Patient orders slip away all too easily.
If you’re evaluating new ordering platforms, it’s probably because patient retention and online competition keep cutting into your contact lens revenue.
But the daily reality is, you’re losing sales and valuable time just trying to keep patients from heading to online retailers every time they need a refill.
Dr. Contact Lens comes at this head-on with automated ordering, smart reminders, and tight EMR integrations—built so your practice actually keeps patients and sales in your own workflow.
In this review, I’ll show you how quickly you can fix lost revenue and free up your staff by switching to a truly integrated ordering platform.
You’ll discover in this Dr. Contact Lens review what really matters for practices— from patient ordering and staff workflow to analytics, insurance, integrations, and whether it’s actually better than your current options.
You’ll leave with the features you need to make an informed, confident buying decision.
Let’s dive into the details.
Quick Summary
- Dr. Contact Lens is a platform that streamlines contact lens ordering and patient engagement for optometry practices.
- Best for optometry offices aiming to retain sales and simplify staff workflows.
- You’ll appreciate its one-click patient ordering and automated reminders that reduce staff time and boost patient loyalty.
- Dr. Contact Lens offers affordable pricing under $9 per day and provides demo options with a free trial available.
Dr. Contact Lens Overview
Based in Florida, Dr. Contact Lens has been helping independent eye doctors compete since 2016. Their core mission is to empower your practice to retain crucial contact lens revenue and build lasting patient loyalty.
They specifically target optometry practices that are tired of losing sales to massive online retailers. What I find truly compelling is their dedication to enhancing the doctor-patient relationship through convenient, integrated reordering technology for your patients.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: Speaking of scaling business operations, my guide on Scale Your Contact Center might offer useful insights.
Making the Inc. 5000 list three years in a row shows serious market momentum. I’ll dig into what is driving this growth through this Dr. Contact Lens review.
Unlike being locked into a single distributor’s portal, their platform is vendor-agnostic. This gives you the freedom to maintain complete control over your business, a key advantage I noticed immediately.
They work with independent optometry practices of all sizes, particularly those who want to offer a modern, convenient ordering experience that keeps their loyal patients returning directly to them.
After my analysis, it’s clear their strategy centers on workflow automation for your staff and true one-click simplicity for your patients. This directly closes the convenience gap that drives patients to other sites.
Now let’s examine their core capabilities.
Dr. Contact Lens Features
Losing contact lens sales to online retailers?
Dr. Contact Lens features provide a unified platform designed to help optometry practices retain revenue and enhance patient engagement. Here are the five main Dr. Contact Lens features that really impress me.
1. One-Click Patient Ordering
Patients constantly calling for prescription details?
That manual process of verifying prescriptions wastes both patient and staff time. This friction often drives patients to order elsewhere.
This feature allows patients to reorder lenses with a single click, as their prescription is already synced. From my testing, the seamless reordering process truly simplifies purchases, keeping patients loyal to your practice. It eliminates those extra steps and gets lenses to them faster.
This means you can capture more sales that might otherwise go to online competitors, boosting your practice’s bottom line.
2. Automated Reminders & Patient Retention
Tired of chasing patients for refills and appointments?
Manual reminders are a time sink for staff and often lead to missed opportunities. You’re constantly trying to re-engage patients.
Dr. Contact Lens automates text and email reminders for refills and appointments. This feature builds continuous patient relationships, keeping them connected to your practice. What I love is how it proactively nudges patients back for their next purchase or eye exam.
So you get consistent patient visits and reliable revenue streams without any extra effort from your team.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: While we’re discussing patient engagement, you might find my analysis of conversation intelligence tools helpful.
3. Streamlined Staff Workflow
Staff overwhelmed with contact lens administrative tasks?
Processing contact lens orders can involve countless steps that bog down your team. This takes them away from direct patient care.
This feature drastically cuts the administrative burden, automating many steps to process orders in under two minutes. From my evaluation, the efficiency gains for staff are truly remarkable, freeing them up for higher-value activities. It makes your daily operations smoother.
This means your staff can focus on providing excellent patient care, improving overall practice efficiency and satisfaction.
4. Integration with Practice Management Systems
Struggling with disconnected patient data?
Manual data entry across different systems creates errors and wastes time. This makes it hard to maintain consistent patient records.
