Contact lens prescribing trends 2015 : The Efron, Morgan and Woods 16th annual survey of Australian contact lens prescribing habits

The 16th annual survey ofAustralian contact lens prescribingwas conducted from January toApril 2015. The same format as inprevious years was employed. Ane-mail was sent to all members ofOptometry Australia with a link to adownloadable questionnaire, and arequest that this be accessed, printedand completed to provide detailsof the first 10 patients fitted withcontact lenses after receipt of thequestionnaire.The survey was specifically designedto be straightforward to completewhile capturing key informationabout their patients. Practitionerswere asked general questions aboutthemselves. For each contact lensfitting, they were requested tocomplete the following details: dateof fitting, new fitting or refitting, ageand sex of patient, lens material, lensdesign, frequency of replacement,times per week of wear, modality(daily or extended wear) and caresystem. Practitioners were asked toreturn the questionnaire by fax, postor e-mail.Completed questionnaires relatingto 353 contact lens fittings werereturned, which provides a soundbasis for a meaningful analysis. Eachfitting was given a weighting based onthe number of lenses fitted per yearby the practitioner, based on the dateinformation on the form. This meansthat data generated by practitionerswho have a higher frequency of fittingcontact lenses were afforded a higherweighting than those taking longer tofit the 10 patients with lenses.This discussion concentratesprimarily on data relating to newlens fittings as opposed to refittings.We believe that new fittings are amore sensitive barometer of currentpatterns and future trends, whereasrefittings are more indicative ofprevious fitting behaviours.In keeping with other markets aroundthe world,1 the majority of lenses (62per cent) were fitted to females. Theaverage age of contact lens wearersat the time of fitting was 32.2 ± 16.5years. The age at fitting ranged fromeight to 75 years.

Trends in Australian contact lens prescribing during the first decade of the 21st century (2000–2009)

Purpose:  The aim was to document contact lens prescribing trends in Australia between 2000 and 2009.

Methods:  A survey of contact lens prescribing trends was conducted each year between 2000 and 2009. Australian optometrists were asked to provide information relating to 10 consecutive contact lens fittings between January and March each year.

Results:  Over the 10-year survey period, 1,462 practitioners returned survey forms representing a total of 13,721 contact lens fittings. The mean age (± SD) of lens wearers was 33.2 ± 13.6 years and 65 per cent were female. Between 2006 and 2009, rigid lens new fittings decreased from 18 to one per cent. Low water content lenses reduced from 11.5 to 3.2 per cent of soft lens fittings between 2000 and 2008. Between 2005 and 2009, toric lenses and multifocal lenses represented 26 and eight per cent, respectively, of all soft lenses fitted. Daily disposable, one- to two-week replacement and monthly replacement lenses accounted for 11.6, 30.0 and 46.5 per cent of all soft lens fittings over the survey period, respectively. The proportion of new soft fittings and refittings prescribed as extended wear has generally declined throughout the past decade. Multi-purpose lens care solutions dominate the market. Rigid lenses and monthly replacement soft lenses are predominantly worn on a full-time basis, whereas daily disposable soft lenses are mainly worn part-time.

Conclusions:  This survey indicates that technological advances, such as the development of new lens materials, manufacturing methods and lens designs, and the availability of various lens replacement options, have had a significant impact on the contact lens market during the first decade of the 21st Century.

Trends in US contact lens prescribing 2002 to 2014

Purpose To document contact lens prescribing patterns in the United States between 2002 and 2014. Methods A survey of contact lens prescribing trends was conducted each year between 2002 and 2014, inclusive. Randomly selected contact lens practitioners were asked to provide information relating to 10 consecutive contact lens fits between January and March each year. Results Over the 13-year survey period, 1650 survey forms were received from US practitioners representing details of 7702 contact lens fits. The mean (±SD) age of lens wearers was 33.6 (±15.2) years, of whom 65.2% were female. Rigid lens new fits decreased from 13.0% in 2002 to 9.4% in 2014. Across this period, silicone hydrogels have replaced mid water contact lens hydrogels as the soft lens material of choice. Toric lenses represented about 25 to 30% of all soft lens fits. Multifocal soft lenses are generally preferred to monovision. Daily disposable lens fits have recently increased, and in 2014, they represented 27.1% of all soft lens fits. Most lenses are prescribed on 1 to 2 weekly or monthly lens replacement regimen. Extended wear remains a minority lens wearing modality. The vast majority of those wearing reusable lenses use multipurpose lens care solutions. Lenses are mostly worn 7 d/wk. Conclusions This survey has revealed prescribing trends and preferences in the United States over the past 13 years.

