Optician articles from August 2002

Optician archives from August 2002

Filamentary keratopathy; (Corneal filaments, mucous filaments).(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... Description Damage to the corneal epithelium coupled with tear-film dysfunction can lead to the presence of mucous filaments. These filaments are composed of both degenerate epithelial cells and mucous. The most common causes of a...

Advanced orthokeratology: ; Part 1: History, lens design and mode of action.(cornea surgery)
August 2, 2002... The development of advanced designs has led to renewed interest in orthokeratology, with high-Dk materials enabling overnight wear and corneal topography. Beginning a new three-part CET series, John Mountford reviews the history of...

Ocular Surface Disease.
August 2, 2002... Professor Robert Fletcher reviews a new book discussing medical and surgical management of diseases of the ocular surface Much of Ocular Surface Disease should interest contact lens practitioners and those concerned with techniques of...

nemowrites.(Society of Opticians)(Column)
August 2, 2002... Major league It is not all that long since the former Society of Opticians, then representative of ophthalmic optics' corporate multiples, claimed a 40 per cent stake of total optical output in the UK. Though disputed by other...

RGP contact lenses - a refresher; Part 1 - Basic aspects of rigid lens fitting.(fitting procedures for rigid gas-permeable contact lenses)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... Christine Astin begins a new three-part CET series by discussing the fitting procedures for rigid gas-permeable contact lenses (CET Module C4205a) When reviewing the approach to the fitting of rigid gas-permeable corneal contact lenses,...

Seminars aim to get the best out of staff.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... A second series of seminars aimed at teaching better management and motivation of practice staff will take place this October. The one-day conferences - under the AOP banner - will be presented by Total Marketing Resource (TMR), the...

How to price your contact lens products and services.
August 2, 2002... In the fourth part of our series aimed at encouraging practitioners to develop their contact lens business, Shelly Bansal looks at traditional methods of charging for products and professional care and suggests an alternative strategy to...

Boots reports Wellbeing.(Boots Opticians)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... Boots Opticians continued to improve sales in the first quarter to June 2002. Sales were up 10 per cent on a like-for-like basis, and 13.2 per cent in total. Sales in the Wellbeing services division, which includes its optical business,...

Dying manager guilty of theft.(R Penzer Optician employee admits to theft and false accounting)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... A terminally-ill practice manager has been found guilty of stealing [pound]12,000 from his employer and a charity for retired greyhounds in order to 'make the most of what he had left'. John Reid, 55, who had worked for R Penzer Optician in...

Can weightlessness affect vision?(University of Leicester to carry out experiment to see if weightlessness affects vision)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... What happens to our vision when we are sent into space? Researchers from the University of Leicester are about to carry out a unique experiment to see if weightlessness affects vision. Physics and astronomy graduate Doug Robinson and...

Veys' Icelandic saga raises [pounds sterling]5k.(Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Dir-Clinical Affairs Jane Veys raises over [pound]5,000 for the National Eczema Society)
August 2, 2002... u Jane Veys, director of clinical affairs for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, has successfully completed her charity cycle around Iceland and raised over [pound]5,000 for the National Eczema Society. Ms Veys covered 410km, predominantly off-road...

Jet lag sunglasses help body clock tick.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... Jet lag sufferers could soon be helped by a vision device which is attached to sunglasses, it has been reported. A team from Flinders University in Adelaide claim they have developed a prototype which, they believe, stops the physical and...

Motorists favour eye tests to retain licence.(87 per cent of drivers are in favor of regular eye examinations for motorists)(regular eye examinations for motorists)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... Efforts to make the Government impose regular eye examinations for motorists increased this week with the release of research which found 87 per cent of drivers are in favour. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is studying the...

Where are you in GOS sight test league table?(report on General Ophthalmic Services in England and Wales)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 2, 2002... The number of sight tests paid for by health authorities in England and Wales continues to rise, new government figures on the profession have shown. However, the wider services of domiciliary visits and repairs to children's spectacles are in...

Road sense.(mandatory drivers' vision testing)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... Drivers' vision has been a topic of debate for many years but the failure of the profession to win control of the issue could lead to a further erosion of optometric standards and influence. Make no mistake, if the profession fails to...

Diabetes care receives boost.(Moorfields Eye Hospital signs agreement with Digital Healthcare to provide software for Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust's Diabetic Retinopathy screening scheme)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... Moorfields Eye Hospital has signed an agreement with a UK-based IT supplier to provide software for Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust's Diabetic Retinopathy screening scheme. The system is based on the Government's National Service...

