Optician articles from April 2002

Optician archives from April 2002

Disciform keratitis; (Herpetic keratouveitis, herpes zoster ophthalmicus).(diagnosis and treatment of eye disease caused by herpes virus infections)(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... Description Several viral infections can lead to inflammation directed against the corneal endothelium. The corneal involvement is often, although not always, circular, hence the term disciform keratitis. It is seen with several herpes...

Hoya sponsors specs awards.(Spectacle Wearer of the Year award, U.K.)(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... Hoya UK has stepped in to sponsor the Eyecare Trust's Spectacle Wearer of the Year award. The lens and eyewear manufacturer was one of two preferred bidders, and was selected partly because the company had shown consistent interest, having...

Introducing silicone hydrogel contact lenses.(exhaustive discussion of follow-up and management of lens wearers, U.K.)
April 5, 2002... Part 3 - Follow-up and management In the last of three articles looking at silicone hydrogel contact lenses, Kathy Dumbleton and Lyndon Jones discuss follow-up and management (CE code C5032c) Contact lens follow-up or aftercare is...

Contact lens care.(exhaustive discussion of methods for care and cleaning of contact lenses)
April 5, 2002... Part 13 - Alternative methods of contact lens disinfection In the final part of our CET series on contact lens care, Professor Anthony Cullen describes some alternative contact lens disinfection methods (C3004m) Half a century ago the...

nemowrites.(opinion article on how new regulations would affect the optical profession, U.K.)
April 5, 2002... Plus ?a change... ITWASAPPARENTFROMTHEOUTSET that a succession of well-publicised medical scandals would ensure that life would never be the same again for introspective regulatory bodies operating in the health domain. The effect in the...

A gathering of the clans.(discussion of silicone hydrogel continuous wear contact lenses and their effects on the eye)
April 5, 2002... Managing adverse events with continuous wear contact lenses and the optometric use of ocular therapeutics were the dominant themes at the Scottish Contact Lens Society's conference in Edinburgh last month, reports Alison Ewbank Nearly...

Seeing 'seduction at a glance' as Allison unveils Romeo Gigli.(advertisements)(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... u Allison has released the spring-summer 2002 range of Romeo Gigli eyewear. These frames are described as 'eye-catching' and are apparently 'seduction at a glance'. The new collection is available in a range of colours such as Zen orange,...

Female deaths baffle cataract researchers.(study finds that women with cataracts are more likely to die earlier than men with the disease)(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... Improved optical services for women at risk of developing cataract may arise from a new report which highlights that female sufferers are more likely to die earlier than men. The results have mystified researchers who have suggested the...

End test charges, say community councils.(call on government to eliminate all eye examination fees, U.K.)(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... A group representing 204 community health councils (CHCs) has called on the Government to end all eye examination charges. The Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales (ACHCEW), the national voice for CHCs, has claimed...

College offers plan to boost low-vision care.(College of Optometrists report describes how National Health Service can improve vision care service, U.K.)(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... Efforts to improve Britain's 'inconsistent' low-vision services have been stepped up with the release of a new document detailing how practitioners can work towards improvements with other health professionals. The document, the latest in...

Scots get 'world-first' diabetes programme.(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... Scottish practitioners will play an important part in what is claimed to be the world's first national screening programme for diabetic retinopathy. Scottish health minister Malcolm Chisholm announced that the 150,000 known diabetics in...

Primary concerns.(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... When will the government provide some clear strategic thinking on the future direction of eye health in the UK? The latest report from the body representing Community Health Councils makes grim reading (News, page 4). This isn't simply...

Amblyopia research finds drops do work.(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... A study has found that atropine eye drops given once a day to treat amblyopia in children work as well as patching one eye. The study, which involved over 400 children in 47 North American clinical sites, claimed the drops could lead to a...

Britain first to market with Sola's Teflon lens.(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... The UK will be the first market in the world to use the Teflon branded lens coating offered by Sola International. Sola has signed a deal with DuPont for the global rights to sell a newly developed high technology anti-reflective lens...

LOCs given advice on how best to reform.(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... With the structure of local optometric committees (LOCs) set to change after summer legislation, the Association of Optometrists has issued guidance aimed at helping practitioners involved discuss their options. The Department of Health...

