Steven Robins

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—As the new year approaches, Bausch & Lomb’s vision care operation is emphasizing communication—both between eyecare practitioner and patient, and between the company itself and its customers—according to Steven Robins, president, North America, Vision Care.

In an exclusive interview with VM, Robins outlined B&L’s plans to help ECPs retain patients while improving the doctor/patient relationship, in part through a Web-based Center for Patient Insights that went online in mid-October. The company is also targeting specific consumer segments with its contact lens advertising, and will increase its focus on promoting the lens care category as well in 2010.

The overall CL market appears on track to finish this year about even with 2008, according to B&L—which considering the economy, doesn’t look that bad, Robins said. “Economic conditions and the fear of what’s to come has driven patient behavior in a different direction this year, including an increase in vision-insurance claims during the first quarter,” he told VM. As for 2010, “industry sales in 2010’s first quarter may be down, because I don’t think we’re going to see that same behavior,” Robins said. For next year as a whole, however, he predicts a 3 percent increase in industry CL volume.

To help keep those sales moving, B&L will be continuing some promotions it used this year—including a “test-drive” campaign for daily disposables and a toric program launched in the fourth quarter, as well as a TV campaign for multifocal CLs—into 2010. Robins said ECPs he has talked with report that their CL business has been more stable this year than their spectacle business, especially at higher-end practices and retail locations. “Many of these ECPs feel contact lenses are their ‘annuities,’ and that consumers’ purchases of annual supplies of CLs are going up because of the value offered,” he noted.

The Center for Patient Insights—launched to help ECPs “learn about insights that can help them grow their practice and increase patient loyalty,” according to Robins—should help keep B&L’s CL business moving next year, he said.

“It fills a gap in the marketplace, and is dedicated to shrinking the gap between doctor and patients to help the doctor retain patients and strengthen the relationship,” Robins told VM. “This is different from the usual practice management information provided by suppliers—our Web site, www.Centerfor PatientInsights.com, offers new studies, snapshots of how successful ECPs are dealing with patients, and model dialogue ECPs can use in discussing various aspects of eyecare. ”

On the product side, B&L will relaunch its Renu Fresh and Renu Sensitive multi-purpose solutions in 2010’s first quarter, complete with new packaging. The company also has created a 45-member national sales force to handle its lens care business; that dedicated sales force will have a new lens care product to sell in next year’s second half. ■
——Cathy Ciccolella
cciccolella@jobson.com