FREQUENT
REPLACEMENT
(PLANNED/PROGRAMMED)
&
SAVINGS PLANS
Objectives of this lecture:
1. To be able to determine who is a good
candidate for soft lenses replaced every one to three months
I. What
is Frequent Replacement?
II. Why
have planned replacement?
A.
Proactive or reactive contact lens care
B.
Comprehensive eye care
C. Assures
patients will be returning for eye care - beneficial to patient and practice
D.
Promotes service not products
III.
Who is a candidate for planned replacement?
A. New
patients
B.
Patients with symptoms
C.
Patients without symptoms
IV.
Benefits
A.
Benefits to patient
1.
Clean, new lenses
2. Lens
replacement prior to lenses becoming old and deposited
3.
Increased health
4.
Reduced lens cost (lens at cost - payment for care, unlimited care)
5. Good
vision
6.
Spare lenses
7. Increased
comfort
8.
Disposability of lenses
9.
Increased contrast sensitivity
10.
Reduced office visits (4 1/2 vs. 6)
11.
Solutions
12.
Reduced care - Biofilm begins within minutes of lens wear
13.
Convenience
14.
Program individualized
15.
Added benefits included in plan such as back-up glasses, insurance, annual eye
exams, etc.
16. No
hidden costs
B.
Benefits to practitioner
1.
Increased practitioner control of patients health
2.
Fewer serious complications resulting from old lenses and patients waiting too
long to be examined - reduced chair time
3.
Greater patient loyalty
4.
Competitiveness with $29 lens fees - reduced lens costs
5.
Back-up spectacles and annual comprehensive eye exams for patients
6. Use
of proper solutions by patients
7.
Inspires confidence and trust in practitioner
8.
Promotes seriousness of good eye care
9.
Solution costs spent in-office instead of outside markets
10.
Increased profits
11.
Streamlined pricing
12.
Referrals from happy patients
V.
Fitting
A. Wide
variety of lens parameters - spherical, torics and tints
B. Fit
with diagnostic lenses in vials or from blister packs
C.
Interval of replacement is determined
D.
Inventory
E.
Available lenses
1.
Packaged lenses (Blister packs)
Optima FW (Bausch & Lomb) - Available in 4 pack or 6 pack
Visibility
tint & B&L inversion indicator
8.4,
8.7 & 9.0mm BCR
Powers:
-9.00-+4.00D
Approx.
Cost: $4.50/lens to $2.85/lens
DW, FW
or EW
Optima 38 Spare Pair
2
blister pack/ $12 or 1 $7
Gold
Medalist Toric (B&L) - Available in 4 packs
8.3
& 8.6mm BCR
Powers:
-6.00-+4.00
Cyl.:
-0.75, -1.25 & -1.75D
Axis
180°+20°, 90°+20° in 10°
Visib.
tint & B&L inversion indicator
Approx.
cost: $13/lens
DW
Optima Toric Core & Select
2 pack
$64.50 -C or $79.50-S
4 pack
$91.50-C or $121.50-S
Focus
(Ciba Vision Corp) - Available in 6 packs (Suggest 1 mth. replacement)
Visibility
tint
8.6
& 8.9mm BCR
Powers:
-8.00-+6.00D
Approx.
Cost: $5.00/lens
DW, FW
or EW
Focus
toric (CVC) - Available in 6 packs
8.9
& 9.2mm BCR
Powers:
-6.00-+4.00D
Cyl.:
-1.00 & -1.75D
Full
circle axis 10° steps
Approx.
Cost: $8.50/lens
DW, FW
or EW
Focus
Softcolors (CVC) - Available in 6 packs
Aqua,
Royal Blue & Evergreen
Parameters
identical to Spherical
Approx.
Cost: $6.75/lens
Gentle
Touch (WJ) - Available in 4 packs
Clear
8.2
& 8.5mm BCR
Powers
-10.00-+6D
Approximate
cost: $6.50/lens
DW/FW
Material
repels deposits - Netrafilcon A
Multiples (Sunsoft)- Available in 4 packs
Visibility
tint
8.9mm
BCR
Powers:
-6.00-+3.00
Approximate
cost: $8/lens
DW or
EW
Multiples Toric (Sunsoft) - Available in 4 packs
Visib.
tint
8.9mmBCR
Cyl.
powers -0.50 to -6.00 in full circle 5 deg. inc.
Approx.
cost: $15-22/lens
DW
Surevue (Vistakon) - Available in 6 packs
Visibility
tint/UV blocker
8.4
& 8.8mm BCR (+, 9.1mm)
Powers:
-9.00-+6.00D
Approx.
Cost: $2.50/lens
2 wk.
DW
Vistavue (Vistakon) - Available in 6 packs
8.6mm
BCR
Powers:
-9.00--0.50D Visib. tint
Hydron Proactive 55 (Ocular Sciences) Available in 6 pack
Visib.