'Devolution' arrives in the NHS.(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... The Government's intention to 'modernise' the NHS increased apace this week when England's 302 primary care trusts gained greater control of health budgets. The intention is to allow those involved in PCTs - including optical practitioners - to...

Keeler Award winner set to go down under.(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... The winner of this year's Keeler Scholarship will use the funds to study glaucoma in Australia. Jonathan Crowston started his placement as glaucoma fellow at the Westmead Hospital and Millennium Research Institute in Sydney during March....

US study links myopia in kids with VDUuse.(Brief Article)
April 5, 2002... Further research, this time from the US, has suggested children's vision is suffering from computer use. Earlier this year optician reported that an Australian study had found high levels of myopia in young people (News, February 15)....

Drop toxicity; (Medicamentosa, toxic epitheliopathy, preservative sensitivity, anaesthetic abuse keratopathy).(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... Description Topical medication can adversely affect the ocular surface in several different ways. The drug, preservative or vehicle (and other components within the formulation) can directly lead to surface toxicity. Alternatively, normal...

Paediatric optometry; Part 2 - The development of vision.
April 12, 2002... In the second part of a new CET series on paediatric optometry, Dr Gillian Rudduck reviews the development of visual function during the first years of life and relates it to the underlying maturation of the anatomy and physiology of vision...

Practice manager wins a day at the races - courtesy of Lotus.(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... u John Seymour, practice manager at Alan Sherman Opticians, is the first winner in the Siltint/Andrew Actman Eyewear joint promotion for Lotus frames and Siltint AR lenses. He has won a day for two at the Lotus Test Track and is pictured...

Accessible Continuing Education and Training at an affordable price.(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... The Directorate of Optometric Continuing Education and Training (DOCET) is offering Sunday run conferences, free of charge to all DOCET plans to build on the success of last year's series of courses by offering 11 regional conferences this...

moneowrites.(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... Second guessing Lest I confuse anybody, I should perhaps explain at the outset that I am writing today's submission on April 4. That is to say I am writing this at the Government's financial year-end, and two weeks before the Chancellor's...

Norville Group opens the doors of refurbished demonstration centre.(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... u The Norville Group recently refurbished its demonstration centre to allow visitors to have a hands-on day trying everything that is new in optical laboratories. The new twin workstation Centaur generator, with a capacity to process 120...

Multiple's growth slows but margins 'stronger'.(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... Sales at Vision Express's 107 non-franchise stores in the UK and Ireland reached ?37.1m (E58m) in the first quarter of 2002, up 3.2 per cent compared with last year. Director general of UK and Ireland Simon Innes commented: 'Although sales...

MPs meet to discuss low-vision 'barriers'.(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... The All Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment will meet next week at the House of Commons to discuss 'barriers' to visually impaired people. The group, established earlier this year (News, January 25), will meet on...

Licence to prescribe moves a step closer.(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... The profession will soon hear which government group will decide if optometrists can become 'independent prescribers'. Efforts to extend the responsibility of optometrists to prescriber status have been on-going since March 1999, when the...

Hilfiger makes a splash with 29 models in 2002 sunglass range.(Tommy Hilfiger, Oakley, Cebe offer sunglasses)(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... u The 2002 sunglass collection from Tommy Hilfiger features 29 models with frames in everything from acetate and metal to lightweight titanium. One of the new models this season is the THSI 265, a stylish wrap with a front mount, a...

Filos UK to move in with Metzler by May.(Birmingham offices of Metzler and Moulin International)(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... Following last year's merger of international frame companies Filos, Metzler and Moulin International, Filos UK is preparing to move into Metzler's Birmingham offices later this month. The deal to create the fourth largest optical group in...

Now you see it?(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... Baffled readers rang optician after receiving their latest College of Optometrists' annual report. It seemed that a graph on page 15 of the report (above right) illustrating the public's response to practitioners with more CET points had...

Prescribing rights.(optometrists want to write prescriptions)(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... When will the Government make its mind up about the implementation of independent prescribing rights for optometrists? And how many practitioners want to exercise those rights if they arrive? News this week (see page 5) that the latest...

