Optician articles from March 2003

Optician archives from March 2003

Keratoconus forme-fruste ; (sub-clinical keratoconus).
March 7, 2003... Description With the introduction of corneal surface mapping, a group of patients has been identified with topographical changes consistent with mild keratoconus and steepening of the inferior cornea. Pachymetry often reveals these...

Sunglasses with personality.(Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.)
March 7, 2003... u The latest collection by Polo Ralph Lauren includes new sunglass models described by Safilo as having a clear, distinctive personality. Wraparound models in acetate have a rubbery effect and come in a colour palette with options of white...

Nutrition and the eye; Survey results.(Optician, reader survey)
March 7, 2003... On December 13 last year optician published a special supplement on nutrition and the eye which included a reader survey to assess practitioners' attitudes to and knowledge of the subject. Chris Bennett looks at the results T he subject of...

Retinoschisis:A case study.(disease of the retina)
March 7, 2003... Michael Fox presents a case study of a 48-year-old patient with retinoschisis Presenting symptoms A 48-year-old male reported for an eye examination. He did not have any visual complaints and his general health was good with no...

A family affair.(Teahans Optometrists, Naas, Ireland)
March 7, 2003... Shelagh Hardy visits a well-established family-run practice in the Dublin commuter belt of Naas and finds business is booming One day, the town of Naas will (locals ruefully agree) vanish into the ever-expanding compass of Greater Dublin, a...

Republic expenditure.(Ireland's optical market )
March 7, 2003... Shelagh Hardy offers an overview of the current state of the optical market in Ireland, from eye examination fees through to continuing education provision Not so long ago, the mere idea of subjecting Irish optics to scrutiny in market...

Aspiring ambitions.(McGivney Nolan optical practice in Dublin )
March 7, 2003... Dubliners may be ambivalent about the new Millennium Spire in the city's famous O'Connell Street, but for the nearest optical practice, McGivney Nolan, the regeneration of Dublin's North Side is a positive move. Alison Ewbank reports Not...

A hard and soft sell.(Contact lens sales in Ireland)
March 7, 2003... Ireland may well be the world's biggest exporter of contact lenses but how healthy is its own contact lens market? Alison Ewbank talked to some key players in the profession to find out about the latest developments in contact lens practice in...

Manufacturing hot spot.(Eyewear industry in Ireland)
March 7, 2003... Ireland has witnessed a recent flurry of investment in optical production, with a number of overseas firms choosing to set up major facilities. They join a number of big-name companies that have long seen the advantage of manufacturing there...

The need for transparency.( The College of Optometrists )
March 7, 2003... The College should be applauded for its development of CET and CPD, but, saysKeith Edwards, there must be certain prerequisites in place for any organisationto run such a scheme In response to a recent interview with Peter Leigh (optician,...

Progressive power lenses.
March 7, 2003... Paul McCarthy provides an overview of progressive power lenses, based on his experiences in practice Hard, soft, firm, mono, multi, asymmetrical, symmetrical, spherical, aspherical, atoroidal. These are just some of the words given to...

Amendments to Bill reach a critical stage.(Opticians Amendment Bill in Seanad Eireann (Ireland's Upper House))(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... The latest reading of the Opticians Amendment Bill took place in the Seanad Eireann (Ireland's Upper House) last week (February 25). The Opticians (Amendment) Bill 2002 sets out a series of amendments to the 1956 Opticians Act, whereby...

nemowrites.(Reflections on the optical profession)
March 7, 2003... Rose-tinted glasses Notwithstanding a common involvement in commercial activities, the 'Great and the Good' in the ophthalmic optical profession have traditionally argued that their calling should not be equated with pharmacy. In their...

German giant buoyed by pre-tax profits.(Fielmann, Europe's largest optical retailer)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... Fielmann, Europe's largest optical retailer, achieved a 13.5 per cent advance on pre-tax profits in 2002. The German company, which has hinted in the past that its expansion plans could include the UK, has around 500 outlets on the...

Wales sees dramatic fall in voucher repairs.(A dramatic fall in replacement and repaired spectacles took place in Wales last year)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... A dramatic fall in replacement and repaired spectacles took place in Wales last year, coinciding with a high profile suspension of a Welsh optometrist who gave children extra pairs. New Department of Health statistics reveal that from April...

Optomap scanner shows its potential.(Research on sickle cell retinopathy)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... The role of the Optomap retinal scanning system in screening for proliferative sickle cell retinopathy has been demonstrated by researchers from Croydon's Mayday Healthcare Trust. The health problems of sickle cell disease are substantial...

