Internet contact lens prices continue to fall

The average price of daily disposable contact lenses on the internet continues to fall, although some of the least expensive online suppliers have increased their lowest prices.

That is the main conclusion from this year’s Internet Contact Lens Pricing survey, Optician’s annual research into the cost – to the consumer – of contact lenses online, to be published in full on July 7.

Now in its third year, the Optician ICLP survey has previously unearthed online deals that undercut manufacturers’ wholesale prices to UK opticians.

One year after the Section 60 legislative changes affecting contact lens provision, the ICLP survey was broadened to include five new web sites such as Sainsbury’s, Asda and Tesco, bringing the total surveyed to 20.

The number of lenses monitored increased too. Bausch & Lomb’s SofLens One Day, CIBA Vision’s Focus Dailies and Johnson &
Johnson’s 1-Day Acuvue continued to be the main focus of the analysis, but were this year joined by 1-Day Acuvue Moist.

The research found that the average price of 30 pairs of 1-Day Acuvue was £29.11; Focus Dailies, £18.12; SofLens One Day, £18.75; and 1-Day Acuvue Moist was £34.84.

Comparing like-for-like across the 15 sites surveyed both this year and last, the price of 1-Day Acuvue fell 2.3 per cent; Focus Dailies fell 3.3 per cent; and SofLens One Day increased slightly by 0.1 per cent.

Optician features and web editor Rob Moss, who led the research, commented: ‘The online market for daily disposables appears to have settled down a little. This year’s rock-bottom prices tend to be more expensive than last year’s, but average prices across all sites surveyed are still falling.’

The research, which also includes an analysis of five silicone hydrogel products, will be published in full on July 7.