8.7 BCR
Powers:
-10.00--0.25
Approx.
cost: $5/lens
DW, FW
Edge
III Proactive (Ocular Sciences) - Available in 3 pack
8.4,
8.7 & 9.0mm BCR (+, 8.7mm)
Powers:
-8.00-+5.00D
Approx.
Cost: $5/lens
DW
Occasions Multifocal (B&L) Available in 4 pack
Visibility
tint & inversion indicator
8.6mm
BCR
Powers:
-9.00-+6.00D, Add +1.50D
Approximate
cost: $11.50/lens
DW
Specialty T-FRP & Specialty Progressive Multifocal (Specialty Ultravision)
2. Vial
programs
Any
lens can be used; however, costs are generally increased
Added
benefit of including bifocals, opaques, etc.
Preference DW/FW & Preference Std. DW (CooperVision) - Available in 4 pack
vials
Visibility
tint
8.4
& 8.7mm BCR (Pref. Std. DW 8.3, 8.6, 8.7)
Powers:
-10.00--0.25D (Pref. Std. DW -10-+6D)
Approx.
Cost: $7.50/lens
DW or
FW
Deposit-resistant,
no enzyming needed over 3 month period.
Preference Toric (CooperVision) Available in 4 pack
8,4,
8.7 BCR
Powers:
-6.00-PL
Cyl:
-0.75, -1.25, -1.75, -2.25
Full
circle axis 5°
Approx.
cost: $16/lens
DW
Proclear (DW) (Biocompatibles, LTD) - Vials 6 mth. planned replacement
8.2,8.5,8.8
BCR
Powers:
-8-+6
Approximate
Cost: $19/lens
Proclear Compatibles
6 packs
(1 month replacement)
8.6 BCR
Powers:
-10-Pl
Approx.
cost: $4/lens
3.
Disposables
Seequence (B&L) - to phase out
Optima FW (B&L) $17/6pack
Soflens 66 (B&L) $15/6 pack or $58.75 30 pk.
Newvues & Newvue Softcolors (Ciba Vision Corp.) $16 & $25/6 pack
Hydron Biomedics 38 & Hydron Biomedics 55 (Ocular Sciences/American Hydron)
$15/6 pack
Acuvue
(Vistakon) $15/6pack
1 day
Acuvue (Vistakon) $19.50/30 pack
Fresh
Look Lite Tint, Fresh Look Color Enhancers & Fresh Look Colors
(Wesley-Jessen) $15/$27/$27
Precision UV (WJ) $15/6 pack
Specialty Choice A.B. (Spec. Ultravision) $15/6 pack
VI. How
often to replace?
1. 1-3
months - popular
2.
Individualized
3.
Daily?, 1 week, 2 weeks, monthly, every 2 months, quarterly or semi-annually
VII.
Dispensing
A. All
at once - all lenses given to patient initially
B.
Quarterly or semi-annually
1. At
these visits, the patient may be given a 3 month supply of solutions -
increased patient commitment to program
C.
Vials -vs- packs
D.
Solutions
E.
Cases replacement
F.
Stress patient compliance to replacement schedule - May have patient return old
lenses when picking up new lenses
G. Keep
an inventory so that lenses may be dispensed from inventory
VIII.
Fees Economics
A.
Objectives
1.
Emphasize value of services versus lens materials
2. Keep
planned replacement fees competitive with traditional lens fees
3.
Differentiate frequent replacement fees from extended wear disposable lenses
B. What
to include in package?
1.
Lenses
2.
Solutions
3.
Unlimited contact lens-related visits for 1 year
4.
Comprehensive eye exam (to insure patients are seen yearly)
5. Insurance
or service agreement
6.
Back-up spectacles
7.
Sunglasses
C.
Practice benefits
1.
Provides long-term profit to practice
2.
Economic alternative for patients to disposables
3.
Upgrade current patients from traditional replacement
4.
Makes lens costs competitive with commercial practices yet emphasizing patient
care and health
D.
Setting fees
1.
Professional care fee + lens fee
2.
Itemize individual costs to determine overall fee
Lens
cost + Solutions + Service fees + Office costs
E. Payment
of fees
1. Pay
all fees initially
2. Pay
fees quarterly
3. Pay
fees semi-annually
4.
Patients are more likely to come to the office when symptoms arise as it is
prepaid instead of waiting until serious complications occur
5.
Collect an initial fee which will cover lens costs if patient would decide not
to return
IX.
Recall & Renewal
A.
Company recall & renewal notices
B.
Office postcards
C.
Renewal fees the same as initial fees or reduced
D.
Boxes may be marked with time to replace lenses or magnetic calendar for
refrigerator with replacement date & office telephone number
X. Role
of Staff/Technicians
A.
Initial introduction of planned replacement to patients
B.
Educate staff
C.
Recall/Renewal/Fees/Lens pick-up/Lens orders
D.
Decreased problems with lenses means happier patients; thus less hassle for the
staff or technicians which may receive the brunt of a dissatisfied patient
frustration
(VAH
Revised 1998)