Size matters, ASA tells laser group Optimax.(Optimax told by the Advertising Standards Authority to cease claiming it is 'largest' provider of laser refractive surgery in the UK)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... Optimax has been told by the Advertising Standards Authority not to repeat a claim that it is the 'largest' provider of laser refractive surgery in the UK, after its competitor Ultralase disagreed. In a national press advert, Optimax said...

Hastings gains as B&L seeks international profit boost.(Bausch & Lomb's rigid gas-permeable manufacturing will be concentrated at the company's East Sussex headquarters)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... The closure of two global factories will mean Bausch & Lomb's rigid gas-permeable manufacturing will be concentrated at the company's East Sussex headquarters. The US-based optical giant announced the decision to make the Hastings site a...

Chappell responds to FODO's 'unfair' attack.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2002... The optometrist involved in last week's Sunday Telegraph research on high street eye examinations has hit back at those who criticised his participation. And in a strongly worded response to comments on his actions by FODO, Bob Chappell...

Filtering bleb; (Trabeculectomy, drainage bleb, glaucoma procedure).(eye surgery)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Description The intraocular pressure may be lowered via the establishment of an outflow channel (fistula) between the anterior chamber and the subtenons space (a trabeculectomy). This leads to the development of an elevated filtering or...

My mentor and me.(Harry Freeman, optometry teacher)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... At some time in many people's careers, there appears an influential individual who provides inspiration and is held in high esteem. Optometrist Ivan Wainer talks about the late Harry Freeman. Interview by Peter Cross 'I first met Harry...

When to refer?(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Practitioners can be left in the dark due to the lack of criteria on referrals and poor feedback from NHS eye departments The forthcoming OEL September roadshow will contain three sessions featuring Professor Charles McGhee and Dr Jennifer...

Independents key to De Rigo UK success.(eyewear company)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Frame company De Rigo (UK) has attributed its 'exceptional' half-year results to its loyal British customer base. The company claimed that sales to the end of June were more than 60 per cent ahead of 2001 figures and turnover had already...

Child vision screening survey.(testing school children's vision)(Column)
August 9, 2002... Dr David Thomson provides results from a major screening programme of children in inner London schools using the City Vision Screener. He argues that compared with the investment in education the three-minute test is a small price to pay to...

Arnette takes things to the extreme.(sunglasses)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... u Luxottica is relaunching its Arnette brand of extreme sport sunglasses into opticians in the latter half of 2002, for delivery early in 2003. The brand was established in California in 1992 and is aimed at extreme sports enthusiasts,...

The Philadelphia story.(American Society of Cataract and)(Refractive Surgery symposium)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Home to Benjamin Franklin, inventor of among other things the bifocal lens, Philadelphia this June hosted the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) annual symposium. There was a strong turnout of delegates, with...

moneowrites.(Brief Article)(Column)
August 9, 2002... Testing times Goodness me, what an exhausting couple of weeks! I'm beginning to feel sorry for my patients. They appear to be getting more confused by the minute. First there was the report in the Sunday Telegraph telling them they were...

Paediatric optometry - Part 6: Further assessment and management of binocular vision problems.(sensory motor co-operation of eyes)
August 9, 2002... In her second article on binocular vision problems, Dr Alison Finlay concludes her discussion with a look at the investigation and differential diagnosis of sensory motion analysis (Code C5025f) The previous article in this series...

DOCET funding frozen at [pounds sterling]412,000 per year.(Directorate of Optometric Continuing)(Education and Training)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... Despite billions of pounds being pumped into the Health Service, government funding for UK optometrists' CET will remain at [pound]412,000 - on average [pound]58.42 per optometrist - this year, the same as in 2001. The College of...

New CL firm offers home delivery.(contact lens; EyeCare Service)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Practitioners who want to compete with more success in the aggressive contact lens sector should establish a home delivery service for lens wearers who want more convenience. This is the message from a new company which has been formed to...

Pieters steps down as secretary of golfing society.(Charles Pieters, Optical Golfing Society)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... u After 33 years as secretary of the Optical Golfing Society, Charles Pieters has handed over the reins to Tony Round and Mike Stokes. Mr Pieters was elected captain of the Society in 1999 and will continue in that post. The Optical...

Major ortho-K meeting starts today in Canada.(Global Orthokeratology Symposium)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... International orthokeratology experts will gather in Canada from today for a major three-day meeting on the subject. The first Global Orthokeratology Symposium, which will run until Sunday at Toronto's Metro Convention Centre, is the first...

Grafton donates perimeter to City.(Grafton Optical has donated Dicon LD400 to City University, London, England)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Grafton Optical has donated a Dicon LD400 perimeter to City University's department of optometry in London. The equipment which has new 'advanced fieldlink software' enables the practitioner to import results and information automatically...