Thomson gives Gulley lecture.(Professor David Thomson presented the second annual David Gulley Lecture at City & Islington College, London)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... Professor David Thomson presented the second annual David Gulley Lecture at City & Islington College, London. Professor Thomson, who works in City University's Optometry Department, gave 'A whirlwind tour of the visual system'. The...

Independents should play to their strengths.(Survival in optics)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... Independent practitioners should focus on differentiating themselves, providing excellent customer service and offering value-added products instead of trying to compete with the multiples on price. This was the message from Dollond &...

Giving something back.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... Learning more about what optometrists and dispensing opticians want has always been at the top of optician's agenda. This week's finding (see page 34) that a staggering 98 per cent of optometrists want to learn more about nutrition and the...

GOC regulators target fees for laser referral.(General Optical Council)
March 7, 2003... Guidance to ward off the practice of optometrists being paid bonuses or fees for referring patients for laser refractive procedures was presented to the General Optical Council this week. The guidance, which has been prompted by the...

GOCwarns courses must have approval.(General Optical Council)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... This week the GOC considered a policy statement regarding an 'unfortunate trend' of optometry courses enrolling students before Council approval. The policy statement, put before the full Council meeting yesterday (March 6) warns training...

optician CET wins approval in Ireland.(Continuing education and training (CET) courses )(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... Irish practitioners taking part in optician's continuing education and training (CET) courses can now earn credits from the Association of Optometrists Ireland. Starting from this week, the AOI has formally approved optician's...

Aussie takes up Dublin position.( Peter Hendicott is the new head of the Department of Optometry at the Dublin Institute of Technology.)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... Australian Peter Hendicott is the new head of the Department of Optometry at the Dublin Institute of Technology. Graduating from Queensland University of Technology in 1974, Mr Hendicott practised in Brisbane before moving to Hong Kong...

Laser clinics agree to share market data.(Eye Laser Association is to issue its first code of practice)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... The Eye Laser Association, the newly established trade body for laser clinics, is to issue its first code of practice. The members, which represent 90 per cent of the market,including Boots Opticians, the Health Clinic, Optimax, Ultralase,...

Madrid show Expooptica attracts 8,000.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... Expooptica 2003, the Madrid optical show, recorded an attendance of over 8,000 during its three-day run last week (February 28-March 2). Timed to coincide with the city's 'Madrid Lives Fashion' initiative, brands involved in the optical...

Supermarkets feature in new top 100 listing.(Asda and Tesco)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2003... Asda and Tesco - the two UK supermarkets involved in offering full optical services - have featured in The Sunday Times' listing of 100 Best Companies to Work For 2003. Asda, which came top in the newspaper's supplement last year, has...

Extended wear RGP lenses; A short revision course.(Rigid gas-permeable lenses )
March 7, 2003... In this one-off CET article Andy Franklin reviews the practice of fitting rigid gas-permeable lenses on an extended wear basis and discusses the possible complications which need to be watched for (CET module C4476) The use of rigid lenses...

Keratoglobus; (Globular cornea).
March 14, 2003... Description There are three ectatic corneal dystrophies: keratoconus, keratoglobus and pellucid marginal corneal degeneration. Of these, keratoglobus is the least common. Unlike the other ectatic dystrophies, keratoglobus is frequently...

Setting up a teaching surfacing workshop - a view from Spain.
March 14, 2003... Santiago Royo and Jesus Caum report on establishing a lens surfacing workshop for teaching purposes in a Spanish College The Opticianry and Optometry School in Terrassa, Spain (EUOOT) has recently acquired the equipment required for...

Instrumental changes.(Weco UK, formerly Rodenstock UK, undergoes extensive change)(Interview)
March 14, 2003... In three short but turbulent years one of the UK's leading equipment suppliers has seen its ownership change and its brands blossom. Chris Bennett spoke to Weco UK's managing director, Barry Dibble The birth of Weco UK at the start of the...

A Flair for rimless.(Flair Frames UK)
March 14, 2003... German frame manufacturer Flair has long held a reputation for quality rimless design. Stephen Brazell and Helen Davies tell Rob Moss the story behind Flair Frames UK Last year, a converted barn on the Woburn Estate in Bedfordshire became...

Seeing things.(Calendar)
March 14, 2003... optician previews the College of Optometrists' AGM and CET day that takes place on March 24 F or the third year running the College of Optometrists is holding a CET day alongside its AGM. This year it returns to the south of England by...

