Optician articles from February 2007

Optician archives from February 2007

Glaucoma classification.(News)
February 2, 2007... Description Glaucoma is a term that encompasses a group of conditions, which have in common the development of a potentially blinding optic neuropathy. The optic neuropathy is a result of a progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells,...

PCT to review drug ruling for Lucentis.(News)(primary care trusts of National Health Service)
February 2, 2007... An NHS trust which refused to fund a drug used to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) for a former Labour MP has backed down and said it will review its decision. Former MP for Halifax, Alice Mahon, 69, who has lost the sight...

News.(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... AMO has joined forces with the Light for the World charity to fund vitamin A capsules for at-risk children. Every year 500,000 children go irreversibly blind from the deficiency. For every pack of Complete MoisturePlus sold by participating...

News.(services of Moorfields Eye Hospital )(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... Moorfields Eye Hospital in Dubai will treat its first patients in May. A constituent hospital of the UK's Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the Dubai hospital will be owned and managed by the Trust and maintain close links with...

Meeting the challenge.(Features)
February 2, 2007... Innovative business strategies were a common theme among last year's shortlist for the Contact Lens Practice of the Year Award. Alison Ewbank describes four successful approaches to the increased competition in the contact lens sector ...

Technology Practice of the Year.(News)(opticians)
February 2, 2007... This award will seek to reward the practice that can demonstrate an ability to use technology effectively. This might be for the direct clinical needs of the patient or the efficient operation of the practice for the patient's benefit....

Freshlook Optical Assistant of the Year.(News)
February 2, 2007... The importance of optical assistants in practice is rapidly becoming recognised, especially in emerging product areas. Coloured contact lenses is one area that opens up fantastic opportunities for practices to win new, mainly younger,...

Opticians take strain as stress levels rise.(News)
February 2, 2007... Research this week from Barclaycard Business reveals that stress levels among medical retailers, including opticians and dentists, is the highest of all retail sectors. The survey, of more than 1,000 retailers across the UK, discovered...

Boots opens 20th franchise.(News)
February 2, 2007... Boots Opticians will open its 20th franchise practice on February 12, having recently marked its 20th birthday. Since last July, Boots Opticians has converted six in-store and three free-standing practices to the franchise format. Franchise...

Contact Lenses 5th edition.(Features)
February 2, 2007... The latest edition of this volume is a must for contact lens practitioners, writes Andy Franklin As the editors point out in the preface, Contact Lenses has been with us for a while. The original version by Stone and Phillips was published...

Research keeps Cardiff strong.(Features)(School of Optometry and Vision Sciences)(Organization overview)
February 2, 2007... Emma White talks to Tim Wess, head of Cardiff University's new [pounds sterling]20m eye care research centre Cardiff University has invested an impressive [pounds sterling]20m in a new state-of-the-art centre for the School of Optometry and...

Carrera flags up the 70s spirit.(P pages)
February 2, 2007... The new sunglass collection from Carrera reinterprets the spirit of the brand in the 1970s using interesting style content and high-impact colourways, according to Safilo. An updated Pocket Flag folding sunglass model is pictured above. Colours...

The Centre for Sight.(News)
February 2, 2007... Emma White visits East Grinstead to discover how Sheraz Daya was motivated to establish a clinic for surgical correction of myopia, hypermetropia and astigmatism back in 1996 Centre for Sight was established in 1996 by consultant ophthalmic...

Treatment left to chance.(News)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... It comes to a pretty something when a former Labour MP has to take legal action against the NHS to gain treatment to save her sight. But that, sadly, is the case with Alice Mahon who has macular degeneration, discovered when she was referred by...

News.
February 2, 2007... The Birmingham and Black Country Digital Retinopathy Screening scheme, launched late in 2006, has now registered approximately 87,000 diabetes patients. Patients from 11 PCTs can attend for digital screening at one of 96 optical practices and...

News.
February 2, 2007... 5 Northants Optical Association, Northamptonshire, Occupational varifocals (01604 889335) 6 Haag-Streit Imaging day, Manchester, Ocular pathology (www.haagstreituk.com/pdf/booking_form.pdf) 6-7 Public Private Finance, Thistle...

Alliance responds on elderly care.(News)
February 2, 2007... The Eye Health Alliance has expressed disappointment at the latest Department of Health report, A recipe for care - Not a single ingredient, by national director for older people Professor Ian Philp. Philp discussed the importance of...

