eyelids and can help with both dry eye and blepharitis symptoms. It is relatively simple to use and patients often comment on how good it makes their eyes feel.
The reason we stock these products is not only for the convenience of our patients, but because doing so enables us to schedule follow-up office calls more easily. As our patients are checking out, it is easy for my staff to present them with the cleaning products that they will need and to then re-schedule the patients at the doctor’s recommended follow-up time. We also can ensure that the patient is getting the proper type of cleanser for their specific blepharitis type.
Create Long-Term, Loyal Patients
Another part of the ROI of selling products like eye lid scrubs and eye masks is the patient satisfaction that is generated when the products are effective.
Many patients have suffered from blepharitis in silence for years, assuming that their irritation was due to allergies or other non-treatable issues. When a patient is properly diagnosed and treated, their eyes can feel significantly better, which makes for a loyal patient.
I distinctly remember one woman who had suffered from irritated, red eyes for years that no previous doctor had treated. I diagnosed her with demodex blepharitis and started her on a treatment regimen of lids scrubs that contained tea tree oil. When I saw her back a few weeks later, her blepharitis had improved tremendously and she felt so much better. She told me, “You have a patient for life.”
Will Enough Patients Benefit from Product?
On average, our office sees five to 10 patients a week who have some level of blepharitis ranging from mild to severe. Many patients are asymptomatic, but upon questioning, report that their eyelids are crusty or that their eyes feel irritated.
Lid scrubs can benefit dry eye patients, as well. Blepharitis and dry eye often go hand-in-hand, so we also start our dry eye patients on lid scrubs.
Gauge Inventory Cost & ROI
Many of these products are not necessarily huge sources of revenue, but they do add incremental profit to each examination, which is important in this era of low-paying vision plans. In addition, diagnosing and treating problems like blepharitis or dry eye helps build the medical end of a practice and helps generate more office calls, which can generally be billed to major medical insurance.
A good-sized inventory of blepharitis products will usually cost about $300 to purchase and keep stocked. We typically order products on a monthly or as-needed basis. The revenues that are generated are not huge, perhaps about $500 to $800 per month in our office, adding up $6,000-$9,600 per year in profit.
Most of the lid cleansing products we prescribe range in retail price from around $15-$25. Most of these products are sold over-the-counter, not by prescription, so flexible-spending accounts may not cover them.
Prominently Display Medical Eyecare Accessories
We keep our inventory of lid scrubs out in our optical area, along with our supply of nutraceuticals that we use for dry eyes and macular degeneration. We also keep samples of these products in the examination rooms so that my technicians and I can show the patients what the bottles or boxes look like.
Yoongie Min, OD, is the owner of Northwest Vision Center, with locations in Columbus and Chillicothe, Ohio. To contact him: yminod@rrohio.com.
