IT IS ESTIMATED that approximately 123 million out of 326 million Americans experience visual challenges from presbyopia (Berdahl et al, 2020). This represents a little more than one-third of the population while Contact Lens Spectrum’s market research showed soft multifocal prescribing to be approximately 15% (Nichols and Fisher, 2024). This indicates that there is still a huge opportunity to help more patients with multifocal correction beyond what is currently being offered.
Some providers may be reluctant to prescribe multifocal contact lenses because their patients are already wearing progressive spectacles. While spectacle correction has shown excellent results for presbyopes, there may be a lot of patients who have not had the opportunity to try multifocal contacts. Daily disposable soft lenses are a great option for part-time contact lens wearers due to the simplified wearing schedule, which makes it easy to use them sporadically and for short intervals.
IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES
It is easy for providers to fall into a routine of practice. A provider’s daily schedule may include patients already labeled with exam types including comprehensives, contact lens check, medical follow-up, etc. One simple way to grow contact lens prescriptions is to ask a simple question in the exam room, such as, “Any interest in trying contact lenses today?” This can also be determined at check-in by staff or through an intake questionnaire.
Patients may have been told by previous practitioners that they weren’t candidates for contact lenses, or they simply might have never thought about them as an option. That simple question invites patients to learn more about their options.
Patients with presbyopia tend to be more established in their careers and have disposable income that could allow them to purchase supplies of dailies in addition to their updated spectacles. Many patients aren’t even aware that multifocal contact lenses exist.
Multifocal lenses could be applied by the eyecare provider before the patient browses the optical to help them better see what their new frames would look like, giving a sense of real-world visual experience.
FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND
When correcting any patient’s presbyopia, there are several factors to consider. The most obvious elements are the patient’s age and add power. However, it could be even more important to consider what the patient will be using contact lenses for. Patients who wear contact lenses part time may only use them when working or for certain activities.
People enjoy all sorts of methods to keep active such as biking, jogging, or playing pickleball. Those who wear contact lenses for these activities may not require as much precise near vision as someone who wears contact lenses every day for all activities.
The near requirement may be just to see one’s watch or check one’s phone. Other patients may be seeking to use contact lenses for events like going out to dinner or weekend functions. In these cases, it could be good to consider the illumination available and counsel the patient on what the experience may be like. The part-time wearer could represent an untapped growth opportunity among presbyopes, with daily disposables as the solution.
References
1. Berdahl J, Bala C, Dhariwal M, Lemp-Hull J, Thakker D, Jawla S. Patient and Economic Burden of Presbyopia: A Systematic Literature Review. Clin Ophthalmol. 2020 Oct 22;14:3439-3450.
2. Nichols JJ, Fisher D. Contact Lenses 2023. Contact Lens Spectrum. 2024 Jan;39:14-19.