Laser clinic group to invest [pounds sterling]3m in growth.(Advanced Laser Eye Clinic to expand in United Kingdom)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... Advanced Laser Eye Clinic, the Lasik treatment provider, is to invest [pound]3m and open four more branches in the UK. The group has been formed by the founders of the Specdeals Opticians business, which was sold to Optical Express at the...

D&A sales slip by 4% in first half of 2002.(Dollond and Aitchison Group Ltd.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... Sales at Dollond & Aitchison, the Italian-owned multiple, were 3.9 per cent lower in the first six months of this year compared to 2001. De Rigo, its Longarone-based parent, blamed a 'difficult retail environment' in the UK and disruption...

Cockayne to head up Marchon.(Andy Cocayne appointed Marchon UK and Ireland)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Former Ciba Vision sales director Andy Cockayne was this week named as the new managing director for Marchon UK and Ireland. The announcement ended months of speculation as to who would succeed Robert Lambie. Mr Cockayne, who has been...

Thief 'uses mouth' to deactivate tags.(Vision Express UK)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... Police and practice staff have been left baffled by a man who has stolen thousands of pounds worth of designer frames by apparently using a device in his mouth. The bizarre incidents have led to CCTV footage of the suspect, who has raided...

u See Letters - page 13.(Letter to the Editor)
August 9, 2002... PureVision manufacture halted after court action Bausch & Lomb has been forced to halt the manufacture and sale of PureVision contact lenses in the US, having been denied a stay of an injunction issued on June 26 2002. As a result of...

Vision Express signs IT deal.(Vision Express UK information technology contract ITnet PLC)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... Vision Express has signed a deal with information technology business ITNET for its SAP server hosting and software support. The contract with the Birmingham-based process outsourcing services company will run until 2004. Vision...

GOC suspends OOfollowing NHS fraud.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 9, 2002... An optometrist was suspended from practising for six months this week at a General Optical Council disciplinary hearing. Christopher James Penman Thomson, a Sheffield-based practitioner, was convicted at Doncaster Crown Court on two counts...

optician/Net Lectures wins DOCET tender.(cataract and learning disabilities distance learning course)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... optician and Net Lectures have been awarded the contract to provide a distance learning course on Cataract and Learning Disabilities. The successful tender, awarded by DOCETfor the first time, will contain material based upon NetLectures'...

OO suspended for six months following fraud.(optometrist Timothy John Scotley)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2002... An optometrist convicted of 11 counts of false accounting in the NHS was suspended from practising for six months at a GOC disciplinary committee hearing this week. Timothy John Scotney, an East Sussex practitioner, was sentenced to six...

Flash burns; (Photokeratopathy, snow blindness, actinic keratitis).(causes, treatment of photokeratopathy)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... Description Ultraviolet light (UV) can acutely damage the corneal epithelium. The most damaging wavelengths are between 260 and 290nm, although, with prolonged exposure, longer wavelengths can also lead to corneal damage. As the ozone...

Should optometrists treat eye disease?(survey results on optometrists prescribing therapeutic drugs)
August 16, 2002... Alison Ewbank reports on an optician survey of attitudes to the optometric use of ocular therapeutic drugs In 1996, optician surveyed optometrists and ophthalmologists on their attitudes to prescribing therapeutic drugs. More than nine out...

Unusual tests - Part 2:The Macular Mapping Test.
August 16, 2002... Dr Frank Eperjesi and Andrew Darby continue this five-part series on less mainstream assessment methods by looking at the Macular Mapping Test The macular mapping test (MM Test) was designed specifically to map visual defects due to...

nemowrites.(publicity for opticians)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... Public perceptions It has been said that all publicity is good, except in obituary notices! While recent events referred to later tend to contradict this aphorism, I have no hesitation in principle in endorsing my colleague Moneo's call...

'Disbanding College' email was a hoax.(hackers send hoax email from Association of Optometrists)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... The AOP has reacted with anger at a hoax email sent to its members asking them whether the AOP should call for the closure of the College of Optometrists. The mischievous message, which was sent last week, had a reply section linked to the...

Vision 2002; Activity and Participation.
August 16, 2002... Gillian Rudduck reports from Gothenburg, Sweden, host of this year's triennial, international gathering of experts in the multidisciplinary field of visual impairment at Vision 2002 Vision 2002 offered a wide range of developments in visual...

Dry eye: Is there anything new?(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... Dr Jennifer Craig, author of Tear Physiology in the Normal and Dry Eye, will present the latest findings in dry-eye treatment Considering the frequency of dry eye as a presenting symptom in optometric and particularly contact lens practice,...