Essilor increases market share in every region.(News)
February 2, 2007... by Rory Brogan rory.brogan@rbi.co.uk Essilor announced an 11 per cent rise in revenue for 2006 over 2005 at [euro]2,690m. 'In a favourable environment for ophthalmic lenses, Essilor benefited considerably from worldwide demand for...

P pages.(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... The EyeGenie is a new instrument that optimises the view and unencumbered access to the frontal globe, providing an easy and professional alternative to the thumb and forefinger. The EyeGenie, from Hilco, has delicate soft-grip tips that...

Features.(duties od a dispensing opticians)(Viewpoint essay)
February 2, 2007... From a DOs desk [intro] Robert Longhurst gives his views on the status of dispensing opticians, and why this needs to be bolstered The Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians states: 'Dispensing opticians interpret a...

News.(Karen Millen offers eyewear for women)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... Karen Millen eyewear is offering 'super smooth and shimmering styles in a new range to dance away the winter blues'. The range, which comprises 33 styles in three colour choices, is designed to flatter with soft contours, glittering tones,...

Lab technology at Optrafair.(News)(Lab Tech 2007)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... Lab Tech 2007 has announced a full programme of speakers for its half-day event at Optrafair on April 22 to provide an insight into lens manufacturing technology. Professor Mo Jalie will lead speakers in the lens producers' programme...

Other.(news from the conference Delivering the Vision - Innovations from the Eyecare Pathways)(Conference notes)
February 2, 2007... The title of the conference in York (January 16-17) was Delivering the Vision - Innovations from the Eyecare Pathways. It delivered neither vision nor innovation. OK, there were a couple of highlights from an optical professional's perspective,...

P pages.(City and Islington College's services)(earnings of Optos company)(Vision Care Institute sponsors roadshows)
February 2, 2007... No train no gain City and Islington College has been recognised as a Train to Gain Provider, a government initiative to provide training at no cost to the employer, covering optical knowledge, IT customer service and skills for life. The...

News.
February 2, 2007... Contact lens firm Cooper Companies has announced that it has priced its $350 million private offering of senior notes at an interest rate of 7.125 per cent. The notes, which are due 2015, are being offered to refinance the company's existing...

News.(awards)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... Retired optometrist Nigel Horrocks has been awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship by Rotary Club of Kingston upon Thames in recognition of his work with VAO. The fellowship, established in 1957, is the highest award Rotary can bestow. Horrocks has...

Record numbers turn out for Opti Munich.(News)
February 2, 2007... by Emma White emma.c.white@rbi.co.uk A record 35,000 visitors from 70 countries braved the cold to attend German trade show Opti Munich last weekend, further confirming its place as a premier event on the optical calendar. Last year's...

Specs system perfects the fit.(News)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... A system that aims to produce perfectly-fitted spectacles is being developed at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The system uses photogrammetry technology, to give a three-dimensional head on screen. The computer finds...

Keep your medications cool.(P pages)(Labcold Practice Refrigerator)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... Mid-Optic has introduced a practice refrigerator for the correct storage of pharmaceutical products within the optical practice. Products requiring refrigerated storage such as chloramphenicol 0.5 per cent, proxymetacaine 0.5 per cent and...

Refractive surgery.(Features)
February 2, 2007... Part 1 - The origins of refractive sugery Is there a need for refractive surgery? Uncorrected refractive errors are often debilitating, but considering that an external lens can remedy this fault it seems odd to many in the optical...

Carnes aims to boost service to customers.(News)
February 2, 2007... Rodenstock UK's new managing director Keith Carnes aims to enhance the firm's marketing, sales and customer service support. Carnes, who worked for Gillette for 21 years in senior marketing and sales roles, brings experience of promoting...

Other.
February 2, 2007... Omen (Optician, 26 January 2007), referring to the Opticians Act, says that, 'unlike Ron Hamilton, founder of daysoft' he and Christopher Kerr agree, ' the law should be enforced to protect the public from the risk of inadequate fitting and...

Other.(college reunion)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... I am attempting to co-ordinate the organisation of a reunion of the above year group who studied together in the Dame Alice Owen Building of the City University during the years 1977-1980. I think we were the first year to start in this...

