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CibaVision to target prescribing ODs in 1996
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PHILADELPHIA—CibaVision Corp. announced at a press conference here that it will expand its customer base in 1996 and visit more optometrists to help them take advantage of existing therapeutic pharmaceutical agent (TPA) laws.
CibaVision Ophthalmics senior vice president of sales and marketing, Daniel Myers, said in the last two years the number of ODs writing ophthalmic prescriptions has increased from 3% to nearly 5%. The company plans to help optometrists bridge the gap between taking a TPA course and treating the first patient.
Currently, 46 states have passed TPA legislation for optometrists. The holdouts are California, Hawaii, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Optometrists who plan to benefit from TPA laws must also accept additional continuing education requirements before they can dispense.
"There is a gap between learning therapeutics and doing therapeutics and we have to close that gap in the next generation," Myers said. "Optometrists want to prescribe more and there is movement in that direction, but it is just a question of confidence and education to get up to speed."
To continue the company's support of practice development for eye care professionals, CibaVision Optics executive director of professional services, Richard Weisbarth, OD, announced the newest seminar in their "Business of Eye Care" series will be launched in 1996 and is titled "Managing Change."
In addition, Weisbarth said the current Technical Education Series, which consists of an overview on the basics of contact lenses and soft lens design and fitting, will expand to incorporate information about contact lens solutions.
Alliance formed
Company officials also announced their alliance with Express Scripts Inc., an independent eight million-member pharmacy benefit management company. Myers said the alliance will allow both CibaVision Optics and Express Scripts to continue operations in their own areas of specialty while at the same time offering eye care products and services to newly formed OD-MD networks.
"These networks will be the focus of eye care in the growing managed care arena," Myers said.
Finally, CibaVision Optics vice president of sales and marketing, Steve Wilkin, introduced the launch of the first multipurpose peroxide system, which recently received Food and Drug Administration approval and will be available nationwide in January.
"Pure Eyes is the first and only soft contact lens care system to combine hydrogen peroxide and a multipurpose solution that is appropriate to the needs of the patient, which are driven by convenience," Wilkin said.