UV Rise
Start a new day for your practice by building
your knowledge of the core features and benefits of UV
By
Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC
The industry agrees that UV protection in lenses—ophthalmic lenses and contact lenses—is of maximum importance. UV protection has become standard equipment, almost a given in eyewear. But consumers still need to know that the dangers that UV can pose to their skin can also affect their eyes.
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Mention UV protection in lens packages. Images: Transitions Optical |
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The key is to spend as little time as possible with UV explanation and product recommendation while still getting the point across. This means practicing effectively and efficiently by respecting each patient's quest for knowledge while honoring their time. Honing your UV skills is crucial, and it's easy. Just practice these points.
1
Make sure that every pair of eyewear coming from your practice is finished with 100 percent UV, all the time, every time, no exceptions.
Contact
lenses also promote UV protection. Nike Maxsight image from Bausch & Lomb
2 Make
UV part of your lens packaging/bundling strategy. Tell every patient that UV is
included in the lens price. Create dual UV bundles of regular eyewear and sunwear;
photochromic eyewear and sunwear; and a kids dual UV package, too. 3 Every
staff member should always wear UV protective eyewear and be able to tell patients
the basics of UV protection easily (see sidebar page 46).
4 UV
protective lenses aren't just spectacle lenses, they're contact lenses, too. Keep
the UV message consistent by carrying and selling both. Don't forget a pair of quality
plano, UV protective sunwear for over contact lenses. Also, promote contact lenses
with sunwear packages. 5 Include
questions about glare and light exposure in your welcome form. Ask if patients have
had any eye surgery. Also, include a question on what current medications they're
taking, including over-the-counter and prescription drugs, since certain medications
make eyes more sensitive to light and UV exposure. This helps you manage their eye
pathology in conjunction with UV protection. 6 Doctors
should write "UV protection" on the Rx, or if the Rx pad includes it, check a UV
protection box. Mention to patients and staff that you're recommending and prescribing
UV protective eyewear.
Recommend
polarized sunwear for outdoor UV protection. Image courtesy of Polaroid 7
Use point-of-purchase materials to back up your spoken words on UV. Handing out
these materials may make one-pair-only purchasers reconsider sunwear or a backup
pair once they get a chance to read up on the dangers of UV and really digest the
information.
8 Ask
the simple question, "Does glare bother you?" This can be the launching pad for
a discussion about many conditions and concerns, with UV protective eyewear as part
of the solution. Keep in mind that regardless of whether patients have a noticeable
problem with glare or not, UV is still present in any environment and all eyewear
dispensed should include UV protection. 9 Especially
for patients who participate in outdoor activities, recommend frames that closely
hug the curve of the face, while ensuring that the patient's Rx will work in those
frame parameters. for the best protection, adjust frames for face form in addition
to offering UV protective lenses. 10 UV
rays are part of life. Make UV protection part of your dispensary life and an important
component of every pair of eyewear.
ECP
UV Quick
Tips
Consider Appearance Our practice is in a fairly affluent area.
Frequent facials are the rule, not the exception, and it's hard to picture someone
willing to spend thousands [of dollars] a year on skin care regimens balking at
a $25 UV filter on their eyewear. It's a matter of putting it into a context they
can understand, namely the youthful appearance of their face and eyes. Our patients
shudder to think of the damage they may be inflicting to their eyes. There's nothing
"youthful" about potential cataracts, macular degeneration, cancer of the skin,
ptyerigium, or photokeratitis. — Tamera Borden, ABOC, NCLC, Package Pricing UV is a basic. One hundred percent UV protection
is in every eyewear product we dispense. If it's poly or polarized, it's inherent
in the material. But if UV isn't already part of the product, we UV treat the lenses.
We don't charge extra for UV. Since we sell eyewear packages, for example, we tell
patients: "This is a polycarbonate lens for strength and safety. It's reflection-free
for visual acuity. And it's 100 percent UV protective for no extra charge." They're
appreciative of that. — Carla D'Onofrio, LDO, owner, Medical Outlook I tell my patients: "The UV rays which are
found in sunlight can cause cataracts and contribute to macular degeneration. Therefore,
if you spend a lot of time outdoors, you should get UV protection on your glasses."
It's not much, but we try to keep it simple. If the patient has more questions,
then we can answer them individually. — Deepak Gupta, OD, private practice, Stamford,
Conn.
Eye Sunscreen I work with mostly 45- to 80-year-old patients.
So I primarily address UV from a visual conditions standpoint, such as hazy vision
and cataracts. I recommend photochromic lenses with AR and UV protection for visual
comfort and safety in all environments. I stress that 100 percent UV protection
in eyewear is like maximum protection sunscreen for eyes. And I wear what I recommend,
which impresses patients and makes them more willing to invest in "what the doctor
wears." — Pete Parenti, OD, Parenti &
Morris Eyecare, Rogers, Ark.
Spotlight Studies I begin by telling customers that UV rays
may cause cataracts at an early age. Often, I refer to the study done on 838 Chesapeake
Bay watermen that shows unprotected eyes developing early cataracts. Since we live
and work in the Chesapeake Bay region with watermen as our customers, people can
relate. Since so many of our customers spend time on the water, I recommend polarized
sunglasses and demonstrate the difference between non-polarized and polarized lenses.
Customers are amazed at the difference. — Robert Pino, optician/owner, Primary Protection We emphasize protection, protection, protection!
We point out that, especially in our sunny environment, UV protection is crucial.
It's always UV; no eyewear leaves our office without it. We tell patients UV is
part of their lens package and included in the lens price. If they want more detailed
information, we discuss eye diseases and pathology that can be caused by UV exposure;
I even show patients my own ptyerigium as a demo of what UV rays can do. — Marina Salazar, LDO, Prime Eyecare, four
locations in Phoenix
When asked, "What
if you only had time to say one thing to your patients about UV?" these ECPs logged
powerful replies that raise the bar on need-to-know UV info.
The Optical
Boutique, Germantown, Tenn.
Optical
Impressions, Cooper City, Fla.
An Optical
Galleria, LLC,
Centreville, Md.