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By Vittorio Mena OD, MS
Sept. 23, 2020
Your presbyopic patients are looking for a solution that will enable them to reclaim youthful vision–without having to wear glasses all the time or carry around reading glasses. Fortunately, I have a multifocal lens, NaturalVue® Multifocal 1 Day Contact Lenses, that allows me to give these patients exactly what they are looking for. Having that ability has enabled me to create many satisfied, long-lasting patients, while generating significant practice revenues.
Wider Range of Vision, Near & Far
I have been successfully using NaturalVue Multifocal 1 Day contact lenses for the past two years now for my presbyopic patients. The biggest advantage this lens offers over other brands is extended depth of focus, which provides the patient with a wider range of vision both at near and for the computer, while also providing crisp, clear distance vision.
Huge Demand for High-Quality Presbyopic Correction
I see approximately 10,000 patients annually, of which about half are presbyopic. Out of the 5,000 remaining I have about 1,500 presbyopes who wear contact lenses. About 33 percent of those 1,500 are in multifocal contact lenses.
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Since I have the trial set for NaturalVue Multifocal 1 Day contact lenses at my disposal, it is easy for me to strike up a conversation about the lens. Many presbyopes wear distance contact lenses with reading glasses over their contacts because they did not know about multifocal contact lenses or because they tried multifocals previously and could not get used to them. When I tell the patient there is a contact lens that can help them see near, far and in between, some are skeptical because they have tried so many multifocals in the past and feel like they will fail yet again. Most are pleasantly surprised when they experience vision in NaturalVue Multifocal 1 Day contact lenses.
Take Time to Educate Your Patients
I always educate my patients on contact lenses. Many of them are still active and participate in activities like biking, softball leagues, tennis, golf and fishing. I always ask about the patient’s work, as well as leisure, activities. I let them know there is a premium daily disposable multifocal lens available for patients who want sharp vision for distance, center and near.
Many times patients drop out of lenses because their eyes are too dry. When I mention this lens as an option to help minimize dryness, since it is a daily disposable, they usually want to try it, and ultimately, end up getting the lens after the fit process.
Similar to progressive eyeglasses, I tell new patients wearing multifocal contact lenses for the first time that it may take a few days to adjust to the contacts, and that they need to keep them on all the time if they want to be successful with them. If you let the patient know the entire process upfront for how long it will take, they will be understanding and will not immediately jump to the conclusion that the lens is not working for them.
They will understand it takes time to adapt, and if small changes need to be made, then the lens will be changed to a new power and then continue the settling process until they are happy.
Patient-Pleaser AND Profitability-Generator
It typically takes 15-30 minutes to get a multifocal contact lens patient happy during the fitting process. As they are sitting with the lenses on (for at least 10 minutes) in my reception area, I see another patient in between to keep others from waiting and to limit lost chair time. If the lens needs to be changed to a new power to enhance vision, the patient will not need to wait another 10 minutes until everything is crisp for them. It generally happens within a few seconds.
Nine out of 10 times I get the fit right on the first try thanks to the NaturalVue Multifocal QuickStart Calculator, an app that can be downloaded for free onto your smartphone. It is also available for your desktop computer.
Fitting fees are higher for multifocal than for single-vision contact lenses because more chair time is required. How much additional chair time is required depends on the expertise of the doctor and how well you follow the fitting guide. Multifocal contact lenses will without a doubt help increase per-patient revenue. Yearly sales, with fitting fees and purchasing of lenses, has generated at least $750,000 in my practice.
The Multifocal that Markets Itself
Marketing of NaturalVue Multifocal 1 Day lenses happens organically, with satisfied patients telling friends and family about the contact lens that is comfortably enabling them to see everything they want to see.
For those patients who come to my office without having heard of NaturalVue Multifocal 1 Day lenses, all I have to do is tell them about the lens, and that it is immediately available for them to try. Once patients see the difference this contact lens makes, they are eager for me to prescribe it for them.
Vittorio Mena OD, MS, is a partner with Optical Academy. To contact him:menavitt@gmail.com
Disclosure: Dr. Mena serves on the Visioneering Technologies, Inc. Speakers Bureau
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