The Growing Daily Disposable Opportunity and Smart Ways to Sell Them

Smart Ways To Sell Daily Contacts

Dr. Susan Resnick, Farkas, Kassalow, Resnick & Associates, New York City

We believe dailies are the best solution long-term; we use a three-pronged approach to convince patients to wear them. First, dailies are the safest modality for cleanliness, allergies and comfort. So, we fit our patients in them unless they can’t wear them. For new patients, we tell them 75 percent of our patients wear dailies. Two, for established contact lens patients, we ask if they’re happy with their vision, comfort upon insertion and how many hours they wear them. Three, convenience is the hook for most patients, along with the medical benefits. Once we explain that we’re prescribing a daily disposable, we take a proactive stance and cost becomes secondary. I believe we still have a lot of opportunity to recapture and present dailies to the presbyopic population and children.

Dr. Brett O’connor, Pullen Eye Care, Jacksonville, Fl

We fit most patients in daily disposables and are confident prescribing them. We believe they’re the best choice for anyone with significant risk of corneal inflammation or infection. They are the most compliant modality and patients find them the most comfortable and convenient. My go-to “workhorse” is NaturalVue Sphere which has a unique wetting agent. If a patient has ocular surface disease or dryness I prescribe Dailies Total1 or Acuvue Oasys. After doing an exam, one of our managers will help patients understand how to maximize their vision benefits, manufacturer’s rebates and incentives so they can order an annual supply. We re-evaluate our prices routinely against our nearest competitor, Walgreens. We know their prices and adjust ours accordingly. With an online ordering portal and free shipping, we’re well positioned to compete on service.