'Robin Hood' OO to appear before GOC.(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... Gywn Evans, the 'Robin Hood' optometrist who defrauded the NHS, will appear before a disciplinary committee of the General Optical Council next Wednesday (April 17). Mr Evans made the national news headlines last autumn when he appeared at...

Moulsdale joins the Rich List.(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... Perennial entrants to the Sunday Times Rich List, founders of Specsavers Opticians Doug and Mary Perkins, were joined this year by Optical Express boss David Moulsdale. The Scotsman, who founded the business in 1991, is estimated to be...

B&L's marketing boss leaves in restructuring.(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... Bausch & Lomb UK's high profile head of marketing Nick Atkins has left the company after a marketing reshuffle. Mr Atkins, who has been at the company for a decade, was instrumental in the launch of B&L's continuous wear contact lens,...

Winners of student bursary Africa-bound.(Bernadette Kenny, Brian McKeon win scholarships)(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... An optometry student and an ABDO distance learning student have been awarded Irvine Aitchison bursaries and will join a Vision Aid Overseas project visiting Africa this summer. The Irvine Aitchison Memorial Fund, in conjunction with VAO,...

Eye lost after 'failed' checks.(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... A patient who was diagnosed as having a 'lazy eye' later found that a tumour had developed in the same eye, it has been reported. The General Medical Council heard this week how a patient lost his eye after two ophthalmic medical...

De Rigo sees profits rocket by over 50%.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 12, 2002... Italian eyewear manufacturer De Rigo's preliminary results for last year have shown a 50.4 per cent jump in net profits to E21.2m (?13m) together with a 10.7 per cent increase in worldwide sales from E457m to E505.3m Police, for which...

Supermarket to boost presence in profession.(Tesco adding in-store opticians)(Brief Article)
April 12, 2002... Tesco, the supermarket chain which announced pre-tax profits for 2001-02 of ?1.2bn, is planning to open five new in-store opticians sites in the coming months. The company, which saw non-food sales - including pharmacy and optical...

ECCO to debate Euro Diploma's future in Berlin.
April 12, 2002... Future developments for the troubled European Diploma will be discussed in Berlin this month. The European Council of Optometry and Optics will debate the next moves for the Diploma from April 26-28. Since the original Diploma ran in...

Dry eye syndromes - classification.(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... Description The cornea and conjunctiva are unique in the body in that they are an exposed mucous membrane requiring constant wetting to maintain their health, and, in the case of the cornea, its clarity. Ocular surface wetting is achieved...

Silhouette turns to European chic.(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... u Silhouette has recruited Pauline Voce as style consultant and colour analyst to provide a service to practices that is already available in mainland Europe. Ms Voce has advised a number of celebrities on the choice of frames and boasts...

From the rimless to the rectangle.(top selling eye glass frames in the United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... It is all very well drawing trends from frame launches at international shows, but do these translate into optical practice? optician provides a run-down of top-selling styles around the UK As a recent report from the Optica show in Germany...

Photodynamic therapy decision is lambasted.(more clinical trials required)(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... Charities campaigning for the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) to be available on the NHS for AMD sufferers reacted in horror this week after the Government's appraisal body called for more clinical trials. Pressure groups have claimed...

New Horizon.(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... While some elements of the UK optical industry are battling to survive, Len Doherty, chairman of Horizon Optical is pleased about the current climate and upbeat about the future. Exactly 30 years on from when he first established the company in...

Disabled patients say they feel excluded.(at optical offices)(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... In a new survey on the views of disabled people, optical practices have been singled out as being difficult environments to access. The report, published by disability charity the Leonard Cheshire Foundation, found that 16 per cent of...

A close eye on refractive developments.
April 19, 2002... Last month, the British Society for Refractive Surgery held its largest conference to date. Catherine Chisholm reports from Birmingham With over 140 delegates, including surgeons, optometrists, nurses and a number of technical...

Centration of aspheric lenses in near vision.
April 19, 2002... In a new monthly series of articles on dispensing issues in everyday practice, Trevor White discusses how to make an informed decision when centring and fitting aspheric lenses It is generally accepted that aspheric lenses need to be fitted...

