Clear Comfort VS. CooperVision 55 (trial) & Vertex Sphere

Hi,

Quick question: Is Clear Comfort the same as
Coopervision's Vertex Sphere?

I was recently sold a one-year supply of Clear
Comfort, even though I had been fitted with a
CooperVision trial lens labeled "55."

My eye care professional has told me that Clear
Comfort is identical to what I tried on. He said the
lenses labeled "55" were CooperVision Vertex Spheres.


According to him, 55, Vertex Sphere, and Clear Comfort
all are the same.

Is the doctor correct? I'm concerned that I've been
given an inferior product.

Please clarify this when you have a chance.

Thanks.

 

Could be the same lens. Someone will know. (Cooper will tell you if you
make them). Cooper is the WORST for marketing the same lens under
multiple brand names just to confuse you and us. It's disgusting
marketing technique dreamt up by some idiotic bean counter, for sure...

w.stacy, o.d.

 

The manufacturer sells to the dispensers. The dispensers
want to keep their customers. The manufacturer enables
this with many brand names for the same lens. If you prescribe
a lens that is not as likely to be found elsewhere (like the
internet discounters) your customer is likely to fill/refill their
script from you. I believe this is the motivation behind it.

-Quick

 

I think you're right, but it's sick. Can you imagine a pharmacy selling
Bayer Aspirin under the label "Bobocaps", just so they can (confuse and)
retain their customers?

Any prescriber that depends on this kind of shennanigans to keep his
patients buying contacts from himself is charging too much for the
contacts, or too little for his services, or more likely, both...

w.stacy, o.d.

 

Meet the real world. Where do those "store brands" and "private labels"
come from in the stores? The exact same place the others do. If you
order enough, they put your label on. The merchandise is the same, only
the label is different.

 

Actually the "store brands" and "private labels" are a bit
of a different thing. "I have this Target widget that I like"
is very different than "my doctor prescribed this specific
medical device for my condition".

What are the regualtions in the US? If someone brings
in a prescription for "SuperVision 2000" contacts lenses
are you allowed to fill it with an alternate brand name?

-Quick

 

I believe Clear Comfort is an old Cooper brand: it is listed in a
Coopervision Premarket approval (P850079/S030) for their methafilcon
lenses

I dont know if it is available in the US, but Sauflon are also
manufacturing and producing a lens called Clear Comfort, and they may
well be using moulding technology licensed from Cooper in the UK
(http://www.sauflon.co.uk/sauflon-clear-comfort.html).

Generic prescribing of contact lenses is not currently allowed in the
US.

Certain manufacturers are known to take advantage of this by "own
branding", ie a well established lens is offered to optical chains
labelled as the Acme lens (for example). Since the supply of the Acme
lens will be highly restricted, the patient has no real option but to
buy their lenses from their prescriber