Eye care professionals (ECPs) have been urged to spread awareness of the benefits of contact lenses after the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) relaunched the Love Your Lenses campaign.
The association highlighted that in the last year, misleading information has been spread about contact lenses not being safe to wear during Covid-19.
Luke Stevens-Burt, chief executive of the BCLA, told Optician that, as a result, there were reports of a reduction in contact lens wear initially during the pandemic.
‘These statements were based on unreliable evidence and overstated the link between the virus and the ocular surface. Conversely, following initial lockdowns there has been a resurgence in contact lens wear. Of particular note is those that wish to eliminate the fogging when wearing face coverings with glasses; a problem contact lenses can effectively eliminate immediately,’ he said.
Luke Stevens-Burt
Stevens-Burt added practitioners could provide reassurance to patients by saying that contact lenses were as safe to wear as they always have been.
‘However, it is important to remind the public that if contact lenses are not treated with the love and respect they need it can raise the risk of developing potentially serious problems,’ he said.
Reverting relaxed regulations
During Covid-19, the GOC relaxed regulations on the supply of contact lenses, which the BCLA would like to see reverted as lockdown restrictions ease.
Stevens-Burt said: ‘The current regulations still require compliance but allow some flexibility and judgement for the ECPs to exercise. ECPs have a duty to ensure patient safety and should be reminded that contact lenses are strictly regulated medical devices, and for good reason too. Continued relaxation of these rules may discourage compliance and consulting with ECPs, which will benefit illegal retailers.’
He said as lockdown eased, ECPs were more likely to have interactions with patients and so regulations should revert to make the process smoother.
‘Putting in place potential barriers to this could result in fewer visits and further distancing between ECPs and their patients, meaning ECPs are unable to provide the care and advice that they are qualified to deliver,’ Stevens-Burt said.
Safe wear
In 2021, the BCLA has picked up the baton of Love Your Lenses week from the GOC with a renewed focus on urging patients to try contact lenses.
The national campaign was previously run by the GOC, but did not occur last year because of the pandemic. Marcus Dye, acting director of strategy at the GOC, told Optician it was an appropriate time to hand over the campaign so the GOC could make more efficient use of its resources that were more closely linked to its core regulatory functions.
The week, held from June 14-20, would highlight the importance of compliance and safety, while reinforcing the message that lenses are safe to wear in order to attract new and former wearers.
An official launch would take place at the BCLA Clinical Conference and Exhibition, which happens on June 13 and 14.
Stevens-Burt said: ‘Love Your Lenses Week is about loving your lenses so that you love your eyes; with safe practice comes safe wear. Contact lenses can change lives for the better. We are passionate about the role they play in eye health.
‘The BCLA is proud to bring back Love Your Lenses week and we are now inviting practices to sign up and support a campaign that raises awareness of safe contact lens wear and the benefits of wearing contact lenses.
‘There has never been a better time to make the switch from spectacles to contact lenses. We believe this campaign can act as a catalyst for change – driving people towards contact lenses and a new lifestyle filled with freedom, choice and comfort.’
A secondary campaign message focused on the benefits of wearing contact lenses rather than spectacles during Covid-19 with particular reference to how frames steam up while wearing facemasks.
‘With mask-wearing becoming an essential part of our daily routine during the Covid-19 pandemic, anyone wearing glasses will have experienced the all-too-regular frustration of steaming or fogging whenever they step inside a shop. Contact lenses can eradicate that problem immediately,’ Stevens-Burt added.
Campaign registration has been made free to eye care professionals via a dedicated website, loveyourlenses.com, and participants would receive a resource pack.
Stevens-Burt added: ‘The Love Your Lenses site provides a list of advice and guidance for safe wear and participating practices will also receive copies of the BCLA’s Do’s and Don’ts checklists as part of their printed resource pack.’
The pack included t-shirts, posters, pens and stickers, plus digital resources, such as animations, social media graphics, factsheets and a checklist, would be shared so that a local campaign could be staged.
The BCLA noted that although the campaign is UK-based, practices from outside the UK could spread the message in their countries by accessing the digital resources.