Big names queue up to exhibit in Zurich.
August 16, 2002... Organisers have had to introduce a waiting list for companies who want to exhibit at next month's second Opti Zurich show. Last year, when the exhibition made its debut, the two-day fair attracted 2,533 visitors from 11 countries. OK...

Following where the Saints trod.(news items from optical goods, services industries)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... u A group of 20 volunteers raised [pound]2,000 for national vision research charity Fight for Sight after completing the 30-mile Saints' Way walk. The walk, organised by the charity's Devon Committee, followed the route chosen by the...

Franchise was to blame, says NHS fraudster.(Stephen Penrose pleads guilty to stealing from National Health Service)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... A former practice owner who pleaded guilty to stealing from the NHS claimed his fraud was a result of the constraints of his franchise agreement with Crown Eyeglass. Stephen Penrose, who ran the Crown Optical Centre in Bradford, admitted...

NetLectures conference grows.
August 16, 2002... Around 200 delegates are expected to attend NetLectures' third annual conference next month. The conference, which takes place in Egham, Surrey on September 15 comprises six lectures, eight seminars, an exhibition and a poster competition....

Returning volunteers paint a bleak picture.(Vision Aid Overseas team returns from work in Malawi)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... A Vision Aid Overseas team just back from famine-struck Malawi has reported eye care in the north of the East African country is virtually non-existent. Optometrists Ruth Davies, Andy Chenery, Rebekah Fisher and Graham Ridgewell were...

ABDO warning over exams.(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... Students who are to sit the ABDO contact lens certificate practical examination in January 2003 have been advised to ensure that their supervisor and practice are ABDO approved. An ABDO spokesman said: 'Your supervisor and your practice...

OO struck off by GOC for indecent assaults.(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... An optometrist continued to practise unnoticed and unchecked by any professional body, despite being jailed for six months following a conviction for indecently assaulting three female patients. Criminal information on Sajid Yakub Matadar,...

Closing the time lag.(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... Scarcely a week seems to go by in optics without another case of serious professional misconduct taking place and last week's episode makes for particularly sorry reading. An optometrist who was sentenced to six months in jail for...

NHS fraud service to survey contractors.(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... Practitioners will soon receive a questionnaire on NHS optical prescription fraud by patients. Annual prescription patient fraud within General Ophthalmic Services has this week been calculated to be [pound]13.25m by the Department of...

DoH backs plans for direct referral by OOs.(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... Members of the profession have welcomed a new government report which recommends that optometrists should be allowed to routinely refer patients direct to hospital eye services, easing the GPs' workload. Consultation between the profession...

Claims for reading specs misleading.(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... AAi FosterGrant has been ordered by the Advertising Standards Authority to withdraw leaflets claiming its ready-to-wear reading spectacles had been approved by leading eye specialists. The US sunglass and ready-reader company, part of...

New DOCET chair looks to compulsory CET.(Directorate for Continuing Education and Training)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... Dr Rob Hogan is the new chairman for DOCET (the Directorate for Continuing Education and Training). Formerly with Boots Opticians and Optical Express, Dr Hogan is director of professional services at Dollond & Aitchison. He takes over...

Eye Week focuses on testing drivers' vision.(Brief Article)
August 16, 2002... Research to be released next month will show that over 10 per cent of UK motorists have never attended a formal eye examination. The report will feature in the Eyecare Trust's National Eye Week (September 23-29) and will be based on...

Floppy eyelid syndrome.(Brief Article)
August 23, 2002... Description Floppy eyelid syndrome is a rare and frequently misdiagnosed condition capable of leading to significant upper eyelid laxity and conjunctival and corneal damage. It is thought to arise from spontaneous eversion and trauma to...

Adaptive optical techniques in optometry.
August 23, 2002... Douglas Clarkson presents an overview of adaptive optics and finds that they are already providing new insights into the functioning of the retina through improved imaging techniques Where images of the retina are captured in fundus...

The rehabilitation worker.(for the visually impaired)
August 23, 2002... Marcus Farley presents three case studies of rehabilitation work in our occasional series on allied professions A rehabilitation worker is the qualified professional who assesses the needs of certified, or certifiable, blind and partially...

DoH set to hold talks on prescribing rights.(UK Department of Health, for optometrists)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2002... Formal government discussions on extending prescribing responsibilities to optometrists and other health professions are to start in the autumn. A spokeswoman at the Department of Health confirmed that preliminary discussions would be held...

