Purpose: To evaluate contact lens (CL) adaptation and sales in optician stores of 4 cities in São Paulo State, Brazil. Methods: A study was performed in view of the answers to a questionnaire applied by four medical students to optician stores selling contact lenses in four cities of the state of São Paulo. The researchers evaluated the need of medical prescriptions for contact lens sales, the specialist in charge of selling and/or adapting contact lenses, the types of lenses sold/adapted, the equipment used in the contact lens tolerance test, the patient's behavior facing contact lens complications during adaptation or during its use; the information given about possible signs and symptoms of risk and the patient's hygiene, as well as the number of hours of contact lens wear and their wearing during sleep. Results: Of the 198 investigated optician stores, 121 (61.11%) sell contact lenses. In 112 (92.56%) of the stores, medical prescription was not required for the purchase of lenses. In these stores, the contact lens degrees were determined by measuring glass lenses in 69 (61.61%) of the cases and by verbal report in 28 (25.00%) cases. Concerning equipment, 102 (91.07%) of the stores had lensometers, 41 (36.61%) had keratometers and 14 (12.50%) had slit lamp. Soft disposable contact lenses were displayed for sale/adaptation in 66 (54.55%) of the stores, so were soft extended and daily use contact lenses in 68 (56.20%) stores and hard contact lenses, in 54 (44.63%) stores. In 103 (85.12%) stores, tolerance test was done, and the responsible persons for seeing the patient and for monitoring were professionals who called them selves contact lens fitters in 78 (64.46%) of these stores, the shop assistant in 20 (16.53%), the optician in 12 (9.92%) and the ophthalmologist in 9 (7.44%). As to complications due to contact lens adaptation, 66 (54.55%) stores mentioned that they would happen only if they happened on the tolerance test; in 35 (28.93%) stores, an ophthalmologist was advised for treatment and in 20 (16.53%) stores, a return was suggested for information on treatment. Only in 15 (13.39%) stores, professionals warned about possible risk symptoms and in 13 (11.61%) stores, they were concerned about diseases, which contraindicate contact lens wear. In 105 (93.75%) of the stores, professionals did not pay full attention to contact lens hygiene, wearing hours and lens wearing during sleep. Conclusion: Of the 198 investigated stores, 61.11% sell contact lenses, and 92.56% did not require medical prescription; 14.88% did not perform any kind of tolerance test and the remaining 85.12% performed tests which are normally not sufficient to detect alterations induced by contact lenses. There was no concern about contraindications, risk signs and symptoms, evaluation of possible complications resulting from contact lens wear. Neither was there concern about the least hygiene care during the tolerance test. Professionals, who call themselves contact lens fitters, shop assistants, opticians and ophthalmologists, which were responsible for adaptation give no appropriate instructions about contact lens wear and, in many cases, none about contact lens hygiene.
Contact lenses; Contact lenses; Extended-wear contact lenses; Hydrophilic contact lenses; Cornea; Disposable equipment; Accomodation, ocular; Optician stores; Questionnaires
