Trends in Contact Lens Wear Notes

Trends in Contact Lens Wear

Learning Outcomes

  • Discuss the prescribing patterns of contact lenses in the United Kingdom.
  • Compare the prescribing patterns in the UK to those of other countries worldwide.
  • Discuss the advantages and limitations of contact lenses as a form of optical correction.
  • Reflect on their role as a prospective contact lens practitioner.

Types of Data

  • Prescribing / Practitioner Data
    • Phil Morgan & co-authors, Eurolens Research, University of Manchester
  • Sales Data
    • ACLM, Euromcontact
  • Consumer Research Data
    • ACLM / Optician

UK Contact Lens Wearers

  • Approximately 4.5M contact lens wearers in UK.
  • Represents approximately 9% of adult population.
  • Latest UK data, >90% of fittings are with soft lenses.

UK Contact Lens Drop-Outs (Veys & Sulley, 2016)

  • Breakdown of glasses wearers, CL wearers, new CL wearers, CL considerers and CL drop-outs.
  • 20 million glasses wearers
  • 5.9 million CL wearers
  • 0.8 million new CL wearers
  • 4.1 million CL considerers
  • 0.7 million CL drop-outs

Reasons For Discontinuation (Veys & Sulley, 2016)

  • Patient-reported reasons for discontinuing lens wear among new wearers (n=56) in a prospective study.
  • Reasons include:
    • Poor Vision
    • Poor Comfort
    • Handling Problems
    • Inconvenience
    • Lost Interest
    • Cost

UK Prescribing Trends - Lens Type (Morgan, 2024)

  • Soft lenses dominate both new fits and refits.
  • Rigid lenses account for a small proportion of new fits and refits.

UK Prescribing Trends - Soft Lens Materials (Morgan 2022)

  • Focus on the shift in soft lens materials over time.
  • Categories: Low WC (Water Content), Mid WC, High WC, and Si-H (Silicone Hydrogel).

UK Prescribing Trends - Soft Lens Materials (Morgan, 2024)

  • New soft materials:
    • Low WC: 1%
    • Mid WC: 1%
    • High WC: 6%
    • Si-H: 88%
  • Refit soft materials:
    • Low WC: 0%
    • Mid WC: 0.5%
    • High WC: 4%
    • Si-H: 95%

UK Prescribing Trends - Lens Design (Morgan 2022)

  • Trends in lens design for soft lenses over time including sphere, toric, and myopia control lenses.

UK Prescribing Trends - Lens Design (Morgan 2024)

  • New soft designs:
    • Sphere: 35%
    • Toric: 40%
    • Multifocal: 18%
    • Monovision: 3%
    • Myopia control: 4%
  • Refit soft designs:
    • Sphere: 33%
    • Toric: 35%
    • Multifocal: 25%
    • Monovision: 6%
    • Myopia control: 1%

UK Prescribing Trends - Replacement Frequency (Morgan 2022)

  • Trends in replacement frequency for soft lenses over time, categorized as daily disposable, 1-2 weekly, monthly, and less frequently.

UK Prescribing Trends - Replacement Frequency (Morgan 2024)

  • New soft replacements:
    • Daily: 43%
    • 1-2 weekly: 4%
    • Monthly: 53%
  • Refit soft replacements:
    • Daily: 71%
    • 1-2 weekly: 4%
    • Monthly: 25%

UK Prescribing Trends - Modality (Morgan 2022)

  • Trends in lens modality for soft lenses, comparing daily wear and extended wear.

International CL Prescribing - European Wearer Base (EuromContact 2023)

  • Wearers in % of Population age 15 -64 - (2023 and 2022 next to each other)

International CL Prescribing - Silicone Hydrogels (Morgan et al 2024)

  • Trends in silicone hydrogel use as a percentage of soft daily wear fits across various countries.

International CL Prescribing - Daily Disposables (Morgan et al 2024)

  • Trends in daily disposable lens use as a percentage of soft daily wear fits across various countries.

