The rewarding world of specialist contact lenses

He told OT: “It’s clear that disposable lenses don’t meet everyone’s needs – whether due to fit, comfort, or lifestyle requirements. This is where specialty lenses, such as orthokeratology (ortho-k) and scleral lenses, come in.”

“The potential is only increasing, especially as they can offer effective solutions for myopia management, keratoconus, and other conditions,” he said, adding: “Looking ahead, it’s clear that this area will continue to grow, and practitioners who start engaging with it now will be well-positioned for the future.” 

The professional services team at Scotlens has hands-on experience with fitting specialty lenses and offer educational resources ranging from continuing professional development (CPD) sessions and webinars, to an online library. 

Brown suggested however, that the most effective learning comes through experience. “As you begin to fit patients with specialty lenses, you’ll naturally develop a deeper understanding of how to handle each individual case,” he said.  

Practitioners are encouraged to contact the company for any support, which can be provided by email or Zoom calls.

“The feedback we receive from our customers highlights the value of this hands-on support, as it enables them to grow in their practice while delivering better outcomes for their patients,” he said.

Brown reassured practitioners that getting started with specialty contact lenses is a straightforward process. 

He said: “Whether you’re starting from scratch or expanding an existing service, we’re here to provide guidance on best practices, pricing strategies, and patient management. Our goal is to help you integrate specialty lenses into your practice smoothly, while also ensuring that the service is both financially viable and professionally rewarding.”

In addition to providing patients with the best possible vision correction to suit their needs, practices with a focus on fitting specialty lenses can see a substantial return on investment, Brown suggested. 

Building trust

Thomas Hedley, commercial director for Ultravision, noted that patients requiring specialist lenses, such as those with keratoconus, are often referred to the NHS.
“As we all know, there is a lot of pressure on the NHS, and those patients can be fitted successfully in a practice setting,” he said, which means less waiting time for the patient.

Ultravision’s clinical services manager, Sujata Paul, highlighted the value of specialty contact lenses in differentiating the practice, providing benefits in revenue and growing a patient base. 

Meeting the specific needs of a patient with a tailored solution also engenders trust in the practitioner, she said: “A lot of these patients come through word of mouth, because they talk about the good experience they had at the practice.”

Ultravision has a series of resources, webinars, and online training courses, and also offers face-to-face training. 

Paul identified that a common misconception of speciality contact lenses is the potential complexity of fitting. 

“I get the feeling that the topic of specialist contact lenses is viewed as complex. I think a lot of clinicians overcomplicate it, but it’s quite straightforward and it’s just about breaking it down into simple steps,” she said. 

She added: “Practices won’t need that much extra chair time, because they are already doing a lot of these things anyway. A lot of practices will have a topographer, or if fitting empirically, they will have K readings, the spectacle Rx, and patient history.”

Most Ultravision contact lenses can be empirically fit, so practices are not reliant on having a topographer. Hedley added: “We have calculators and tools on our website where practitioners can enter the patient’s readings to calculate the lens to choose.”

The company can also offer advice on how to calculate pricing, while trial sets are also available. 

Increasing relevance

Christina Olner, head of professional affairs, UK and Ireland for CooperVision, told OT: “Practices that invest in specialist lens training and prioritise patient-centric care can position themselves to provide advanced, tailored solutions.”

Introducing specialist contact lenses expands the service range provided in the practice, addressing a wider array of patient needs. She added: “Many practitioners specialising in scleral lenses also develop referral partnerships with local eye hospitals, expanding their scope to manage more complex cases.” 

The growing focus on myopia management also highlights the importance of offering a diverse portfolio, Olner noted. 

CooperVision hosts webinars, training days and workshops, including e-learning courses, for the EyeDream Ortho-K and scleral lens portfolio. In-person training and face-to-face CPD events also allow for direct engagement with experts and peers. 

The training programmes are designed to equip practitioners with the skills to fit and prescribe the lenses, while improving patient outcomes and practice profitability. Front of house training for practice team members is also available.

Olner said: “For practices starting with EyeDream Ortho-K lenses, we provide virtual accreditation meetings with ongoing support designed to build confidence in fitting and managing these lenses.” 

CooperVision’s Visavy cloud-based fitting software is designed to enhance efficiency in ortho-k fitting. 

A misconception of specialty lenses is that they are irrelevant for mainstream patients, Olner suggested. 

She told OT: “In reality, the evidenced rise in myopia suggests these lenses are a vital part of comprehensive eye care,” pointing to the role of specialty lenses in addressing the diverse visual needs of patients.