EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE

EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING IN SPECIALTY CONTACT LENSES

JASON J. NICHOLS, OD, MPH, PHD, FAAO

The October issue of Contact Lens Spectrum is one of our most cherished each year as it is our annual GP/specialty lens edition of the journal. There has been so much excitement in the specialty lens categories over the last several years, in part due to a revitalization of lens designs associated with new material technologies. This excitement comes as the pessimists continue to predict declines in the GP contact lens segments of our practices.

As noted in our Annual GP Report, written by Clinical Features Editor Dr. Ed Bennett, we are seeing some interesting trends in the specialty lens categories. Practitioners are truly excited about the opportunities afforded by specialty lens expansions. There are so many new options in many of the specialty lens segments of the market—from new sclerals and advanced hybrid designs to custom soft lenses. And, let’s not forget about contact lenses that we can use for myopia control. While this is still an off-label use, there is tremendous potential for U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance of contact lenses for myopia control—hopefully in the not-so-distant future!

While practitioners generally remain excited about all of the potentials with specialty contact lenses today, there is no doubt that our patients are the ones who truly benefit from our extended uses of these contact lenses given the impact that they can have on the quality of their lives.