Contact Lenses

Specialty Contact Lenses: Growth Lies in Niches

This is the third installment of a four-part series on optimizing contact lens sales.

By Judith Lee

Specialty contact lenses provide several key growth opportunities–if you look within niches such as dry eye, pediatrics, kerataconus, low vision and cosmeticcorrection.Here we examine two underservedniches: low astigmats, whose vision can be improved with toric contact lenses; and early and mature presbyopes, whose active lives can be improved by new designs in multifocal contact lenses.

Pick a Specialty Lens Niche
You have an opportunity to improvethe vision of new and existingpatients–and charge a premium fee of14 to 20percent morefor a specialty contact lens examthanforanexamfittingaspherical contact lens. While the median exam fee for a new contact lens patient being fitted for spherical lenses is $198, the median fee for a patientbeing fittedfor toric lenses is $225.And the exam fee rises to $236 for a multifocal lense fitting, according to Management & Business Academyresearch.To make the most of this opportunity,establishyourselfas aniche contact lens specialist, and make this specialty a key distinguishing point in your practice.

Specialty Content Lens Patients, an Expanding Universe
The universe of people who need vision correction looks like this: 53 percentof patients are presbyopes, 26 percentare served by single-vision spherical lenses, and 21 percentare astigmatic, according to research from CIBA VISION.

Now look at how soft lens wearers are prescribed: 80 percent wear single-vision spherical lenses, 16 percent wear toric lenses, and 4 percentwear multifocal lenses.

This disconnect between vision needs and specialty contact lens prescribing points to one thing; opportunity, both for practice growth and to better serve patients.IfECPs were to capture the5 percentgapbetweenthe numberof peoplewho haveastigmatismand the numberof peoplewearing contact lensesto addressastigmatism,that translatesto 1.5 millionnew toric lense wearers, as well as $40 million in specialty lensfitting fees. How many of these people are coming through your practice?

Within astigmats, who comprise one-fifth of the vision correction market, the lion’s share of the opportunity is in low astigmats (1.00D of astigmatism or less), who represent 52 percentof the astigmatic population.Some 30 percentof current soft lens wearers have cylinder in their spectacle Rx, yet only 16 percentwear toric lenses, according to CIBA VISION data.

Eyecare practitioners are beginning to take advantage of the opportunity to serve this segment of their patient population with new and improved toric lens designs.

“In the last couple of years, toric lenses became much more stable and comfortable,” says Steven Bennett, OD, a contact lens specialist in Ann Arbor, Mich. “Vision does not fluctuate, so it’s easier for patients to accept them.”

Specialty Lens: Loyalty Enhancer

Converting patients to toric lenses is an opportunity to become a hero, says Kevin Roe, OD, of CIBA VISION. “When I was in practice, literally every week I would recommend toric lenses to a low astigmat, and the patient would say, ‘Why didn’t my last doctor recommend this?’ The patient is walking around with 20/25 vision, you correct the astigmatism, and it’s like you gave them HD vision. They love it,” he says.

Both Drs. Roe and Bennet say this is an effective way to differentiate your practice from the competition.Increasing your use of multifocal contact lenses is another.

“We have a 90 percentsuccess rate with multifocal contact lenses because now, the lenses are stable, they fit well, and the patients can see,” says Dr. Bennett. “I used to recommend monovision [to presbyopes who preferred contact lenses], and now it’s my last resort.”

Baby Boomers and Multifocals
Demographic trends point to great growth potential in contact lens-wearing presbyopes. A 2008 Galllup study predicts that the population of contact lens wearers will grow by 9.2 percent over the coming 10 years, and those age 50 and older will represent the largest segment of that growth. Gallup projects that by 2018, the 50+ group holds the potential to contriibute 13.5 million multifocal lens wearers.

Specialty Lenses In SiHy Materials
Along with improved lens designs for specialty lenses, they also are available in better-performing lens materials, which is fueling growth. Between 2007 and 2009, the total soft lens market grew by about 9 percent–while silicone hydrogel lenses grew by 12 percentin spheres and nearly 20 percentin toric lenses, according to ABB CONCISE.

CIBA VISION data corroborates a sharp rise in SiHy materials. While SiHy lenses started with 17 percentof market share in 2004, it had captured 68 percentof the market in 2009. HEMA lenses, which had 83 percentof the market in 2004, fell to 32 percentof the market in 2009. That sharp rise coincides with the increasing demands from an aging Baby Boomer populationlooking to eye care practitioners for the best in contact lens materials and designs.

Coming right on the Boomers’ heels is Gen X (born 1964-1971), and the youngest of this group turns 40 this year. “Gen-X is technologically savvy and highly motivated to preserve a youthful appearance. They have high expectations for products like contact lenses,” notes Kevin Roe, OD, of CIBA VISION. “There’s a tremendous opportunity for those who utilize newer technologies and products to differentiate themselves from the competition.”


Also in this contact lens series:

Part 1: Recommend Daily and Monthly Lens Replacement, Improve Compliance and Profits

Part 2: Prescribe an Annual Supply of Contact Lenses

Note: In the next article in this series,ROB willexamine strategies for reducing dropouts.

Talk the Talk

Take the lead, through purposeful conversations, to move patients into specialty lenses. Drs. Rowe and Bennett offer examples of possible exchanges between you and your patients:

Present benefits of new designs and materials.
Dr. Roe:
“We have some new contact lens designs that can provide clearer vision than you’ve been able to achieve with your current lenses. The new designs are offered in a material that is comfortable and healthy for your eyes. I recommend that you try these.”

Talk about success and freedom.
Dr. Bennett:
“We’re having great success with contact lenses that correct both near and distance vision. They’re offered in a lens material that is healthy for your eyes. You may be able to wear these most of the time, and keep your glasses as back-up.”

Stress health and comfort.
Dr. Roe:
“I’d rather see you wearing a new lens material that is healthier for your eyes. Some patients find the lenses to be more comfortable, too. I recommend that you try these.”

Judith Lee is a health-care writer and founder ofCommunication Works Now, an online communications firm. Contact her at judith@judithlee.net


Reader Response
OnPrescribe an Annual Supply of Contact Lenses:

Judith,
I
disagree with your article promoting annual supplies of contact lenses. I feel that patientswho call your office everyfour to sixmonths to order contact lenses are keeping in touch with your office more than those who call annually. A purchase of a year’s supply does not bind them to your office any more than if they purchase them everysix months. Statements such as purchasers of annual supplies will bind patients to your office are often more wishful thinking of the practitioner making that statement than based on fact. Just wanted to throw mytwo cents in. Thanks for listening.

Mike Green, OD

ROB Professional Editor Mark Wright, OD, responds:

Dr. Green makes a great point about keeping in touch with patients more thanone time per year.It is essential to manage this effectively.In today’s world, a primary role of social media is to help us keep in touch with our patients between office visits.

Here’s how I think about annual supplies of contact lenses. When you provide an annual supply of contact lenses to your patients, you are effectively taking them out of the market for new contact lenses throughout the year. With an annual supply, the patient is only making the decision to purchase contact lenses once a year when they are in the office.You can control that environment.

With asix-month supply of contact lenses, the patient must make decisions to purchasecontact lensestwo times per year with one of those times being when they are not in your office.It’s significantly harder to control the environment when the patient is not in the office.Our patients are bombarded with marketing trying to convince them to make purchases in places other than our office. Reducing the need to purchase to only once a year reduces the opportunity for our patients to respond to marketing from other sources.

Best regards,

Mark Wright, OD

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