A few weeks ago, I had a patient who was telling me that he heard about these new contact lenses that were able to deliver a steady stream of medication to the person wearing them.  I know eye drops are a huge problem for many of our patients.  It can be extremely difficult to put drops in by yourself and remembering to do them everyday, sometimes more than once a day, can also be challenging.
These new contact lenses, that have yet to be approved by the FDA, supposedly are able to deliver a steady dose of the medication for as long as the lens is worn.  Researchers at Auburn University claim this to be more than 100 times more effective than putting drops in your eyes. These aren’t contacts soaked in a medication that only release for a very short time.  This new technology administers a drug through controlled release by creating drug memory in the lens itself without changing the way the lens works.   These lenses can either be vision correcting or not and have the ability to to release the medication for anywhere from 24 hours to 30 days, depending on the lens.  Current types of medication being tested are anti-inflamatories, antibiotics and anti-allergy drops.
Although one could question whether or not someone who has trouble putting drops in, would also have a problem putting a contact lens or taking it out,  this has the potential to be a huge step forward for those who already wear them.
Mary Sweetman, C.O.A.
Certified Ophthalmic Assistant
Doctor-formulated AREDS 2 for Macular Degeneration
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