Telescopic lenses and electronic aids in low vision: Giving patients choice.
April 19, 2002... Telescopic magnifiers can bring a new lease of life to low-vision patients. Gil Smith discusses the benefits of spectacle-mounted aids and electronic devices Working with low-vision patients can be one of the most satisfying aspects of...

The qualified European.(optometry industry)(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... As the European Council of Optometry and Optics prepares for the latest incarnation of a European diploma for optometry, Bill Harvey looks at the history of the venture and discusses how a future examination may impact upon European optometry...

New approaches in low-vision assessment.(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... Bill Harvey describes some developments in the methods used to assess the visual capabilities of patients with vision impairment. A word of warning is also noted about assumptions regarding the levels of magnification prescribed The latest...

nemowrites.(differing levels of care in the ophthalmic optical profession is discussed)(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... Much ado? 1 It is surely a sad reflection on the ophthalmic optical profession that, having been in the business of providing NHS sight tests for the past 54 years, some members are apparently uncertain as to what the operation entails...

Surprise early result as test fee raised 4%.(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... In contrast to previous negotiations, an early settlement for this year's NHS sight test fee has been reached. For 2002-2003 the fee has been set at ?16.72, a 4 per cent rise on the previous figure. While many in the profession remain...

Mido confident of a good repeat turnout.(Mido eyewear show, Milan, Italy May 2002)(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... Organisers of next month's Mido show (Milan, May 3-6) are expecting to maintain last year's attendance figure of 40,000 visitors, despite the difficulties of other international shows. The events of September 11 resulted in UK show...

Loss of vision.(discusses moral failure of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to allow the use of Visudyne for age-related macular degeneration sufferers)(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... The failure of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to give the green light to the use of Visudyne (see News) for age-related macular degeneration sufferers must come as a blow to anyone working in the field of vision loss. As usual...

Asda 'in from the cold' with Inspecs contract.(ASDA Group PLC signs contract with optical branded supplier Inspecs)(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... Inspecs, the licence holder for French Connection and fcuk, has broken ranks with other optical branded suppliers and signed a deal to supply Asda's 'Vision Centres' starting this week. Until now the supermarket has resorted to using the...

First Ulster Eye Clinic success.(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... The first Eye Clinic in Northern Ireland has been a 'storming success' since it opened last month, according to the Newcastle-based company. Marketing manager Peter Skelton said: 'It's a cracking location, right opposite Queen's Arcade on...

J&J to change Acuvue labels.(Johnson & Johnson Vision Care)(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... Johnson & Johnson Vision Care will be changing the labels for the new 1-day Acuvue lenses to advertise that they may benefit ocular allergy sufferers. The US Food and Drug Administration has sanctioned the move, after a recent study showed...

Calling all prospective supervisors: the College is offering courses now.(College of Optometrists)(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... Places are available on the College of Optometrists' supervisor training courses next month. The courses are designed for those who want to become supervisors or those who have supervised in the past and feel in need of a refresher course....

Health service debate returns to the forefront.(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... The debate on the health service resurfaced this week as a key political battleground as the two main parties traded claims in the run-up to Wednesday's Budget. The Conservatives outlined their plans in a survey of healthcare systems from...

'Extravagant' DO is struck off at hearing.(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... A dispensing optician, who funded an 'extravagant' lifestyle by stealing more than ?30,000 from her employers, was struck off the Opticians Register this week. The disciplinary committee of the General Optical Council made the order after...

Brown sets target for NHS spending.(National Health Service chancellor Gordon Brown announced 2002 spending plan)(Brief Article)
April 19, 2002... Those in the profession looking for extra funding for the NHS were not disappointed with chancellor Gordon Brown's 2002 Budget. The chancellor set out a five-year programme of spending for the health service which will rise from this year...

Dry eye syndromes - keratoconjunctivitis sicca; (Sj?gren's syndrome).(Brief Article)
April 26, 2002... Description A dry eye resulting from a decrease in the aqueous component of the tear film is referred to as keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS). More severe forms are often associated with other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis,...

