Multifocal contact lenses could be the ideal solution for a growing cohort of presbyopes, says CooperVision. A Melbourne optometrist and practice owner discusses why he thinks the company is right.
When Mr Stewart McConnell talks about contact lenses, his patients know to listen.
That’s not just because he’s been involved in the optometry industry for many decades.
It’s not just because he’s the owner-optometrist of a small family business – Lewis & McConnell Optometrist – in Mt Waverley, Victoria, and is a practitioner who specialises in contact lenses.
What really lends weight to his words and accuracy to his advice is that he’s been wearing contact lenses for the past 40 years and they know he walks the talk.
A few years ago that talk was all about his single vision lenses.
“But I found them a bit problematic in the consulting room, and I think it was about that time that the MyDay multifocal contact lenses came out,” he says.
“I like to give everything a bit of a try and I was quite impressed the moment I put them on; I thought, this is fantastic, they make my vision highly functional in my workplace.”
Those multifocal contact lenses came from CooperVision, which he is happy to talk about and promote to the many patients that visit his business in Melbourne’s south-east.
Having lived and worked in the area for so long, he sees plenty of the children he used to treat many years ago. They’re now parents bringing their own kids into McConnell’s practice.
That’s on top of the older patients who have settled and retired in the area, who bring so many of the vision issues associated with aging.
A growing cohort are the relatively youthful presbyopes, those in their early 40s suddenly discovering the need for some help with faltering vision.
“They’ve got to 45 and never needed glasses, they’ve been blessed with fantastic vision,” he says.
“They’ve hit presbyopia, they’re really upset. They’ve got to take glasses with them everywhere they go . . . the possibility of being able to wear contact lenses really appeals to them.”
But McConnell is such a strong advocate for contact lenses that everyone who comes through his door is at least given the option, no matter their age.
“A lot of patients who’ve been with us for years are looking for alternatives to their glasses and I’ll bring that possibility to their attention, and that might drive a few more people into it,” he says.
A few? McConnell says his own practice records show a 300% increase in multifocal contact lens sales in the last three years.
And the majority of that has been CooperVision’s MyDay daily disposable lenses.
“Obviously, I have had great success with multifocal contact lenses and therefore I promote that to my patients.”
Those patients have become “fans” of the product, he says.
“It’s reliable, I think the quality control is excellent.
“I find the vast majority of my patients will comfortably wear a CooperVision lens.”
McConnell is not just impressed with the company’s range of multifocal contacts.
“Our relationship goes back a fair way because of their support for independent optometry, and I’ve always been very appreciative of the way they’ve looked after us as a small business,” he says.
“Their customer service has been outstanding, and their product has been outstanding.”
That extends to giving McConnell the option to stock exclusive CooperVision brands that are only available to one independent optometrist in any locality, helping to build wearer loyalty to the practice.
And CooperVision works with Lewis & McConnell Optometrist on pricing structures that support the relationship between patient and practitioner.
“We are able to do a 12-month supply-type deal for patients that makes it quite attractive for them to continue to buy it from us and have the support from us,” McConnell says.
“And if a patient buys a 12-month supply and, eight months down the track, their prescription changes, CooperVision will swap packs over to new prescriptions.”
He says patients love the arrangement because they get a discount, and the practice is equally enamoured because it builds trust and loyalty, plus referrals.
Of course, not everyone is swayed by McConnell’s passionate advocacy.
“Some individuals have just got an absolute fear of putting a contact lens in their eye. So it’s pretty hard to get past that barrier.
“And there are those who are a bit interested but a bit wary; it really comes down to just singing the praises of the lenses and saying, look, we can give it a try. We can do a little experiment when you’re out choosing your frames. We can put some lenses in just to see what it feels like.”
Patience is a virtue.
“I had a patient who only wanted lenses for a wedding, and the experience was so good they’ve ended up coming back and wanting to wear them a lot more.”
This can all take time, which some practices might see as valuable chair time wasted.
Time a valuable commodity for independents
But as Ms Julia Kwok points out, time spent discussing contact lenses with patients is well worth it as it’s planting the seed for future growth.
The professional affairs manager for CooperVision ANZ educates optometrists and others about the company’s range of contact lenses and helps them get the best out of the products.
Investing a little time upfront to get patients – especially presbyopes who are often overlooked – started with contact lens wear can pay off in the long run by setting the practice apart and building patient loyalty.
“For a typical practice, there’s no shortage of multifocal contact lens candidates, because there’s so many 40-plus year-old patients who walk into an optometry practice every day.
“So there’s a really big opportunity there.”
She says CooperVision has a large range of multifocal lenses for patients in all stages of presbyopia.
Kwok recommends using three key products: MyDay multifocal (daily disposable); Biofinity multifocal (monthly); and Biofinity toric multifocal (monthly).
The range demonstrates the great choices practitioners have to match the right products with the needs of their patient.
A limitation of progressive glasses is their reliance on gaze direction for clear vision, which can make certain visual tasks challenging for patients.
Multifocal contact lenses overcome this limitation; they feature concentric zones of distance, intermediate and near powers to create simultaneous vision and achieve gaze-independent vision.
She says that is great for many patients, including those working on multiple screens and also tradespeople with multiple tasks at different focal points.
And those benefits are maximised if practices follow CooperVision’s fitting guides.
As with most things in life, there’s an app to make that easier – the CooperVision OptiExpert app. (Full terms and conditions are available at http://coopervision.net.au/practitioner/terms-and-conditions or http://coopervision.net.nz/practitioner/terms-and-conditions.)
It calculates the lens powers based on the patient’s refraction, vertex distance and sensory eye dominance to optimise first-fit success.
Kwok believes practices can do more for their patients by giving them the option of contact lenses and better understanding their benefits, particularly of multifocals.
CooperVision’s own market research in Australia and New Zealand shows that 71% of existing contact lens wearers were not aware of multifocal contact lenses. 1
Other research in the US shows that three out of four current single-vision contact lens wearers would consider multifocal contact lenses, as would three out of five current spectacle wearers. 2
That suggests a substantial opportunity for many practices.
It’s one optometrists like McConnell are harnessing to help differentiate their business in a competitive environment.
“I recommend independent practices get on to multifocals to build their practice, enjoy the feedback and outcomes that they get from their patients when they can, and help change their lives.”
References:
1. CooperVision data on file, 2025. Contact lens wearer tracking survey, 424 regular contact lens wearers., Delta MV December 2024. 2. CooperVision data on file 2021.
Presbyopia survey 147 US consumers aged 40-50 years, Verve, December 2020; all single vision contact lens wearers. Ref: CooperVision data on file 2021. Presbyopia survey
166 US consumers aged 40-50 years, Verve, December 2020; all currently wearing spectacles, not contact lenses.
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