EyeScape.(from Grafton Optical)
August 23, 2002... In the latest in our series on digital imaging, Kirit Patel shares his experience of using the EyeScape system from Grafton Optical A decade ago a hand-held direct ophthalmoscope appeared to be enough to view the retina. With advancement in...

The RetinaLyze System - automated fundus image analysis.
August 23, 2002... Bill Harvey travelled to the Guest Hospital in Dudley to see a demonstration of a software system designed to help in the analysis of fundus images As reflected in these pages over recent years, image capture systems have had a significant...

Norville sees trend for funky tints.(Norville Group's Sun Fun lenses)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2002... u Sun Fun fashion photochromic lenses from the Norville Group offer a 'funky choice of tints' from blue, violet, pink, orange and yellow. Norville says the move away from classic grey and brown photochromics is inspiring a whole new market of...

US supports Spanish exhibition.
August 23, 2002... Madrid's annual optometry exhibition, Expo-optica, will benefit from the first ever agreement signed between a trade fair institution and the US Government. The annual show, which will be staged over four days next year (February 28-March...

Celine puts the sparkle in Eyes.(Celine Dion Eyes eyeglasses collection from Dunelm)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2002... u Dunelm has released a number of new models in its Celine Dion Eyes collection. The Canadian singing superstar approved the design and specified the use of diamante for some of the newest additions to the range. The sophisticated,...

nemowrites.
August 23, 2002... History lesson The truth of the observation that those who do not learn from history are apt to repeat it was amply confirmed by the report of a recent Sunday Telegraph survey claiming that ophthalmic opticians were prescribing unnecessary...

Primary care centres unveiled by the DoH.(UK Department of Health)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 23, 2002... Two dozen new primary care centres - involving opticians and other health care groups - have been announced by the Government. The outlets, which include GP surgeries as well as optical, dental and pharmaceutical services, use private...

Sight test revealed leukaemia.(Brief Article)
August 23, 2002... A routine eye examination during a shopping trip has saved the life of a 64-year-old man from Nottinghamshire. While shopping in Chesterfield last month, Mike Allard decided to call into a Specsavers Opticians. Within 16 hours, he was being...

Epilepsy drug linked to visual field defects.(Vigabatrin)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 23, 2002... A drug used to treat epilepsy causes eye problems in over four out of 10 of those prescribed it, a new study has shown. The Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry has reported the findings of University of Liverpool research which...

A fillip for the profession.(optometrist referrals to eye units)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2002... In Recent weeks a number of stories have appeared which provide a fillip to the profession's healthcare credentials. This culminated last week in the news that the Department of Health (News, August 16) is backing the idea of direct referrals...

Asda to begin pre-reg scheme in new year.(optical pre-registration)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2002... Asda is to establish a pre-registration scheme at the start of next year. The move is further evidence of the supermarket's determination to gain a substantial presence in the [pound]2bn UK optical market. Asda, owned by Wal-Mart, the...

Demand still high for optometry courses.(Brief Article)
August 23, 2002... Demand for optometry has remained high among A-level students this year. Figures have not been finalised, but admissions tutors told optician their courses were full and optometry remained a sought-after career. All reported that demand...

Boots' PQE students are top of the class.(opticians)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 23, 2002... This year's PQE results show that 29 per cent of students passed the examinations at the first time of taking them. Students who sat this year's examinations are probably the last to sit the PQEs in their current format. It is likely that...

Study highlights the need to screen children for amblyopia.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 23, 2002... A new study reported in this week's issue of The Lancet highlights how the risk of visual loss in the normal eye for individuals with amblyopia is greater than previously thought. The paper adds weight to those who argue that there is a...

Countdown to Optrafair 2003.
August 23, 2002... The Federation of Manufacturing Opticians has stated that plans for next year's Optrafair show in Birmingham are well-advanced. The event, which takes place from April 12-14 2003, was attended by over 11,500 visitors last year. This week...

Follicular conjunctivitis.(Brief Article)
August 30, 2002... Description Conjunctival follicles result from hyperplasia of local lymphoid tissue. They are the conjunctival equivalent of an inflamed lymph node, and often occur in association with inflammation of the draining preauricular and...

Medicines Update; for optical practitioners - Part 12.
August 30, 2002... Professor Michael Doughty provides an overview of eye medicines and other eye care products introduced over the past three months Medicines Update for Optical Practitioners is designed to keep the UK optometrist up to date with all aspects...

July proves the most progressive of months.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 30, 2002... July figures are slightly down on June but show improvements over last year and nowhere more so than in progressive lenses - up by an impressive 37 per cent July was a month of mixed fortunes with most benchmarks falling compared to June,...