Latest look from Serengeti.(P pages)(Serengeti Eyewear Inc.)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... Serengeti Eyewear has introduced two new sunglass styles with a 'leather' look frame. The company described models Salto (pictured) and Lamone as having a real leather look and feel thanks to the alliance of epoxy resin and high pressure...

Specslab aims to grow in Europe.(News)
February 2, 2007... Specslab.co.uk, the online retailer which uses qualified opticians as franchisees, plans to expand into Europe. UK director David Cregor explained that the company had more than doubled its projected figure of three franchisees for the last...

Call for Van Colle entries.(P pages)
February 2, 2007... Applications for the Giles Van Colle Memorial Award to encourage clinical excellence in children's eye care must be received by the end of April. The award honours the memory of optometrist Giles van Colle, who was murdered in 2000, and...

News.(Eyecare conference)(Conference news)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... Last week's Eyecare 3000 CET conference in Glasgow was attended by 392 delegates. With 18 lectures and 19 mini-symposia, the event was 'a resounding success', according to course chairman Dr Scott Mackie. New this year was a CD of all the...

Features.
February 2, 2007... 1 Which of the following procedures was used first? A Lasik B ALK C AK D RK 2 Which of the following procedures involves incisions of the cornea to alter corneal profile? A PRK B RK C Lasik D Lasek ...

Features.(All Party Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment to meet blind people to discuss mobility rights)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... Mobility benefits for the blind The College of Optometrists has announced that The All Party Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment will be meeting blind people and the societies that represent them to discuss mobility rights early next...

Delivering good intentions.(Features)('Delivering The Vision' conference)(Conference news)
February 2, 2007... Richard Edwards braves the winter storms to hear what the government plans for local eye care York Racecourse was the venue for the recent RNIB/Department of Health (DoH) conference 'Delivering The Vision' at which the outcomes of a number...

Glaucoma - Neuro-retinal rim assessment.(News)
February 9, 2007... GLAUCOMA - NEURO-RETINAL RIM ASSESSMENT Glaucomatous optic neuropathy signs DESCRIPTION The optic nerve contains over one million axons of the retinal ganglion cells. At the optic nerve head, the axons are predominantly located at...

Glaucoma - Differential diagnosis and management.(News)
February 9, 2007... Description, Symptoms, Classification and signs See Glaucoma classification. Prevalence and Significance Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of visual disability in Western countries, along with macular degeneration, diabetic...

Ann Harvey remembered.(P pages)
February 9, 2007... Optometrist Ann Harvey passed away on December 23 2006 at the age of 43 after losing a 16 month battle with melanoma. Harvey of Sevenoaks was much-loved and over 200 people attended the Celebration of her Life. She trained as an optometrist at...

Obituary - Tony Phillips.(P pages)(death of Anthony Phillips )(Obituary)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... Dispensing optician Anthony (Tony) Phillips died on December 21 after a short illness, aged 81. After qualifying and serving in the armed forces, he and a partner set up prescription house Alecto Optical and in 1968 became a director of...

Cardiologist questions safety of Avastin use.(Other)
February 9, 2007... Anti-VEGF therapy represents a double-edged sword, it was claimed last week by an internationally renowned cardiologist. Speaking in London at a briefing organised by Pfizer Ophthalmics, Professor Frank Ruschitzka of Zurich pointed out that...

P pages.
February 9, 2007... Lindsay Brown is the new director of commercial sales in Europe for ophthalmic lens company Transitions Optical. Brown will be responsible for developing the commercial sales market in the EMEA region. His responsibilities will include:...

Don't miss our Awards deadline.(News)
February 9, 2007... There's just over a week to get your entries in for the 2007 Optician Awards. Ten trophies are up for grabs this year with a clutch of new categories joining the list of popular perennials.The deadline for entries is February 19, so time...

Outstanding Dispensing Optician of the Year.(News)
February 9, 2007... People continue to be the most important asset a practice has and as such Optician is seeking to recognise excellence within dispensing. This category is designed to reward a dispensing optician who typifies that spirit. Entries and...

Expansion at BBGR.(P pages)(Appointments of Ewan Hunter, Adam Blackshaw and Rachel White)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... BBGR has expanded its sales team and customer service departments as a direct result of its growth in the UK market. Ewan Hunter is the new account manager for Scotland and brings 13 years' experience of lens sales plus 16 years in practice...

head to go hereB&L lowers performance expectations.(News)
February 9, 2007... Bausch & Lomb has lowered its financial performance expectations for 2006 and 2007, citing sluggish contact lens sales in the US and a slower recovery of its lens and lens care business in Asia following the recall of the MoistureLoc solution....