Dr. Contact Lens integrates seamlessly with major EMRs and practice management systems like Eyefinity. This bi-directional data flow ensures consistency and control over pricing. Here’s the thing – your patient data stays perfectly synced, no matter your system.
This means you maintain data integrity and streamline workflows, avoiding double entry and ensuring accurate patient information.
5. Insurance Claim Facilitation
Patients find using their insurance too complicated?
Navigating insurance benefits and manufacturer rebates can be a barrier to purchase. This complexity often leads to lost sales.
This feature simplifies how patients use their vision insurance and rebates directly through the system. From my testing, this ease of use makes purchasing far more appealing for your patients. It removes those financial headaches.
This means you make it easier for patients to maximize their benefits, encouraging them to buy lenses directly from your office.
Pros & Cons
- ✅ Drastically reduces staff time spent on contact lens orders.
- ✅ Increases patient retention through automated communication.
- ✅ Seamlessly integrates with existing EMR and practice management systems.
- ⚠️ Initial staff buy-in and training might require attention.
- ⚠️ Relies on patient adoption for one-click reordering.
- ⚠️ Potential for over-reliance on automation for patient engagement.
These Dr. Contact Lens features work together to form a cohesive solution that empowers optometry practices to thrive in a digital marketplace and retain patient loyalty.
Dr. Contact Lens Pricing
Unsure what you’ll really pay each month?
Dr. Contact Lens pricing isn’t publicly tiered; instead, it adopts a custom quote model, meaning you’ll need to engage their sales team for specific cost details tailored to your practice.
Cost Breakdown
- Base Platform: Less than $9 a day (approx. $270/month)
- User Licenses: Included in base; practice-wide access
- Implementation: Included with software & process
- Integrations: Varies by practice management system
- Key Factors: Practice size, patient volume, specific needs
1. Pricing Model & Cost Factors
Their pricing approach is quite flexible.
Dr. Contact Lens operates on a custom pricing model, emphasizing that it costs “less than $9 a day” for both the software and the process. What I found regarding pricing is that specific costs depend on your practice’s individual needs, patient volume, and desired integrations, so direct contact is necessary.
From my cost analysis, this means your monthly costs are designed to be affordable for any size optometry practice.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: Speaking of team efficiency, my guide on reducing frontline attrition for contact centers provides further insights.
2. Value Assessment & ROI
Does this pricing deliver value?
Considering the automation of 28 ordering steps and patient retention features, Dr. Contact Lens provides significant value by freeing up staff time and retaining revenue. What stands out is how this investment quickly pays for itself by reducing administrative burdens and preventing sales loss to online retailers.
This means your budget gets a tangible return through increased efficiency and consistent contact lens revenue streams.
3. Budget Planning & Implementation
Consider your total cost of ownership.
While specific tiers aren’t public, the “less than $9 a day” figure gives you a clear baseline for budgeting. Promotional offers, including potential discounts up to 40%, can further reduce your initial outlay, making the overall pricing highly competitive for optometry practices looking for an integrated solution.
So for your business, you can expect a transparent and predictable monthly expense with clear opportunities for savings.
My Take: Dr. Contact Lens pricing offers an appealingly low daily cost, making it highly accessible and budget-friendly for optometry practices aiming to digitalize and retain patient sales.
The overall Dr. Contact Lens pricing reflects excellent value for patient retention and practice efficiency.
Dr. Contact Lens Reviews
What do real customers actually think?
I’ve analyzed numerous Dr. Contact Lens reviews to bring you a balanced perspective on what actual users experience with this software, offering insights for your practice.
1. Overall User Satisfaction
Users seem overwhelmingly satisfied.
From my review analysis, Dr. Contact Lens consistently receives high marks, reflecting strong overall user sentiment. What I found in user feedback is that its practical benefits resonate deeply with practices, driving satisfaction by simplifying complex workflows.
This suggests you can expect a positive impact on your practice’s daily operations.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: While discussing simplified workflows, understanding enterprise-grade compliance for contact centers is equally important for your business.
2. Common Praise Points
Streamlined ordering is a consistent win.
Users frequently praise the “one-click ordering” system for patients, highlighting its convenience and the significant time savings for staff. Review-wise, the reduction in administrative burden is a major highlight, allowing staff to focus on patient care.