Maui Jim on the crest of a wave.
March 14, 2003... UK practitioners are soon to be made aware of Maui Jim sunglasses. The brand enjoys a high profile in the US and its presence here will be boosted with the setting up of a subsidiary in southern England If UK practitioners have yet to hear...

Shades of history.(history of sunglasses)
March 14, 2003... Steve Ainsworth looks at the history of sunglasses from tints in 18th century London to the shades worn by US secret agents Eyeshades and wide-brimmed hats have been used by people for millennia to protect their eyes from strong sunlight....

Facial measurements - a review.
March 14, 2003... While measuring for a hand-made frame may not be an everyday occurrence in the average high-street practice, a revision of the procedure to follow will be useful to many - particularly those taking the dispensing PQE this summer. Janet Carlton...

moneowrites.
March 14, 2003... would be no actual election this year because there were not enough candidates. Worse still, for the first time that I can remember there were not even enough people standing to allow for a full number of Council members to be appointed. ...

Essilor employs the art of advertising.
March 14, 2003... u Essilor has announced a new campaign to highlight the differences between its products and those of competitors. The national advertising campaign - 'The Arts' - will run throughout March and April. Although it will be rolled out across...

A study of the Rx industry.
March 14, 2003... The overall processes of prescription lens fabrication have inherently remained unchanged for hundreds of years. An examination of the oil painting Study of Her Majesty the Queen, depicting master spectacle maker John Cuff at his lens making...

Means of production.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... Some of the predictions made for the future of optical technicians in this week's issue make grim reading (see page 12) but should they be seen as a threat or an opportunity for optical practices? The issue of whether spectacles are best...

Is this the look of the future?
March 14, 2003... Optrafair organisers are inviting visitors to next month's show to enter 'the perfect practice'. Claimed to be a 'controversial creation', the NEC will house the 100sq m unit interior at the event to give an idea of what a future optical...

Steering group trio will address OAG meeting.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
March 14, 2003... Three members of the Optical Services Steering Group - the Department of Health's newly formed unit tasked with developing major changes in the profession - will address a PCTmeeting in May. Head of General Ophthalmic Services, Derek Busby,...

The optician Awards: did your business make the shortlist?
March 14, 2003... The shortlist for the optical event of the year, the optician Awards 2003, has been announced. Over 20 distinguished judges drawn from all areas of the optometric world gathered at a London Hotel last week for the main judging session...

GOC seeks recruits for new disciplinary panel.(General Optical Council)
March 14, 2003... A fitness to practise group is to be created by the General Optical Council to handle disciplinary and performance matters. It will take the place of the current GOC's disciplinary committee, but unlike previous committees, members will not...

Profession to receive advice on nutrition.
March 14, 2003... A new advisory group of health professionals, including optometrists, has met for the first time to discuss ways of introducing ocular nutritional supplements to patients via UK eye care practitioners. The group, the OcuForum Advisory...

Optometrist cleared at disciplinary hearing.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... An optometrist accused of failing to carry out adequate sight tests on elderly patients was cleared of serious professional misconduct this week after the allegations were found not proved. Domiciliary practitioner Philip Leeb du Toit...

Campaign drives to Number 10.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... The campaign to improve drivers' vision arrived at Number 10 this week. Specsavers Opticians, which has been highlighting its road safety theme in vision screening tests, lobbied Downing Street with a petition calling for compulsory...

Lattice stromal dystrophy.(description of ailment)
March 21, 2003... Description The corneal dystrophies are a group of progressive, usually bilateral, inherited (although non-congenital) corneal disorders with a typical age of onset. The stromal dystrophies result in characteristic stromal opacities. There...

Attempting to research vision therapy. Anna Bambridge describes vision therapy and reports on her research into its effectiveness. Tales of visual improvement in individual cases are presented but the difficulty of producing results of any statistical significance is clear.
March 21, 2003... In the UK today there are a wide range of alternative, complementary, natural and holistic therapies which people are increasingly using for every aspect of health. Holistic therapies aim to help a person's healing process, with the view that a...

Paediatric optometry: Part 13 Myopia: influences on its progression and effective intervention. Dr Nicola Logan discusses the influences on the progression of myopia and provides methods of effective intervention. (CET code C5025m).
March 21, 2003... Dr Nicola Logan discusses the influences on the progression of myopia and provides methods of effective intervention. (CET code C5025m) Management of myopia is generally undertaken by the optometrist and accounts for around 35 per cent of...

Practitioners invited to global symposium.(Global Symposium for Vision Correction)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... Bausch & Lomb has announced details of its forthcoming Global Symposium for Vision Correction, which is to be held in Monaco from April 4-7. Practitioners from around the world are being invited to attend the symposium weekend which...