OMPs guilty of serious professional misconduct.(ophthalmologists)(Brief Article)
April 26, 2002... Two West Midlands' ophthalmic medical practitioners have been found guilty of serious professional misconduct by a General Medical Council disciplinary hearing earlier this month in Manchester. The hearing, first reported in optician on...

Short wavelength lasers: development and use.(Statistical Data Included)
April 26, 2002... Lasers have rapidly developed into highly sophisticated tools for detailed work in the computer and medical sectors. Douglas Clarkson reports on their clinical use in eye surgery Today's photorefractive lasers have rapidly evolved into...

The making of a modern practice.
April 26, 2002... Earlier this month, optometrist Andrea Gould acquired one of Cambridge's oldest practices. Rob Moss introduces a series that will follow the practice's planned transformation, including a complete refurbishment of the premises and the...

Spring slowdown.(eye care and eyeglasses industry statistics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 26, 2002... March results fail to match the gains of February. But the trend for contact lens fits continues to improve and practice turnover remains strong The long month of March made its mark with every benchmark declining compared with February....

Asda deal is a 'bitter blow' for grey market.(ASDA Group PLC)(eyeglass frame distribution contract)(Brief Article)
April 26, 2002... The managing director of Inspecs, the frame group which has agreed to supply Asda, has spoken for the first time about the deal. Robin Totterman claimed that the company's decision to supply the Wal-Mart owned supermarket, reported last...

'Robin Hood' optometrist given fine and suspension by GOC.(optometrist defrauds the National Health Service)(Brief Article)
April 26, 2002... Gwyn Evans, the Welsh optometrist dubbed 'Robin Hood' by the media because he gave away spectacles to underprivileged children, was suspended from practising by the GOC's disciplinary committee last week. Mr Evans, who has been running his...

The eye examination.(Brief Article)
April 26, 2002... In the third in a series of articles on the College of Optometrists' Clinical Audit Patient Survey (CAPS) programme, Dale Harris and Bob Hutchinson discuss the eye examination Alfred Hitchcock was a master of suspense. He knew what...

Acanthamoeba risk linked to hard water.(Brief Article)
April 26, 2002... Contact lens wearers in the the South face nine times the risk of developing serious eye infections than wearers in other parts of the UK. This is the conclusion of new research published this week in the British Journal of Ophthalmology...

CooperVision expands range of Frequency 55.(Brief Article)
April 26, 2002... u CooperVision has improved the range of its Frequency 55 aspheric contact lens with the addition of a new steeper-fitting 8.40mm base curve. The company states that the wearer often gets better resolution and depth of focus with the...

Tribunal rejects claims of sexual harassment.(Brief Article)
April 26, 2002... Optometrist Kirit Rach has been cleared of allegations of sexual harassment brought against him by his former receptionist Frances Dodge. At an Edinburgh industrial tribunal, which concluded earlier this month, the Fife optometrist denied...

Bad scare day.(Brief Article)
April 26, 2002... Any contact lens practitioners reading the Daily Mail or listening to Radio 4 on Tuesday morning must have wondered why they bothered getting out of bed. The cause of this collective depression was the latest bit of research from Moorfields Eye...

Laser correction may only last seven years.(Brief Article)
April 26, 2002... Laser eye surgery patients were warned this week that the benefits of their treatment may only last a few years. Researchers at Umist's optometry department are currently studying patients who have had refractive surgery to find out the...

Crown tells OOs to keep trying.(optometrists prescribing rights)(Brief Article)
April 26, 2002... Optics must continue to lobby government to keep the extension of prescribing rights to optometrists on track, the author of the Crown Report told last weekend's College of Optometrists' conference. Dr June Crown, the influential author of...

Study highlights 'very real dangers' of CLs.(Christopher Neave)(contact lens )(Brief Article)
April 26, 2002... The chief executive of a chain of laser eye clinics has spoken out about this week's research on contact lens wear (News, page 5). Ultralase chief executive Christopher Neave said the Moorfields Eye Hospital research 'highlights the risks...

Management of age-related macular degeneration.(Statistical Data Included)
April 26, 2002... John Schilling discusses some contemporary methods of managing age-related macular degeneration Age-related Macular degeneration is the commonest cause of blindness in the elderly across the western world.1 In the UK, an estimated 500,000...