Whenever Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, sees a contact lens candidate at the University of California, Davis Eye Center in Sacramento, California, where she’s the principal optometrist, her first recommendation is for a daily replacement contact lens. She’s a strong advocate for one-day lens wear for every patient if possible, but if patients are unwilling or unable to purchase those, a two-week replacement option provides them with an affordable option that brings them closer to daily replacement in the future.
“I encourage patients to start with daily replacement contact lenses, but if they say that they can’t afford them or don’t like what they consider the waste of one-day lenses, then a two-week modality is a good option. ACUVUE® OASYS with HYDRACLEAR® PLUS Contact Lenses are so comfortable,” she says.
Dr. Barnett first talks about the benefits of daily replacement contact lenses, emphasizing the convenience and comfort of wearing fresh contact lenses each day. “Even with existing contact lens wearers, if patients tell me that they are very happy with their current contact lenses, I want to offer the option of new daily replacement contact lens technology. Perhaps when patients come in the following year, they will feel more comfortable with this option.”
She can offer to ease patients into the one-day lens option by suggesting that they can make their two-week lenses their habitual lenses but also purchase some one-day lenses for days when they’re camping or doing sports. That kind of an introduction allows a patient to experience the benefits and convenience of one-day lenses without feeling as though that’s the only option. “Often, these patients are ready to make the move to one-day lenses the following year, after they’ve experienced the advantages firsthand,” she says.
It’s important to plant the seed that one-day lenses are her preferred option but that two-week replacement lenses are an excellent and comfortable alternative. Patients who become accustomed to replacing their contact lenses every two weeks may be more likely to become one-day lens wearers sooner than monthly lens wearers might.
“Many patients feel very comfortable with a two-week contact lens option if they’re not interested or unable to get a one-day lens
prescription,” Dr. Barnett says. ACUVUE® OASYS is a unique brand because of its comfort. The HYDRACLEAR® PLUS technology
helps to stabilize the tear film, minimizing contact lens-related dryness and maintaining moisture, which also make them a great option
for those who spend so much time on their digital devices1. “Having multiple modalities to present is important,” she says. She doesn’t
want to push so hard on one-day contact lenses that patients are tempted to go to another source to get the contact lenses that they want. She would rather that they understand that her strongest recommendation is for one-day contact lenses but that she has excellent options for two-week contact lens wear, too.
If new contact lens wearers aren’t going to start out with daily replacement lenses, she’d rather get them halfway to one day with the more frequent replacement of a two-week lens modality.
1 JJV Data on file. LACREON, HYDRACLEAR Plus, HYDRACLEAR 1 acting as pseudo-mucin layer.
ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses are indicated for vision correction. As with any contact lens, eye problems, including corneal ulcers, can develop. Some wearers may experience mild irritation, itching or discomfort. Lenses should not be prescribed if patients have any eye infection, or experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye problems.
Consult the package insert for complete information. Complete information is also available by visiting jnjvisionpro.com, or by calling Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. at 1-800-843-2020.
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