Bingo! A perfect dispense.(Features)
February 9, 2007... Turners Optometrists presents a case study of a difficult 20D astigmatism correction handled by dispensing optician Arran Taylor and Norville Optical Every now and then an unusual prescription crops up and increasingly it is difficult to...

Supervision of contact lens sales.(News)
February 9, 2007... * Thank you to Omen (January 26) for the kind tone of his/her comments regarding the BCLA's position on the sale and supply of plano contact lenses. The Association's position is quite clear: a plano lens is no different from any other contact...

We're here to reward you.(News)
February 9, 2007... An Optician Award has become one of the most prestigious accolades made to optical practices in the UK. Over the next few weeks the shortlists in the Optician Awards will be drawn up by the panels of judges. But as with most awards processes,...

P pages.
February 9, 2007... 12 Herts Optometric CPD. Welwyn Garden City, A day in the life of an ophthalmology A&E department (april.hall@nhs.net) 13 Three Counties Optometry Society, Gloucester, Glaucoma (maryruce@blueyonder.co.uk) 13 Insight Education, Belfast,...

Independent Practice Website of the Year.(News)
February 9, 2007... No one can doubt the influence of the internet, but how well does your practice harness the power of the web? This category will reward an independent practice that has used the internet to improve its business and benefit its patients. ...

P pages.(Federation of Manufacturing Opticians )
February 9, 2007... The Federation of Manufacturing Opticians has added extra dates for its one-day optically-focused courses on sales and customer service following popular demand. Keyturn Training organises the courses which address call planning,...

Recognition we deserve.(News)
February 9, 2007... The professional status of dispensing opticians needs to be bolstered, writes Robert Longhurst The Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians states: 'Dispensing opticians interpret a patient's visual and fitting requirements and...

News.(Gosforth Eye Company)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... Two Newcastle-based optometrists are expanding their business by offering a corporate eye care package to local companies. Angela Henderson (pictured far right) and Katrina Venerus, charge a fee for a set period of time to carry out VDU...

P pages.(distribution agreement)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... Grafton to distribute Optovue OCT Grafton Optical has been appointed distributor of the new Fourier Domain OCT or Spectral Domain OCT from Optovue. This equipment will be launched at this year's Optrafair exhibition but will soon be...

OOs Great Wall of China.(P pages)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... Husband and wife team Malcolm and Melanie Coates are walking the Great Wall of China this October on behalf of Fight for Sight. The optometrists, who work at Malcolm Coates Opticians in Swiss Cottage, London, are financing the trip and hope...

P pages.(Hoya Lens UK appoints John Phillips)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... Hoya Lens UK has appointed John Phillips as Independent Sales Manager to provide independent practices with the best support from the Hoya Independent Sales team. Phillips is currently working with Hoya's independent area sales managers to...

News.
February 9, 2007... Lottie Bowater from the Isle of Wight has become the new face of Freshlook after beating off competition from nearly 3,500 other young women in the Ciba Vision contest. The competition was designed to raise the profile of coloured contact...

Features.
February 9, 2007... Food for thought - the Waterford Macular Pigment Research Group Optician visits a new research centre aiming to offer more precise information about how our diet can affect eye health. Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is the...

News.(National Health Service)(commissioning toolkit)
February 9, 2007... Much has been said about the GOS Review and the launch of the commissioning toolkit by Rosie Winterton in York on the day of the gales, but I would like to share the succinct observation made by Mrs Moneo as she read the articles. Her simple...

News.(Moorfields Eye Hospital Development Fund for Richard Desmond Children's Eye Centre)
February 9, 2007... Dollond & Aitchison chief executive Andy Ferguson (far right) has presented a cheque for [pounds sterling]180,000 to the Moorfields Eye Hospital Development Fund, in aid of the Richard Desmond Children's Eye Centre, more than double the amount...

head to go here.(Nationwide Frame Repairs)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... Nationwide Frame Repairs, part of the Hilco Europe group, has completed investment in two major projects at its repair centre. The company has become the first UK frame repairers to use an AIS-35S Laser Welding Machine, which can generate...

