Hydrogen peroxide lens care systems like CIBA Vision’s Clear Care are popular in Canada.
Eye care practitioners in Canada tend to prescribe hydrogen peroxide contact lens care systems more frequently than their counterparts in the United States, according to a new report.
Based on recent AC Nielsen MarketTrack data, hydrogen peroxide systems account for almost 25 percent of the contact lens care market in Canada, compared with 15.9 percent in the United States.
Also, while multipurpose (cleaning/rinsing/disinfecting) solutions are the most frequently used contact lens care system in both countries, Canadian contact lens wearers prefer brand-name versions of these products. Only 4.7 percent of multipurpose contact lens solutions sold in Canada are private label or “generic” brands, compared with 25.7 percent in the United States.
Susan J. Gromacki, OD, MS, FAAO, presented the data in a recent issue of Contact Lenses Today, an e-newsletter for eye care professionals.
Dr. Gromacki also conducted a quick poll of eye doctors at a lecture she delivered in Quebec recently, which revealed a majority of the approximately 400 optometrists in the audience sell contact lens solutions in their practice, and that this is consistent with practices in other Canadian provinces.
Canadian eye doctors often “bundle” the lens care system with the patient’s contact lens supply, which is convenient for patients and helps them comply with their doctor’s lens care recommendations, she said.
In an earlier issue of Contact Lenses Today, Dr. Gromacki noted that Health Canada (Canada’s regulatory equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) classifies lens care products as drugs rather than medical devices, which adds rigor and length to the regulatory process.
As a result, she said, new multipurpose contact lens solutions launched in the U.S. recently, such as Biotrue (Bausch + Lomb) and RevitaLens OcuTec (Abbott Medical Optics) are not yet available in Canada.
Hydrogen peroxide care systems are preservative-free and therefore are often recommended for contact lens wearers who may be sensitive to preservatives found in multipurpose contact lens solutions. Read more about which contact lens solution is the best for you.