NEWSspectrum

Report Shows U.S. Shifting to Daily Disposable Lenses

In the U.S. contact lens market, upgrade is the word of the moment, according to GfK Fits data. In the past six months, 36% of contact lens users who switched brands moved to higher-priced products, usually from weekly or monthly to daily disposable (DD) lenses, or from “traditional” models to those made of higher-quality materials.

GfK Fits data—from independent optics shops and chains in the United States—show that DD lenses continue to post double-digit annual growth after roughly 20 years on the market. In 2015, DD lens sales have already risen 23%, while monthly lens sales grew by 7%, and weekly lenses dropped 6%.

Factors contributing to these marketplace shifts include: 1) New “family” assortments (e.g., mixing sphere, multifocal, and/or toric lenses) in the DD category have made switching more convenient; 2) The introduction of lower-priced DD products has also made upgrading more attractive; and 3) Unilateral Pricing Policies introduced in 2014 have helped to hold prices for some lenses.

Specifically, GfK’s data show strong growth among several new DD lens styles in 2015, such as: toric—unit volume up 37%, multifocal—66% unit growth, and cosmetic—59% unit growth.

IACLE Calls for Professional Involvement in CL Fitting and Supply

The International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) released a position statement that calls for trained professionals to be involved in the fitting and supply of contact lenses in all countries to help ensure their proper use worldwide. This follows a recent release of a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which highlighted the need for education efforts to improve contact lens hygiene behaviors.

IACLE notes that regulations on contact lens fitting and supply vary widely around the world. In some countries, legislation requires that contact lenses only be fitted by a suitably trained and/or qualified eyecare or health professional; in other countries, fitting remains unregulated. Likewise, supply of contact lenses may be restricted to specified personnel, or they may be available via pharmacies, supermarkets, and online suppliers, or from unregulated optical shops.

IACLE’s position is that whenever contact lenses are fitted and supplied, safeguards must be in place to help protect the health and comfort of wearers’ eyes. The organization also believes that the involvement of a trained professional in contact lens fitting and supply is important to the proper use of contact lenses worldwide.

CooperVision Seeks Best Practices Honorees

CooperVision recently unveiled a Best Practices initiative (EyeCareBestPractices.com)—kicking off a nationwide search for honorees. The company says that Best Practices will discover and recognize U.S. eyecare practices that have found unique ways to make their businesses thrive and can share a refreshing perspective with the entire profession.

All U.S. optometry practices currently fitting contact lenses are invited to participate. Best Practices candidates are encouraged to submit practice profiles and stories, sharing their insights and experiences in one or more of the following areas:

• Innovation will be evaluated on contributions to the betterment of eye health and education, leveraging technology in interesting ways to grow the practice, and advancing the eyecare profession among the public.

• Patient Experience will be judged on how a practice delivers excellent eyecare experiences and education to its patients as well as unique aspects of patient care.

• Business Culture will be rated on a cultivation of staff, an enriching working environment, and community impact in relation to the overall success of the office.

Candidates can choose to submit their stories via written responses or video at EyeCareBestPractices.com. Applications will be accepted through Monday, Nov. 23, 2015.

The inaugural Best Practices recipients will be announced in January 2016. CooperVision says that honorees will be broadly recognized among their peers and presented with opportunities to help educate and elevate the profession.

FTC Stops App’s Misleading Claims

To settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges, the marketers of a software application for mobile devices and personal computers have agreed to stop making deceptive claims that their “Ultimeyes” app can improve users’ vision. Under the terms of a proposed settlement with the FTC, Carrot Neurotechnology, Inc. and its co-owners have also agreed to pay $150,000.

The FTC’s complaint states that since 2012, Carrot Neurotechnology, Inc. and its co-owners, Adam Goldberg and Aaron Seitz, have advertised and sold Ultimeyes claiming that it is “scientifically shown to improve vision.” Ads for Ultimeyes claimed that users would benefit from “comprehensive vision improvement” and that using the app would reduce the need for glasses and contact lenses.

The ads further claimed that studies, including those conducted by Seitz, prove that Ultimeyes works. The FTC alleges that Seitz’s studies and other “scientific research” do not prove that Ultimeyes improves vision. The FTC also alleges that the marketers failed to disclose Seitz’s affiliation with the company when touting his studies in advertising.

The proposed settlement requires Carrot and its owners to have competent and reliable scientific evidence before making the vision claims challenged in the FTC complaint for Ultimeyes and similar products, or claims regarding the health benefits, performance, efficacy, safety, or side effects of any product or service. The proposed order also prohibits them from misrepresenting any scientific research, and it requires them to clearly disclose any connections with anyone conducting or participating in scientific research whom they cite as substantiation for their claims and to disclose connections with anyone endorsing their products.