Style begins at 40.(marketing eyeglasses to sensitive middle aged men)(Editorial)
March 21, 2003... Telling a man in his 40s or 50s that he has to begin wearing glasses needs to be handled with care. To soften the blow, it is well worth having a selection of frames suitable for shallow progressive lenses. optician presents some of the latest...

nemowrites.(editorial about activities of General Optical Council)(Editorial)
March 21, 2003... Tight reign To judge from the amount of paper it produces, the General Optical Council has never been busier. On that premise, if no other, Council membership is clearly no sinecure. While I have no doubt that the profession is...

Prize winners travel to Paris.(sales incentive promotion from Vision Express and Filos)
March 21, 2003... u Following a joint promotion of Vivienne Westwood Eyewear earlier this year between Vision Express and Filos (UK), two prize winners enjoyed a weekend in Paris, including travel on Eurostar, hotel accommodation and spending money. The...

Colour boost from UltraVision.(new eyewear products from UltraVision International, Ray-Ban)
March 21, 2003... u UltraVision International has addded Specialty Colours and Coloring soft contact lenses to its range of practitioner-only products. The Specialty Colours are monthly disposables and come in a transparent outer pack, enabling patients to...

who's on the ; move.(multiple appointment news briefs)
March 21, 2003... CooperVision has expanded its UK sales and marketing department by appointing UK product manager James Fenn and marketing coordinator Jodie Brown. Mr Fenn will develop marketing campaigns for the core range of products and ensure...

Anti-fraud body aims to keep up pressure.(Counter Fraud and Security Management Service )
March 21, 2003... In one of his last duties as health minister before resigning Lord Philip Hunt made two appointments to the new Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS). The minister, who resigned in the wake of the House of Commons leader...

Hoya boss joins Eyecare Trust board.(Steve Ellis)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... Hoya Lens UK's managing director has joined optical charity the Eyecare Trust as a trustee. Steve Ellis, who leads the Wrexham-based lens manufacturer, is expected to bring new management skills to the Trust and a commercial perspective...

Ciba's legal battle with B&L moves to Ireland.(Ciba Vision, Bausch & Lomb)
March 21, 2003... Hot on the heels of its legal action against its contact lens rival in the US, Ciba Vision has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Bausch & Lomb in Ireland. The suit, which was filed in the High Court in Dublin, claims that Bausch...

BCLA plans even bigger conference.(British Contact Lens Association )(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... New features and over 40 exhibitors will be some of the highlights of this summer's British Contact Lens Association Clinical Conference and Exhibition. Alongside the exhibition there will be a New Product Pavilion, where company personnel...

Deflationary pressures.(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... Has the Government got a secret plan to bring down inflation using trends in optical retailing? This week the Government announced that inflation had leaped to a five-year high. Independently, it announced that it was rejigging the way its...

Voucher values rise by 2.5% in England.(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... Health minister David Lammy has announced that optical vouchers will increase by 2.5 per cent from April 1 in England. Examples of the changes, published by FODO, include: single-vision voucher A pound sterling31.30 (old value: pound...

Multiple rolls out DO training programme.(Dollond & Aitchison)
March 21, 2003... Dollond & Aitchison is re-emphasising its ability to provide high-quality lens products with an education programme among its practices and a charm offensive with the press. Last week representatives from most of the major glossy lifestyle...

Giant US show opens today.(Vision Expo East)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... Vision Expo East, the global eye care exhibition and continuing education conference, has opened in New York. In its 19th year the show has redesigned its Jacob K Javits convention centre exhibition arena where over 600 companies are...

'New NHS' prepares to expand OOs' role.(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... Extending the role of optical practitioners in 'the new NHS' is imminent, states an interim document on the Health Service's modernisation. It is published as the Optical Services Steering Group plans to meet to discuss a draft Department...

Mystery shop reveals final five practices.(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... The massive mystery shopping exercise conducted by National Opinion Polls to finalise the shortlist for the Eye Care Practice of the Year Award 2003 has been completed. Over 1,000 practices have been visited by a team of professional...

Optrafair hopeful of best attendance ever.(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... Optrafair organisers have reported they are hopeful of attracting more visitors 'than ever before'. With just 22 days left before Optrafair 2003 opens its doors, new pre-event registration figures given to optician by the Federation of...

All party group meets to discuss diabetes.(Optics' All Party Parliamentary Group)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... TEXT: Optics' All Party Parliamentary Group is to meet next month to discuss retinopathy screening following developments towards the Diabetes National Service Framework (NSF). The meeting at the House of Commons on April 1 will look at the...

