Start with your fitter
The safest way to choose UK supplies is to ask the person who fitted your lenses. They know which products are sold locally, which suit your lens material and any coating, and what other patients in the same situation use. If you were fitted through a hospital eye service, ask the contact lens clinic there: many have a standard list.
What follows is a guide to types of products, so you can recognise the right thing on a UK shelf or website. Brands change, stock varies, and some products named in US guides simply aren’t sold in the UK.
Fill saline: what to look for
The saline in the bowl of your lens sits against your eye all day, so it has to be right. On a UK label, look for:
- Sterile
- Preservative-free (sometimes “unpreserved”)
- 0.9% sodium chloride, sometimes with a buffer or added electrolytes
- Single dose / unit dose, or a sealed preservative-free bottle with a clear discard date once opened
- Labelled for rinsing and inserting contact lenses, ideally scleral or rigid lenses
Avoid anything labelled with a preservative, multipurpose, soaking, conditioning, or disinfecting. Those are for storage and cleaning, not the bowl. And never fill with water of any kind or homemade saline. The FDA advises against both.[3]
UK wearers describe three common routes:
- Saline for scleral or rigid lenses bought online or from their practice
- Preservative-free 0.9% sodium chloride single-dose vials on prescription, through a hospital eye service or GP
- Insertion solutions with added lubricants, which some fitters recommend for comfort
Buffered and unbuffered saline suit different people. See filling solutions for how they differ and what’s off-label.
Cleaning and disinfecting
Disinfecting systems for rigid lenses are widely sold in the UK. Bausch + Lomb’s UK site, for example, lists Boston Simplus Multi-Action among its rigid lens solutions.[1] UK wearers also describe:
- One-step hydrogen peroxide systems with their own neutralising case, sold by several makers and as pharmacy own brands
- Multipurpose or conditioning solutions for rigid (GP) lenses
- Separate daily cleaners for rubbing the lens before disinfection
If you use hydrogen peroxide, use the case that comes with each new bottle, soak for the full time on the label, and never rinse a lens with unneutralised peroxide or put it in your eye.[4] Don’t buy plain pharmacy peroxide and pair it with an old case, and never dilute a stronger peroxide yourself. Wearers have suggested both online; they’re risky.
If your lenses have a surface coating, ask your fitter which UK cleaners are compatible. Some products strip coatings. See cleaners and coated lenses and hydrogen peroxide.
Products that are hard to get in the UK
UK wearers often ask for US products by name. Some aren’t sold in the UK, some makers don’t export, and some coating treatments are prescription-only in the US. Tangible Boost, a monthly treatment for Hydra-PEG coated lenses, is one example.[2] When you can’t get something:
- Tell your fitter what you used and why it worked for you.
- Ask for a UK equivalent by type (for example, “buffered preservative-free saline” or “a coating-safe rigid lens cleaner”).
- Change one product at a time, and give it a few days.
Avoid unfamiliar sellers on marketplaces, and be wary of listings with no maker name, no lot number, or broken seals. See shortages, recalls, and counterfeit saline.
Eye drops with lenses in
UK pharmacies sell many preservative-free lubricant drops, and some wearers use thick preservative-free gels in a similar way to US wearers. Adding anything to the fill is off-label, so ask your fitter first. See eye drops with sclerals.
Tools
Removal plungers and inserters are sold online and by many opticians who fit rigid lenses. Some wearers make a simple insertion stand from an upside-down funnel or a cup with a hole cut in it. Keep tools clean and dry, and never rinse them with water.[3]
What wearers say
- Local products work. Many UK wearers are comfortable with products bought in the UK after some trial and error with their fitter.
- Supply is patchy. Some products are easier to find online than in shops. Wearers keep a backup supply and order before they run low.
- Fitters’ advice varies. A few wearers were told to fill with a preserved saline; others in the same situation were firmly told not to. If you’re unsure, ask your fitter to confirm the fill is preservative-free.
What to ask your fitter
- Which fill saline do you recommend in the UK, and where do your patients get it?
- Can I get preservative-free saline on prescription?
- Which cleaners and disinfecting systems are safe for my lens and coating?
- What should I use if my usual product is out of stock?
Common questions
Can I get scleral lens saline on the NHS?
Some UK wearers report getting preservative-free 0.9% sodium chloride single-dose vials on prescription, often after their hospital eye service recommended it. Whether that's possible for you depends on your clinic and GP. Ask your fitter or hospital eye service what they recommend and how they usually supply it.
Can I buy plain hydrogen peroxide from a UK pharmacy and use my old neutralising case?
No. Use a hydrogen peroxide system made for contact lenses, with the case that comes in the box. The FDA advises always using the case that comes with every new bottle, because an old case may not neutralise the peroxide, and unneutralised peroxide can sting, burn, or damage the eye. Never dilute a stronger peroxide yourself.
Can I order from US websites?
Some UK wearers do, but many US sellers don't ship abroad, delivery can be slow, and some products aren't sold outside the US at all. If you import, buy from the maker or a retailer you trust, check the seal and lot number on arrival, and have a UK backup your fitter has approved.
My lenses have a Hydra-PEG coating. Does that change what I can use?
Yes. Some cleaners can strip a coating. Ask your fitter for a UK product they know is compatible with your coating before you change anything.