The market opportunity for treating patients who have presbyopia is huge. There are 1.8 billion presbyopes living around the globe, including at least 128 million in the United States.^1-4 As many as 30.9 million patients bypass their eye care providers (ECPs) and purchase OTC readers without any real knowledge of what power is best for them.⁵

In a recent survey of patients aged 40 to 55, 96% reported being “somewhat affected” by presbyopia symptoms, 46% said they are “extremely affected,” and 90% are “frustrated” or “irritated” with presbyopia.^6,7 Patients who get to the latter end of this spectrum may rely on elaborate workarounds and homemade solutions for their vision problems. When they do visit an ECP, only half of patients say they got the information they were seeking and just 15% say they received printed material to assist them.⁷

Presbyopia-correcting eye drops are poised to change this scenario. Promising agents are in the pipeline — from manufacturers including Allergan, Eyenovia, Novartis, Ocuphire, Orasis, Presbyopia Therapies, ViewPoint Therapeutics, and Visus Therapeutics — with several nearing FDA approval. This game-changing advance provides an exciting opportunity for eye care specialists to retool their practices in preparation of the wave of patients who will be interested in this novel solution. With demands on near vision rising along with the age of the population, practices can expect to see an influx of new patients seeking guidance.

Education is the foundation

We believe that education equals empowerment. Therefore, anytime we adopt something new into our practice, the process starts with education. Everyone on the team, including the receptionists, coordinators, technicians, nurses, and physicians, are thoroughly educated. Education helps team members get behind a new development we are bringing into the practice and ensures they understand the language around it.

We start with the very basics of the ocular anatomy and add building blocks as we go with a constant flow of information. This way, when we introduce new technology, whether it's a research project, a lens implant, or presbyopia drops, we do not have to backtrack and "re-educate," as we have already established foundational knowledge.

In terms of cadence, we have weekly staff education sessions with the entire team. Then, as we are launching a new product, we break people into groups and assign team leaders to reinforce the information.

Our team members know we are in the business of helping people see better, so reading vision has always been a part of that. As a presbyopia-focused practice, we have found it can be challenging with younger staff who are not yet affected by loss of near vision — that is, until one actually experiences presbyopia, it can be difficult to put oneself in the patient’s position. It is important, then, to educate the staff on the significant lifestyle implications as well.

Conversation sets the stage with patients

Presbyopia-correcting drops will act as a conversation starter with new patients and an opening for education. It is important to start using consistent language around the word “presbyopia,” informing patients that it is “a natural aging process of the eye” and giving them the proper term so they can label their condition. Although it may be dismissed as unavoidable, this is a golden opportunity to engage patients by listening to and addressing their concerns, leading to a treatment. For example, a patient may express concern that he cannot read a menu while out to dinner with his family but also wishes to maintain a youthful appearance. The ECP may discuss discreet magnification options for this specific instance while pivoting to say that, in the future, an eye drop may be available to address his issue.

In the very near future, patient education will shift to emerging nonsurgical options, such as the drops, and even open the dialogue to surgical treatment options, from monovision to lens implants to other advanced technologies on the horizon.

Present creative solutions

Once available, drops will likely be used creatively in conjunction with other corrective technology, and patients will figure out how to use the option to fit their lifestyle. Aging has an impact on vision and that is a functional concern, but there is also a very real psychological and cosmetic aspect to the loss of youth.^6,7 Patients are bothered by needing readers beyond just their visual difficulties. It's something that reminds them every day that they're becoming less youthful. Presbyopia-correcting drops are an exciting tool that can help patients feel like more — more effective, more functional, and more youthful. OP

REFERENCES

1. Fricke TR, Tahhan N, Resnikoff S, et al. Global prevalence of presbyopia and vision impairment from uncorrectedpresbyopia: systematic review, meta-analysis, and modelling. Ophthalmology. 2018;125(10):1492-1499. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2018.04.013.
2. Care of the Patient with Presbyopia. American Optometric Association website. https://www.aoa.org/documents/optometrists/CPG-17.pdf . Accessed March 16, 2021.
3. Zebardast N, Friedman DS, Vitale S. The prevalence and demographic associations of presenting near-vision impairment among adults living in the United States. Am J Ophthalmol. 2017;174: 134–144. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2016.11.004.
4. U.S. Census Bureau. Table 9. Projections of the Population by Sex and Age for the United States: 2015 to 2060 (NP2014-T9). Washington: Population Division. 2014.
5. Vision Council website. https://www.thevisioncouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/VisionWatch_VisionCouncil_Member_Benefit_Report_September%202016_FINAL.pdf . Accessed Jan 2, 2021.
6. Data on file, Allergan; Full Quantitative Summary. Survey of 797 patients aged 40-55 years.
7. Data on file, Allergan; Full Quantitative Summary. Survey of 1339 patients aged 40-55 years.