News.
February 9, 2007... in brief An Aston Academy of Life Sciences one-day CET event on March 7 offers seven CET points. Dr Hannah Bartlett covers 'Macular pigment: Maintaining good vision', followed by Professor Bernard Gilmartin's 'Ocular adverse reactions to...

P pages.(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... Practice management company Opticabase said that since its launch last November, 28 trial versions of its system have received brilliant feedback. Over 14 additional practices are now using the software with some importing their existing...

P pages.(Parasite Design appointed Scott Lewis as executive director)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... French fashion eyewear brand Parasite Design has appointed Scott Lewis as executive director to aid commercial expansion and build its international presence. Lewis, formerly an international executive at Oakley and commercial director of...

Police checks.(News)(Haine & Smith Opticians partnership with Wiltshire Police )(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... Haine & Smith Opticians has joined forces with Wiltshire Police to encourage motorists to get their eyes checked. Wiltshire Police is hosting roadshows to highlight that sight impairment can contribute to accidents and give motorists the...

News.(Letter to the editor)
February 9, 2007... Innovation meets vested interests * Omen (January 26, 2007), in referring to the Opticians Act, says that, 'unlike Ron Hamilton, founder of daysoft' he and Christopher Kerr agree, ' the law should be enforced to protect the public from the...

GOC hearing cancelled.(News)(General Optical Council)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... A GOC Fitness to Practise hearing for Simon Rose, scheduled for January 26 and cancelled, will not proceed. The GOC stated: 'Following review of expert evidence, the Investigation Committee reconsidered this matter and decided that it...

News.
February 9, 2007... City reunion '77-'80 * I am attempting to co-ordinate the organisation of a reunion of the above year group who studied together in the Dame Alice Owen Building of the City University during the years 1977-1980. I think we were the first...

P pages.
February 9, 2007... See20/20 triple senior appointments Three Optisoft senior managers have joined web-based practice management software company See20/20 in a matter of months. Former Optisoft sales director of 13 years, Paul Houston (centre), has joined...

Other.(Letter to the editor)
February 9, 2007... * I remember reading the article by the Royal National Institute for the Blind saying that the number of people being registered blind has dropped and that this is a good thing. One reason for this is that very often when a person is in a...

Bullish Specsavers continues to grow.(News)
February 9, 2007... by Perry Thakrar perry.thakra@rbi.coo.uk Specsavers has unveiled plans for UK-wide expansion, including the opening of 30 new optical practices, including 10 in Scotland, and the creation of 100 new hearing centres. The...

Burglars target Banbury practice.(News)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... A Banbury optician fears he is being targeted by thieves after burglars broke into the premises for the third time in two years and made off with [pounds sterling]6,000 of Oakley sunglasses. Edward Ukleja, owner of Peepers Opticians on High...

Thompson celebrates 21 years in business.(P pages)
February 9, 2007... Leeds-based Thompson Contact Lenses is celebrating 21 years in the industry and describes itself as a reliable and innovative supplier in a fast moving market place. Thompson provides independents and multiples with GP and soft lenses to...

P pages.
February 9, 2007... Transitions appointment Lindsay Brown is the new director of commercial sales, Europe, for ophthalmic lens company Transitions Optical. Brown will be a key member of the European leadership team with responsibility for developing the...

head to go here over 1 deck.(P pages)
February 9, 2007... Leighton Buzzard-based contact lens manufacturer UltraVision is communicating with customers on a regular basis. It is introducing a quarterly newsletter, 'MakingWAVES', designed as a two-way communication vehicle with relevant and topical...

Games good for vision.(News)(research on playing action video games)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... US scientists have found that playing action video games regularly can improve vision. A study by researchers at the University of Rochester showed that people who played action games for a few hours a day over the course of a month showed...

Food for thought.(News)
February 9, 2007... A group of researchers aims to offer more precise information about how diet can affect eye health Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in people over 50 years of age, affecting an estimated...

Ann Harvey remembered.(News)(In memoriam)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... Optometrist Ann Harvey died on December 23 2006 at the age of 43 after losing a 16-month battle with melanoma. Harvey, of Sevenoaks, was much-loved and over 200 people attended the Celebration of her Life. She trained as an OO at UWIST and...

Teenagers fear vision loss more than cancer.(News)
February 9, 2007... Teenagers fear blindness more than lung cancer or stroke, but nine of 10 don't know that smoking can rob them of their sight later in life, research findings have revealed. Research findings were based on a study undertaken by the British...