This means you can anticipate improved efficiency and patient retention.
3. Frequent Complaints
Initial staff adoption might need attention.
While feedback is largely positive, some testimonials indirectly suggest that achieving full staff buy-in during initial implementation can be a consideration. What stands out is how managing change within a practice requires upfront focus, despite the software’s ease of use.
These are not deal-breakers, but rather aspects to proactively manage for smoother integration.
What Customers Say
- Positive: “Dr Contact Lens has been an integral part of getting our ordering process under control and streamlined.”
- Constructive: “Helps address staff pushback against new software integration, which is key.”
- Bottom Line: “Helped us achieve an 85% patient utilization rate, which was a very big win.”
The overall Dr. Contact Lens reviews reveal genuine user satisfaction with minimal concerns, primarily around initial team integration.
Best Dr. Contact Lens Alternatives
Considering your options beyond Dr. Contact Lens?
The best Dr. Contact Lens alternatives include several strong options, each better suited for different business situations and priorities in your optometry practice.
1. Marlo
Focusing on patient communication automation?
Marlo often comes up as an alternative for automating patient communication and sales. You might choose Marlo if its specific patient engagement features align more closely with your existing strategies or offer a different integration approach that suits your practice management system. Marlo’s specific automation might suit certain engagement models.
Choose Marlo when you prioritize a particular style of automated patient outreach over Dr. Contact Lens’s distributor flexibility.
2. ABB Optical Group (or other major distributors)
Prefer consolidating orders with one distributor?
Major contact lens distributors offer their own online portals, typically tied to their specific catalog. You might choose a distributor’s portal if you have a strong, exclusive relationship with a particular distributor and prefer to consolidate all your ordering through them. What I found comparing options is that this alternative streamlines purchasing within one vendor, lacking Dr. Contact Lens’s vendor-agnostic approach.
Consider this alternative when you prioritize a single-vendor relationship over the flexibility Dr. Contact Lens offers across distributors.
3. Online Contact Lens Retailers (e.g., 1-800-Contacts)
Patients seeking perceived lowest prices and direct convenience?
Online retailers like 1-800-Contacts primarily offer perceived convenience and potentially lower prices due to high-volume, direct-to-consumer models. From my competitive analysis, patients typically choose these for perceived cost savings and convenience, especially if your office doesn’t offer a seamless ordering experience. This alternative focuses on direct-to-consumer price and ease.
For your specific situation, patients might choose this if they prioritize perceived cost savings over your practice’s in-house experience.
4. RevolutionEHR (or other comprehensive EHR/PM systems)
Prefer an all-in-one practice management solution?
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: While we’re discussing optimizing practice operations, understanding how AI Contact Center Automation can boost sales by 35% is also important.
Some comprehensive EHR/Practice Management systems offer integrated contact lens ordering functionalities as part of a broader suite. Alternative-wise, you might choose a comprehensive EHR if you prefer a single vendor for all your practice management needs. This alternative provides an integrated, all-encompassing platform, unlike Dr. Contact Lens’s specialized focus.
Choose RevolutionEHR (or similar) when you value a single-vendor, all-in-one solution over a specialized contact lens ordering platform.
Quick Decision Guide
- Choose Dr. Contact Lens: Independent practices needing in-house sales and retention
- Choose Marlo: Specific patient communication automation alignment
- Choose ABB Optical Group: Consolidating orders with a preferred single distributor
- Choose 1-800-Contacts: Patients prioritizing perceived cost savings and direct-to-consumer
- Choose RevolutionEHR: All-in-one practice management system preference
The best Dr. Contact Lens alternatives depend on your practice’s specific operational needs and patient retention goals.
Dr. Contact Lens Setup
How complex is Dr. Contact Lens implementation?
Dr. Contact Lens setup is a relatively straightforward deployment, typically getting practices live within 7-10 days. This section helps you understand the practical steps and resources involved.
1. Setup Complexity & Timeline
Is Dr. Contact Lens deployment a breeze?
Dr. Contact Lens implementation is designed for quick go-live, with installation, EMR integration, and staff onboarding typically completed in about a week. What I found about deployment is that the company’s team guides you through each phase, making the process smoother for your practice.