International CL Prescribing - Daily Disposables (Morgan et al 2021)

  • SOFT DAILY WEAR FITS AS DD
  • Daily disposable prescribing in 2020 for various countries.

International CL Prescribing - Rigid Lenses (Morgan et al 2021)

  • RIGID LENSES
  • The proportion of GP lens prescribing 2017 to 2021 for markets reporting at least 1,000 fits.

International CL Prescribing - Myopia Control (Morgan et al 2024)

  • MYOPIA CONTROL (OF SOFT LENSES TO 6-17Y)
  • Myopia control lenses as a proportion of soft lenses prescribed to patients aged 6 to 17 years olds from 2019 to 2023 for markets reporting at least 1,000 fits.

International CL Prescribing

  • GP/OK, DD HY, DD SIHY, SOFT HY DW, SI HY DW, SOFT EW trends in different countries like UK, Netherlands, USA, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Lithuania.

Typical CL Wearer (Morgan, 2024)

  • Female (65% Worldwide, 63% UK)
  • Mean Age 36 years worldwide, UK 38 years
  • Full Time v Part Time Wear (< 3 days/week)
    • UK 29% Part Time Wear
    • Canada 21%, Australia 18% PT
    • USA 9%, Netherlands 4%, Taiwan 2% PT

Consumer Attitudes

  • ACLM / Optician Data

Practitioner Attitudes

  • Ewbank (2009) ACLM / Optician Data
  • Frequency of discussing contact lenses with patients 2001-2009:
    • All patients: 7% (2001), 13% (2003), 11% (2009)
    • Those suitable: 74% (2001), 64% (2003), 67% (2009)
    • Only if they ask: 19% (2001), 22% (2003), 20% (2009)

Potential Wearers ACLM / Optician Data

  • Proportion of consumers who would consider trying CLs:
    • If an optician recommended them: 48%
    • If offered a free trial: 42%
    • Occasionally, for example, during sporting activities: 37%

Are Contact Lenses Worth It?

  • Benefits v Risks
  • Advantages v Disadvantages

Advantages

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Disadvantages

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Ten Reasons to Fit Contact Lenses (Efron, 2009)

  • Adaptation to contact lenses is rapid and trouble-free
  • Contact lenses are convenient and expand lifestyle choices
  • Silicone hydrogel lenses minimize ocular complications
  • Daily disposable lenses are especially suited to 'part-time' wear
  • Numerous systems are available to facilitate the convenient lens supply
  • Numerous contact lens options exist for the correction of astigmatism
  • Presbyopia can be corrected with bifocal designs or monovision
  • Contact lenses offer a safe, effective, stable, and reversible alternative to refractive surgery
  • Vision with contact lenses can be as good or better than with spectacles
  • Improved contact lens materials and solutions help alleviate lens-related dry eye

Correcting the Misconceptions

  • New materials and designs mean that contact lenses have never been more comfortable.
  • Large range of lenses available - can satisfy significant proportion of visual needs.
  • Simple care regimes now widely used – not difficult to look after.
  • Incidence of complication is low – significantly lower than LASIK!

Your Role as Practitioner

  • The Clinician
  • The Retailer
  • The Educator

Further Reading

  • Morgan P (2025) Trends in UK contact lens prescribing 2024. Optician. Published Online:10 Jan 2025.
  • Morgan P, Woods C , Tranoudis I et al (2024) International contact lens prescribing 2023.CL Spectrum January 2024. https://clspectrum.com/issues/2024/januaryfebruary/internatio nal-contact-lens-prescribing-in-2023/
  • Morgan P, Woods C , Tranoudis I et al (2021) International contact lens prescribing 2020. CL Spectrum January 2021. https://www.clspectrum.com/issues/2021/january- 2021/international-contact-lens-prescribing-in-2020
  • Veys J & Sulley A (2018) Pay attention to retention. Optician 2nd June 2017.https://jnjvisionpro.co.uk/sites/uk/files/public/en- GB/educational- moments/science/payattentiontoretentionarticle.pdf