J&J boss sees opportunities

Teenagers and presbyopes present a massive prospect for the contact lens market but astigmats and existing wearers still provide the greatest opportunity to the eye care business, according to a leading industry executive.

Speaking exclusively to Optician, Oliver Spandow, general manager Johnson & Johnson Vision Care for the UK and Ireland, spoke of his wish to build a partnership with practices to grow the contact lens sector and provide the best wearing experience for patients.

He said new technology had brought about a dramatic increase in the take-up of multifocals while vastly increased levels of comfort and better understanding had seen increases in the number of younger contact lens wearers but old attitudes needed to change. He suggested there were still large groups of people in their 30s and 40s who assumed they couldn’t wear contact lenses because of their astigmatism and urged eye care professionals to take a more proactive approach to suggesting modern eye care options to patients.