title: Practitioner influence on contact lens prescribing in the UK.
abstract: Contact lenses are mainly fitted by registered optometrists and contact lens opticians in the UK. Data we have gathered from annual contact lens fitting surveys over the past 12 years indicate that, on average, registered optometrists and contact lens opticians undertake 3.2 and 7.1 contact lens fits per week (p<0.0001). More experienced practitioners tend to fit older patients. Practitioners fitting more lenses per year tend to fit a higher proportion of soft lenses. Contact lens opticians tend to fit a higher proportion of patients with planned replacement and daily disposable lenses compared with optometrists.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, and School of Optometry, Queensland University of Technology, Cnr Musk Avenue & Blamey Street, Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia. n.efron@qut.edu.au
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Efron
authors.forename: Philip B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Morgan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003261:Contact Lenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003262:Contact Lenses, Extended-Wear / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003263:Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004209:Disposable Equipment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009907:Optometry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055656:Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017755:Prosthesis Fitting / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult