Dear Mr Louch of Daysoft online Contact Lenses, as we are all aware more and more patients are turning to the internet to purchase their contact lenses, many for the convenience of online shopping from the home as well as not needing to supply a valid prescription.
I am a great believer in daily disposable contact lenses being more hygienic and convenient than many reusable lenses. In many cases I would rather my patients wear a cost-effective daily disposable lenses than save money by using reusable lenses.
As you are a GOC registered member I am sure you are aware UK law requires a valid written prescription for the supply of contact lenses and only the lenses specified can be supplied. How do you get round suppling daysoft when I am unaware of any practitioners who fit these lenses? How do you go about arranging their follow up aftercare as recommended when any contact lenses are supplied?
Your website mentions a DK of 20 is required for daily wear lenses, however it is the Dk/t which is actually relevant which will change with each lens power due to changes in thickness. Therefore the thicker the contact lens the lower the oxygen transmission to the cornea. Can you tell me the dk/t of a +8.00 daysoft lens?
What is the base curve and the diameter of daysoft? I am a great believer that dk/t is not the be all and end all but how the lens fits is very important too. If a lens is too tight, leading to poor tear exchange and mechanical irritation, this can also cause hypoxia and trapping of foreign bodies leading to oedema and corneal ulceration. A tight fitting lens may also be caused by the lens dehydrating and shrinking on the cornea therefore it is important for the lens to be assessed after a few hours’ wear time as well as on initial application.
What wear time due you recommend for daysoft? On a healthy cornea I would usually recommend no longer than 12 hours maximum and five out of seven days for a non-silicone lens. This is to prevent overwear syndrome where the eye can become starved of oxygen, very dry leading to corneal infiltrates, oedema, red eyes and reduced visual acuity.
There are of course many other factors which need to be taken into consideration when fitting a patient such as corneal radius, tear film volume and quality, prescription, lid position and lid tightness, individual dexterity, hygiene I am sure I do not need to continue. These are the reasons only a registered person can fit contact lenses in the UK and why there are many different lens materials and fittings available to choose from. This individual requirement for fitting is why only lenses specified on the prescription can be supplied.
With the increase in Acanthoemba reported by Moorfields Eye Hospital, does your packaging offer any advice on water, swimming or contact lens care?
As an optometrist and a fellow GOC member I am sure you are aware of all of the above pathology and risks to contact lens wear. I am sure public eye health is as important to you as it is to me and it is our duty of care to behave in an ethical manner.
I am pleased to see that your website does recommend regular checks by an optician. However, for me to give the appropriate advice to my patients it is important I have the appropriate information about the product to begin with.
I look forward to your response.
Elizabeth Ralph FBDO CL
Contact Lens Optician
Chesterfield
Read more