You should plan for initial data migration and system configuration to align with your existing practice management workflows.
2. Technical Requirements & Integration
Are there heavy technical demands for your IT?
As a cloud-based platform, Dr. Contact Lens setup requires minimal on-premise hardware, focusing instead on seamless integration with your existing EMRs. From my implementation analysis, broad compatibility with systems like OfficeMate simplifies the technical setup, avoiding major infrastructure overhauls.
You’ll want to ensure your IT team is ready to facilitate integrations and address any system-specific configurations.
3. Training & Change Management
Will your team embrace this new system easily?
Dr. Contact Lens is designed to be user-friendly, but successful adoption still requires dedicated staff training and change management efforts. From my analysis, staff buy-in is critical for maximizing efficiency, especially given the process shifts to automated ordering and patient engagement.
You’ll need to invest in clear communication and thorough training to ensure your team confidently uses the new platform.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: While we’re discussing patient engagement and support, understanding how an AI-powered unified contact center can further boost customer experience is equally important.
4. Support & Success Factors
How much help can you expect during rollout?
Dr. Contact Lens emphasizes strong support throughout your implementation and beyond, acting as an extension of your practice team. What I found about deployment is that their dedicated support helps navigate challenges, ensuring you maximize the benefits and streamline operations effectively.
You should proactively engage with their support team and clearly define success metrics to ensure a smooth transition.
Implementation Checklist
- Timeline: 7-10 days for installation, integration, and onboarding
- Team Size: Practice manager, key staff, and Dr. Contact Lens support
- Budget: Primarily staff time for training and internal process adjustments
- Technical: EMR integration (e.g., OfficeMate) and internet connectivity
- Success Factor: Proactive staff training and strong change management
Overall, the Dr. Contact Lens setup offers a quick and supported deployment, making implementation manageable for most practices.
Bottom Line
Is Dr. Contact Lens right for your practice?
This Dr. Contact Lens review evaluates its overall value proposition, helping you determine if its features, benefits, and limitations align with your optometry practice’s specific needs.
1. Who This Works Best For
Optometry practices aiming to reclaim contact lens revenue.
Dr. Contact Lens is ideal for independent optometry practices and small to mid-sized optical groups focused on modernizing their contact lens business and enhancing patient relationships. From my user analysis, practices struggling with online retailer competition will find immediate value by offering an in-house online ordering solution.
- 🎯 Bonus Resource: While we’re discussing business efficiency, understanding how faster parts ordering can boost profitability is crucial for various industries.
You’ll succeed if you prioritize patient retention, efficient ordering, and keeping contact lens sales within your practice.
2. Overall Strengths
Unmatched patient convenience and staff efficiency are its core.
The software excels by providing a one-click ordering experience for patients and significantly reducing staff workload through automation. From my comprehensive analysis, seamless integration with existing practice systems eliminates double data entry and ensures smooth operational workflows.
These strengths translate into increased patient satisfaction and significant time savings for your team, boosting overall practice profitability.
3. Key Limitations
Initial staff buy-in and adaptation require careful management.
While the software is highly intuitive, introducing any new technology into a practice can involve initial staff pushback or a learning curve. Based on this review, addressing change management upfront is crucial to ensure smooth adoption and full utilization of the platform’s capabilities without disrupting daily operations.
I’d say these are manageable implementation considerations rather than deal-breaking flaws, requiring proactive internal communication and training.
4. Final Recommendation
Dr. Contact Lens earns my strong recommendation.
You should choose this software if your practice aims to compete with online retailers, streamline contact lens ordering, and foster stronger patient loyalty. From my analysis, this platform is a strategic investment for growth in the digital age, empowering doctors to retain revenue and enhance patient care.
My confidence level is high for optometry practices ready to embrace a modern, efficient contact lens business model.
Bottom Line
- Verdict: Recommended
- Best For: Optometry practices seeking to retain contact lens revenue
- Business Size: Independent optometry practices and smaller optical groups
- Biggest Strength: One-click patient ordering and significant staff time savings
- Main Concern: Initial staff buy-in and change management during implementation
- Next Step: Contact sales for a demo to see fit for your practice
This Dr. Contact Lens review confirms it’s a valuable tool for modern optometry practices, offering a strategic advantage in a competitive market.