Bausch & Lomb launches initiative to raise presbyopia awareness

Rochester, NY

―Bausch & Lomb has launched a multitiered education initiative to raise consumer awareness of presbyopia and the option of multifocal contact lenses, according to a statement issued by the company.

Presbyopia is a naturally occurring condition that begins to affect people when they reach the age of 40. Because more than 78 million baby boomers in the United States either already have presbyopia or are developing presbyopia, there is an increased and urgent need for education and awareness.

“Three out of five presbyopic patients don’t even know multifocal contact lenses exist as an alternative to cumbersome reading glasses and we want to change that,” said Keir Meisner, director of U.S. Marketing, Lenses, Bausch & Lomb. “Our goal is to educate a large consumer base that is facing vision challenges and inform them of their options.”

The initiative includes a new television campaign with national spots aired on network TV and syndicated programs, including Oprah, The Martha Stewart Show, Ellen, The View, and Live with Regis and Kelly. A Web site for consumers,

www.goodbyereaders.com

, launched this month. The Web site features online lens demonstrations, information about presbyopia and multifocal contact lenses, and a new doctor locator for patients, the company said.