Optometry has been described as a risk averse profession and practitioners urged to keep the dangers of new products in perspective in relation to extended wear contact lenses.
An online participant, David Farmilo, asked whether practitioners should prescribe extended-wear contact lenses given reported risks.
He was told by David Cartwright that while there were greater risks, the level of that risk was relatively low.
'I suspect practitioners elevate those risks too much because of one case they read about in the Optician two years ago,' said Cartwright.
Dr Philip Morgan said clear advice had to be given to the patient if extended wear was being prescribed. 'There is an increased level of risk when sleeping in lenses but for some people's lifestyle that level of risk might be worthwhile,' he explained.
Dr Morgan said those routinely working with products carrying side effects, such as GPs, would take a different view of risk. 'We are a risk averse profession, you never have a problem with spectacles.'
