Contact lenses aren't the most cost effective solution for those with inferior vision, but they do have their benefits over the traditional eyewear. Many athletes, models, and various other active professionals find that contacts are convenient, unobtrusive, and have the uncanny ability to match every outfit you own. A transparent soft polymer lens that fit snugly over your cornea. Yes, some people still prefer hard lenses, but thats another issue. Aside from the reoccurring cost of replacing lenses, the average contact wearer can spend anywhere from $8-12 USD for a 12 OZ bottle of brand name solution. Lasting about 1.5-2 weeks, depending on an individual's cleaning regimen, costs can range from about $20-40 a month. There are ways that this amount can be decreased, like buying a value pack of two 12 OZ bottles, but I have found an even better way to save money while still using my favorite brand name solution (Please note that I am not endorsing any particular solution or product brand).
I notice that, like many products, the store brand of solution is significantly cheaper than the name brand. I typically don't have any issues with store brand items, though I find the formulation in my specific solution suits my needs the best. It does not come cheap though. I fantasize over the idea of getting the buy-two-get-one sale of the store brand. Being able to stock up on my solution without necessarily putting a dent in my wallet. Consulting with my Ophthalmologist on this, he explained that there are only a few manufacturers that bottle solution, so most likely, a store brand is going to have a name brand in it. The issue arrives when the company has to resign the contract with the solution provider. At that time, if the terms have changed and a better offer is available with a different solution manufacturer, the company can decide to use the alternative provider. This results in a slightly different product, as all solutions are proprietary formulas that differ slightly from one another. The company that relabels and sells the product to you, the consumer, can choose to notify you or not. If they do, it is usually in the form of "new and improved formula" or some other catchy marketing phrase. I figured that it would be easy to find which manufacturers supply which brands by just comparing the ingredients. So here are some examples:
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| Walgreens Brand Multi-Purpose Solution |
Ingredients:
Hydroxyalkyl Phosphonate , Boric Acid , Edetate Disodium , Polyoxyethylene Polyoxypropylene Block Copolymer , Ethylene Diamine , Sodium Borate , Sodium Chloride , Polyaminopropyl Biguanide 0.0001%
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| Renu fresh Multi-Purpose Solution |
Ingredients:
Hydranate (Hydroxyalkylphosphonate) , Poloxamine , DYMED (Polyaminopropyl Biguanide 0.0001%) , Boric Acid , Edetate Disodium , Sodium Borate , Sodium Chloride
As you may have noticed, every single ingredient is the same except Ethylene Diamine, which I have called Bausch + Lomb about. I have also asked them if they relabel their solution and they have, in fact, confirmed that they do. But, of course, if standing in the middle of the aisle, reading the chemical components of a bottle of contact solution doesn't seem like a good way to spend your day there is, I've discovered, an easier way. Directing your attention to the back of most contact solution bottles and boxes, you will notice a U.S. Patent Number. In the case of Renu fresh, it is 5,858,937 and on the bottle of Walgreens brand solution, you guessed it, 5,858,937. This specific patent refers to a solution that contains Polyaminopropyl Biguanide (DYMED) with a series of copolymers such as Polyoxyethylene Polyoxypropylene Block Copolymer or Poloxamine. As of now, many other solutions can be identified by their U.S. Patent Number. Until that changes, and I see no reason why it would, you can be confident that what you are getting is the same solution in a different package and of course, for a much cheaper price.
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