International contact lens prescribing in 2011

This is the 11th annual report of contact lens prescribing trends that we have prepared for Contact Lens Spectrum. Each year, we capture current modes of contact lens practice by asking practitioners in each market (optometrists, opticians or ophthalmologists, as appropriate) to provide information about the first 10 lens fits undertaken after receiving our paper or electronic survey form. In 2011, we captured information about 22,362 fits in 29 countries.

International contact lens prescribing in 2007

Our annual review of international prescribing trends reports on close to 20,000 prospectively conducted fits in 27 countries.

International contact lens prescribing in 2006

Our annual update on contact lens prescribing trends reports on more than 22,000 prospectively conducted fits in 19 countries.

International contact lens prescribing in 2005

This article presents our fifth annual survey of international contact lens prescribing trends. In the first half of 2005, we analyzed prescribing habits in 15 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. In each country, we sent 1,000 surveys (or fewer in countries where this exceeded the total number of practitioners) to contact lens clinicians who were randomly selected from appropriate national registers.

International contact lens prescribing in 2004

This article presents our fourth annual survey of international contact lens prescribing trends. In 2004, we analyzed prescribing habits in 14 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. To each, we sent 1,000 surveys (or a pro-rata number in countries with less than 1,000 practitioners) to clinicians randomly selected from appropriate national registers.

The surveys elicited prospective information about contact lenses and care products that respondents prescribed to up to 10 patients fit after the study began. We employed a weighting system to better reflect the trends of busier practices.

International contact lens prescribing in 2003

This is our third annual survey of international contact lens prescribing trends. Between January and March 2003, we analyzed prescribing habits in 10 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Greece, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. In the larger countries, we randomly sent 1,000 surveys to contact lens practitioners selected from national registers of qualified clinicians (in the United States, we used the subscriber list of Contact Lens Spectrum). In Norway and Singapore, where the number of practitioners is less than 1,000, we mailed out a pro rata quantity of surveys.

International contact lens prescribing 2002

This paper presents our second annual survey of international contact lens prescribing trends. From January to March 2002, we analyzed contact lens prescribing habits in eight countries: Australia, Canada, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. With the exception of Norway and Singapore (545 and 390 surveys, respectively), 1,000 questionnaires were randomly sent out to a cross section of contact lens practitioners.

Trends in Australian contact lenses prescribing 2000

Background:This study was conducted to ascertain current modes of contact lens prescribing in Australia.

Methods:One thousand questionnaires were randomly distributed to proportionate samples of optometrists in each state of Australia. The profession fits the majority of contact lenses in Australia and the sample represents 55 per cent of all optometrists. We requested details of the first 10 patients fitted with contact lenses after receipt of the questionnaire.

Results:We received 224 completed questionnaires, detailing contact lens fits to 2,230 patients. The mean age of the patient group was 32.3 ± 12.9 years and 65 per cent of these were female. Sixty per cent of patients were existing wearers, the remainder being new fits. The data indicated that 94 per cent of new fits were with soft lenses, of which six per cent were for extended wear. For refits 83 per cent were soft lenses and 24 per cent were extended wear. It was clear that the lens of first choice was mid-water-content (52 per cent of all soft lens fits). Only nine per cent of all soft fits were for lenses which were not replaced on a planned basis. The majority of rigid lenses were prescribed using mid-Dk materials (71 per cent). Analysis of solution prescribing indicates that multipurpose products were the most common regimens for planned replacement soft lenses. The percentage of hydrogen peroxide prescribed increased as lens replacement became less frequent.

Conclusions:Non-planned replacement lenses are now rarely prescribed to patients. Extended wear lenses and rigid lenses are prescribed more to existing contact lens wearers. The impact of multifocal lens designs on contact lens prescribing is very small, namely, five per cent of soft contact lenses and eight per cent of rigid lenses, despite 20 per cent of patients being over 45 years of age.