Happy 10th Birthday
Contact Lens Spectrum

BY JOSEPH T. BARR, O.D., M.S., EDITOR
JAN. 1996

Ten years ago, in January 1986, Dr. Neal Bailey, (editor), Patty Sposato (managing editor), Larry Henry (publisher) and Ron Walker (associate publisher) started Contact Lens Spectrum published by Viscom Publications.

At that time, extended wear was still being advertised and the newcomers to the field were Polyquad and Paraperm 02 plus. The disposable contact lens was a mission, not a reality.

In 1991, Contact Lens Spectrum incorporated Contact Lens Forum (also started by Dr. Bailey in 1976) and today continues to provide the most comprehensive information on contact lenses in a monthly journal. With a circulation of nearly all O.D.s, most contact lens-prescribing ophthalmologists, opticians, contact lens technicians, students and industry experts, we bring you the latest contact lens information. We add history, news and analysis to chronicle the evolution of the contact lens and related topics. We're thrilled to celebrate our 10th anniversary and believe this issue will rank among our best (the 100th Anniversary of the Contact Lens issue, July 1987, and our issue on the future of contact lenses, July 1988.)

What does the future hold? We believe eyecare practitioners are certain that few people will undergo refractive surgery in the near future. Sure, there'll be plenty of short-term discussions at industry and professional cocktail parties, but on a day-in and day-out basis, most people will forego the procedure (at least in the short term) since there is no consensus on its effectiveness.

Optometry is less preoccupied with therapeutics now that nearly all states allow optometrists to treat eye disease to varying extents and we realize that efficient contact lens care is still important to practice. Yet optometry is still fighting for reimbursement from many third-party carriers. It's also now politically correct for ophthalmologists to provide contact lens care. If they increase their level of training across their ranks, more patients will use contact lenses. And hopefully the leaders in our field will make sure that the lay media discontinues or counteracts sensational negative contact lens press.

We can also look forward to slightly better, consumer-friendly contact lens options including extended wear and specialty lenses. The oversupply of lenses will keep prices low and although profits for providers aren't what they were, the efficient prescribing of these medical devices and counteracting nonprofessional dispensing will lead to a more stable level of lens wearers or as Dr. Bob Koetting calls them "lens owners." CLS