Scottish Lib Dems pledge free eye tests.(Scottish Liberal Democratic Party)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2003... The Scottish Liberal Democratic Party, confident of soon making strong gains in the Scottish Parliament, has pledged to bring free eye and dental checks to Scotland. In a speech earlier this month in the run-up to the May 1 election,...

Leukocoria; (Retinoblastoma, cataract).
March 28, 2003... DESCRIPTION Leukocoria refers to a white pupillary reflex. An opacity in the lens, vitreous cavity or at the retina causes the abnormal appearance. While leukocoria may occur for a variety of reasons, perhaps the most notable is...

Surgery and style.(optician visits the Solihull practice of Hammond and Dummer)
March 28, 2003... optician visits the Solihull practice of Hammond and Dummer and finds out how it is combining a refractive laser service with quality eyewear Laser eye surgery has been a hot topic in recent months with Health Which? and Watchdog turning...

A voice for the clinics.(Eye Laser Association)
March 28, 2003... Eye Laser Association chairman Christopher Neave speaks to Samantha Dalton about the new trade body, its aims and the effort to combat bad publicity There have been mixed feelings about laser refractive surgery since its inception in the...

Counting the cost of national insurance.
March 28, 2003... Samantha Dalton looks at what the rise in national insurance contributions will mean for the optical market A penny in the pound may not sound like much, and might explain why a recent YouGov poll for KPMG found that six out of 10 people do...

Optometric co-management of Lasik: Part 1 - Preoperative assessment.
March 28, 2003... Michelle Hanratty begins a three-part series looking at optometrists' involvement with Lasik The public demand for Lasik and alternative forms of refractive surgery has risen exponentially over the past two years. The UK is following the...

Developments in refractive surgery.(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... Catharine Chisholm, vice-president of the British Society for Refractive Surgery, begins a new series of articles designed to keep practitioners up to date with the latest developments in the field of refractive surgery A growing number of...

The marketing mix.
March 28, 2003... Total practice turnover shows a positive rise for February, although progressive lenses and AR coatings travel in the opposite direction F ebruary's results brought a mixed bag of changes as many benchmarks were up compared to January but...

Independents offered free lectures at NEC.(Lectures for opticians)(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... Independent practitioners who visit Optrafair next month will be able to attend a series of free lectures within the show's main arena. The lectures, scheduled to be held each day of the three-day event, will include '10 proven ways to...

Luxottica offers Versus and Versace collections.(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... The Versus and Versace frame and sunglass collections are now available from Luxottica UK. The collections have been inspired by elegant shapes, featuring the characteristic elements of Versace style - the Medusa and 'tile' effect, which...

The next generation.(Ross Turner talks to optician about the refurbishment of his practice in Cheam, Surrey)
March 28, 2003... Ross Turner talks to optician about the refurbishment of his practice in Cheam, Surrey Gordon Turner Optometrists in Cheam, Surrey is growing. Extension number four, completed last year, has propelled the practice into the 21st century and...

Ciba adds colour with new FreshLook sales advisers.(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... Ciba Vision has announced a new team of advisers dedicated to helping practitioners get the most out of coloured contact lenses. The team will be available to help train staff and offer advice on beauty and colour analysis. They will also...

omenwrites.
March 28, 2003... A new era? Perhaps it's the unusual warm spring sunshine that has left me feeling that optometry is on the verge of making real progress in establishing itself as the recognised primary health care profession for the eye. The recent flurry...

Locked on to lasers.
March 28, 2003... The laser surgery fraternity's interest in optometry is growing apace and looks set to peak at this year's Optrafair. optician has always taken a keen interest in all new areas associated with optometry, and laser surgery, most notably...

Heavy metal collections from Kirk Originals.(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... The spring/summer 03 collections from Kirk Originals are now available. The hand-made Sculpture Collection features two distinct styles. There are aluminum temples with a brushed metal that adds texture to complement acetate fronts....

Marcolin shows good growth.(Italian eyewear manufacturer)
March 28, 2003... uItalian eyewear manufacturer Marcolin, which distributes brands such as Dolce & Gabbana and Chloe, has reported an 8 per cent rise in turnover to E167m (pound sterling113m) and more than a five-fold increase in profits for 2002. Joint...

Leeds Co-op receives boost from growth in optical sales.(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... Optical practices within regional group the Leeds Co-operative Society helped the business improve turnover by 8 per cent to pound sterling74.7m for the year to January 11 2003. Its overall performance helped push trading profit to pound...