Soft contact lens care regimens in the UK.

A variety of approaches are available for cleaning, rinsing, disinfecting and storing reusable soft contact lenses. As demonstrated in this report of the results of annual UK prescribing surveys conducted over the past 12 years, there has been a steady increase in the use of multi-purpose solutions, which in 2007 represented 93% of all lens care systems prescribed. This increase is attributed to factors such as simplicity, reduced cost and enhanced compliance with these products. The apparent reversal of this trend in 2008 is probably due to an undermining of patient and practitioner confidence in multi-purpose solutions relating to withdrawals of some multi-purpose solutions from the market, and controversies concerning corneal staining with some lens-solution combinations.