To paraphrase the old saying, three things in life are certain: taxes, death, and change. Change occurs all the time. Nothing stays the same. This happens in all areas of life, and contact lenses are not exempted. We have seen changes in lens designs, lens materials, and in the fitting methods applied in practice.

While these changes allow practitioners to offer more and better options to patients, what has also evolved is the business model of providing contact lenses that come in a box to patients via the internet and other outlets based on ease of procurement and on price. These sources of lenses are what the market demands—and what the market increasingly provides.

What is often missing is the important ongoing professional eye care that contact lens practitioners provide. Our eyes are very precious, and unfortunately, vision can be taken for granted.

Dental visits are routine in caring for our teeth. But somehow, with readily available sources of contact lens products, routine consultations and preventative measures are not deemed important by patients in caring for their eyes.

How Can Eyecare Providers Compete and Survive?

Competing on price is typically not an option. What practitioners must offer and demonstrate as being different is a personal and thorough consultation that includes the very latest options in contact lenses that provide optimal clarity and comfort for patients. And, practitioners must not be reluctant to charge a corresponding fee for their expertise.

Custom lenses that provide optimal lens fitting and lens powers are a good option. In my 50+ years in a professional practice specializing in contact lenses, I never provided a cast-molded frequent replacement lens for my patients even though my laboratory was manufacturing such lenses. I provided custom-designed lenses for my patients’ eyes, with a three-month replacement frequency as my “disposables.”

Scleral lenses are a great way to differentiate and build a contact lens practice. I always said in my scleral lens workshops: “Fit the first patient, and others will follow.” Providing this option is both so beneficial for the patients and satisfying for the practitioner. It makes practice interesting and rewarding.

If You Can’t Find What You Need, Make What You Need

All contact lens practitioners are important for the future of contact lenses. We must not accept 20/happy as sufficient. After all, contact lens practitioners are in the seeing business, and it is their job to provide their patients with the best vision possible.

All practitioners are at the coalface; they need to know what lenses are available, and they must wish for and see what further developments and improvements would be beneficial for their patients.

If you have an idea for a contact lens, then speak to your laboratory and ask them to help with its design and to make prototype lenses for you. If your current laboratory is not interested in helping to design and make contact lenses for you, then go to another laboratory.

Commit to Change

I worked for contact lens pioneer Josef Dallos in London during my post-graduate studies, and he repeatedly said to me: “Don’t just accept what you are given. We can always do better.” Our future is in our hands. It is up to all contact lens practitioners to be involved in the development of new and better contact lens products for our patients. CLS