most commonly RX'd contacts??

Hello everybody,
I am a third year Optometry student at Pacific University. In clinic
today, my attending doctor gave my group an assigmnet so we could get a
better feel for what's being used out there in terms of soft CL's.
Instead of going around and asking professors (like everyone else,) I
thought I'd get on here and ask some of you out there in the real
world. Which lenses do you prefer to use on a typical young, roughly
spherical patient? Have you noticed much reluctance for docs to move
to new materials like silicone hydrogel and wearing schedules (rather
than the old 2 wk?) I've heard that the Europeans have been much more
likely to adopt new modalities than their American counterparts.
Thanks a bunch,
-Levi Z.

i believe (could be wrong) that Acuvue 2 is still the #1 brand of
contact lenses sold in the US. but it is rapidly losing market share
to the newer competitively-priced silicone hydrogel (sihy) lenses (AV
Advance, 02 Optix, etc.)

i believe there is almost no reluctance on the part of doctors to
switch their patients to sihy lenses. they are clearly better.

aside from any input from the patient (habitual lenses, brand
preference based upon their previous experiences, etc.) i guess my
favorite spherical disposable lens is 02 Optix.

i can't say much about European fitting practices vs. american. i just
don't know.

===============
(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> Hello everybody,
> I am a third year Optometry student at Pacific University. In clinic
> today, my attending doctor gave my group an assigmnet so we could get a
> better feel for what's being used out there in terms of soft CL's.
> Instead of going around and asking professors (like everyone else,) I
> thought I'd get on here and ask some of you out there in the real
> world. Which lenses do you prefer to use on a typical young, roughly
> spherical patient? Have you noticed much reluctance for docs to move
> to new materials like silicone hydrogel and wearing schedules (rather
> than the old 2 wk?) I've heard that the Europeans have been much more
> likely to adopt new modalities than their American counterparts.
> Thanks a bunch,
> -Levi Z.

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> Hello everybody,
> I am a third year Optometry student at Pacific University. In clinic
> today, my attending doctor gave my group an assigmnet so we could get a
> better feel for what's being used out there in terms of soft CL's.
> Instead of going around and asking professors (like everyone else,) I
> thought I'd get on here and ask some of you out there in the real
> world. Which lenses do you prefer to use on a typical young, roughly
> spherical patient? Have you noticed much reluctance for docs to move
> to new materials like silicone hydrogel and wearing schedules (rather
> than the old 2 wk?) I've heard that the Europeans have been much more
> likely to adopt new modalities than their American counterparts.
> Thanks a bunch,
> -Levi Z.


How's Forest Grove these days ( you must be doing an externship
this summer)?

If you're asking the actual statistics on the most commonly
rx'ed cl's it is likely the acuvues.

Silicone hydrogels are really taking over; I'm fitting these for both
refit and new fit patients. My top choices are the 02 optix and
night and days but I do fit many Pure Vision as well.

Among the non-silicone lenses, my top choices are the proclears
and the vertex/encores.

I don't see any reluctance among my colleagues in fitting
new materials in the U.S. versus our European counterparts.
But you have to separate the hype versus the actual
performance, whether new cl materials or new medications,
on the market.

Best of luck in your 4th yr at Pacific.

frank

I'll echo dr frank.

> If you're asking the actual statistics on the most commonly
> rx'ed cl's it is likely the acuvues.

I believe that's mostly because of marketing by commercial opticals and
the pre- silicone hydrogel mass marketing of two week disposable
lenses. J&J did a great promo job. And it's actually a good lens for
what it is, compared. Among private practitioners, at least......
>
> Silicone hydrogels are really taking over; I'm fitting these for both
> refit and new fit patients. My top choices are the 02 optix and
> night and days but I do fit many Pure Vision as well.

Likewise. Purevision in toric and multifocal is the only player in that
catagory, at the moment. I no longer fit "standard" HEMMA plastics.
>
> Among the non-silicone lenses, my top choices are the proclears
> and the vertex/encores.

Proclear is also my other primary soft lens of choice.
>
> I don't see any reluctance among my colleagues in fitting
> new materials in the U.S. versus our European counterparts.
> But you have to separate the hype versus the actual
> performance, whether new cl materials or new medications,
> on the market.

I would disagree, at least in my neighborhood. Our colleagues are a
little slow in adopting new designs, especially multifocals and to a
lesser extent, torics. But you asked about spherical.
>
> Best of luck in your 4th yr at Pacific.

4 years? I STILL takes that long to become an OD eye doc? ;-0)

LB, O.D.

I hate acuvues with a passion. Can't understand why anyone would use
them. Advance are certainly an improvement. I use primarily PureVision
and dailies in my practice these days.

Most optoms stick to a certain brand they are comfortable with, and
particularly chain stores are more likely to push or offer only a small
range of lenses so the optoms don't have a choice.

dr grant

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> Hello everybody,
> I am a third year Optometry student at Pacific University. In clinic
> today, my attending doctor gave my group an assigmnet so we could get a
> better feel for what's being used out there in terms of soft CL's.
> Instead of going around and asking professors (like everyone else,) I
> thought I'd get on here and ask some of you out there in the real
> world. Which lenses do you prefer to use on a typical young, roughly
> spherical patient? Have you noticed much reluctance for docs to move
> to new materials like silicone hydrogel and wearing schedules (rather
> than the old 2 wk?) I've heard that the Europeans have been much more
> likely to adopt new modalities than their American counterparts.
> Thanks a bunch,
> -Levi Z.

In my practice:

#1 = Oasys

#2 = Oasys

#3 = Oasys

#4 = Proclear/BMXC, Focus N&D, Purevision

DrG

Hello, it appears that anywhere from -1.5 to -4 is the most commonly
pescribed. The fact begs is about 2/3 of myopes are in that range. Very
low myopes dont really need correction so they dont wear glasses nor
contacts. Theres alot less high myopes so you dont see too many -6s and
beyond.

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> Hello, it appears that anywhere from -1.5 to -4 is the most commonly
> pescribed. The fact begs is about 2/3 of myopes are in that range. Very
> low myopes dont really need correction so they dont wear glasses nor
> contacts. Theres alot less high myopes so you dont see too many -6s and
> beyond.

You don't see any because you aren't a doctor. I believe that the
*optometry student* was interested more in the brand than a normal
distribution of refractive error.

DrG

Thanks for all the great input from everyone. It was really helpful.
Things are great here in the Grove... I think Pacific is a great
school for the most part. Yeah, opt school still takes four years. It
seems like they keep having to cram more and more into the same amount
of time though. I guess that's bound to happen, as we get more
priveledges and technology advances.