prescribing for presbyopia
Cards Help You Present GP Presbyopia Options
BY CRAIG W. NORMAN, FCLSA

Fitting contact lenses for presbyopia has become a major part of today's eyecare practice. Thus, we continuously make efforts to expand our knowledge on this subject. But are we providing enough information to the two other groups involved in the decision-making process of contact lenses for presbyopia, namely our staff members and our patients?

Polishing Your Presentation

Luckily, new tools are available to help us in these efforts: Presbyopia Presentation Cards from the Gas Permeable Lens Institute (GPLI) of the Contact Lens Manufacturers Association (CLMA). These two-sided, pocket-sized, laminated cards are designed to assist both practitioners and staff with presenting presbyopic GP lens options to patients.

Figure 1. GPLI Staff Presbyopia Presentation Card.
Figure 2. GPLI Practitioner Presbyopia Presentation Card.

Card for Staff The Staff Presentation Card (Figure 1) can help front desk personnel and office staff provide information on a number of topics. One side features an explanation of presbyopia and a simple, generic explan ation of the available contact lens options, as well as a listing of GP bifocal and multifocal advantages.

The opposite side describes some of the Frequently Asked Questions that patients ask, along with suggested answers that provide a positive general view of presbyopic contact lens options. Importantly, the answers reinforce the role of the eyecare practitioner in evaluating every candidate for specific answers.

Card for Practitioners The Practitioner Presentation Card (Figure 2) offers tips for presenting presbyopic GP lens options and for establishing proper expectations, along with a reminder to use friendly terminology when discussing GPs with patients.

I find the graphics on the card's flip side useful in that they provide an opportunity to review presbyopia fitting considerations with patients, showing how lid position and pupil size can influence lens wear. The lens options section is terrific for showing various available lens styles and what you'll choose for a patient's particular needs. Additional graphics demonstrate lens positioning in straight-ahead and reading gaze.

Because the practitioner card's graphics have no text or labels, you can customize your own "show and tell" presentation. I even use this card at times for potential soft lens wearers.

Worth Checking Out

If you're interested in improving your staff members' and patients' understanding of GP lenses for presbyopia, then consider these useful tools. The cards are available free of charge from the practitioner Web site at www.rgpli.org or by contacting your CLMA member GP manufacturer. 

Craig Norman is director of the Contact Lens Section at the South Bend Clinic in South Bend, Indiana. He is a fellow of the Contact Lens Society of America and an advisor to the GP Lens Institute.