Optician articles from March 2004

Optician archives from March 2004

Style statement.(Mallon & Taub store design)
March 5, 2004... Rory Brogan visits a recent venture in practice design which combined sleek walnut displays with industrial flourishes The enthusiastic response from designer frame suppliers at the opening of the Mallon & Taub practice on Marylebone High...

Carving its own niche.(Insight Opticians' store design)
March 5, 2004... Rory Brogan reports from Marlow as Insight Opticians takes its place in the history of the Old Post Office While some optometrists might be a little precious about their consulting rooms, there can't be many working out of a test room...

Wettability and CL surface properties.(contact lens)
March 5, 2004... In the second article of three looking at the properties of contact lens materials, Dr Karen French discusses the relationships between liquids and solids with regards to the wettability and surface properties of a contact lens. CET Module...

Counterfeit warning over French lenses.(Surevue brand)
March 5, 2004... An investigation is under way in France after two cases of contact lens counterfeiting were reported, the latest, last week, involving the Surevue brand. Two weeks ago CooperVision reported counterfeit Proclear Compatibles to the French...

Multiple takes closer look at the customer.(Optical Express to use customer analysis system )(Brief Article)
March 5, 2004... Optical Express is to roll out a customer analysis system produced by a company which has worked with HMV, Boots, Vodafone and B&Q. The Scottish multiple tested the system - produced by Milton Keynes-based SPSL - for 12 weeks at five 'core...

Call for entries.
March 5, 2004... optician outlines the final categories for the optician Awards 2004, by looking at the Marketing Initiative of the Year and the Contact Lens Practice of the Year Marketing Initiative of the Year Running a practice can be very...

Extended awareness.(CIBA Vision (UK) Ltd.'s advertising for extended wear contact lenses )
March 5, 2004... Consumer advertising for extended wear contact lenses has turned full circle over the past 20 years. optician reports on growing practitioner acceptance of the corporate power of persuasion When Ciba Vision advertised its Focus Night & Day...

Welsh minister to join opening day of forum.(Jane Hutt, minister of health and social services, will be at the Welsh National Optometric Conference)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2004... Welsh practitioners will get the chance to suggest new optometric schemes and debate how to take the profession forward in the principality at a forum next weekend. The Sunday forum is a key part of the two-day Welsh National Optometric...

Specialty power range is extended.
March 5, 2004... u UltraVision International has extended the powers of its Specialty Select AB UV range, a monthly disposable lens incorporating UV filtration and abberation-blocking design. As well as the myopic range, the lens now comes in hypermetropic...

Fabris growth.(Fabris Lane)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2004... British sunglass company Fabris Lane, which supplies numerous non-optical retail outlets, achieved sales of [pounds sterling]60m for 2003, up 29 per cent on 2002 and up 94 per cent on 2001. Its M:UK brand sold over 400,000 units, which it...

Profession seeks your views on revalidation.
March 5, 2004... FODO and the AOP are to host a revalidation 'brainstorming seminar' and the profession is invited to attend and contribute. The seminar will follow this week's GOC meeting, and with mandatory CET soon to be introduced to the profession, the...

'Painless' Lasik claim challenged.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2004... The eye care profession has again come under the spotlight of the Advertising Standards Authority, this time with a complaint against a laser refractive surgery provider. Following last week's complaint against Specsavers (News, February...

College outlines new route to registration.(College of Optometrists spells out changes for pre-reg students and employers)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2004... The College of Optometrists has spelled out how it sees the new routes to registration being enacted and the changes it will mean for pre-reg students and employers. In a letter to employers of pre-reg students this week, College chief...

Weco offers practices more buying power.(Weco Optik GmbH)
March 5, 2004... A new scheme has been launched to give independent practices a 'fighting chance' to compete with multiples when purchasing their equipment. Instrument and machinery supplier Weco's initiative will see 15-20 'selective' practices become...

Crowds flock to Sight Care event.(optometrists)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2004... Over 540 optometrists, dispensing opticians and practice staff travelled to Birmingham on Monday to take part in the Sight Care 'Riding the waves of uncertainty' conference. The keynote speaker for the day was Dr Susan Baker from the...

US giant buys Devon skills.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2004... VisionTec, Plymouth's daily disposable contact lens technology company, has been bought by 1-800 Contacts, the giant multi-million dollar US contact lens retailer. The deal includes $3.2m in cash and 155,084 shares of the American...

Don't miss the chance to win recognition.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2004... There are less than three weeks left to send in your entry for the 2004 optician Awards. Practices from across the UK are being invited to compete for a coveted optician Award trophy in 10 different categories. An entry form was included...

Aston research base gears up.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2004... A cornea and refractive surgery centre will form part of Aston University's new research facility which will be opened next month. The university's aim is that by expanding its research in a number of optical-related areas it will be recognised...

AMD linked to smoking warns BMJ.(age-related macular degeneration)(British Medical Journal)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2004... Smokers are up to four times as likely to become blind in later life from age-related macular degeneration (AMD)than non-smokers, but many remain largely unaware of this risk, the BMJ reports. AMD remains the most common cause of adult...

Skin tumours - classification; Dysplasia, metaplasia, neoplasia - benign, neoplasia - malignant, skin cancer.
March 12, 2004... DESCRIPTION In this series there are numerous conditions related to skin tumours. This entry is designed to explain the basis for the terminology and provide a framework for assessment. Depending on the histopathological changes within a...

Academy of excellence.(Aston University's Aston Academy of Life Sciences)
March 12, 2004... A major new research and treatment centre is about to open at Aston University. optician was treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the building as it nears completion It is going to be a very busy year for Dr Sarah Hosking. Work is...

Eccentric viewing.(vision management in central scotoma patients)
March 12, 2004... In the final part of this short series on vision for the visually impaired, Rabiah Narband describes eccentric viewing and the strategies for encouraging its use In the presence of a central scotoma, patients will need to use eccentric...

Prescription for change.(optical industry)
March 12, 2004... The Norville Group invested [pounds sterling]2m in its lens production facilities last year. Chris Bennett travelled to Gloucester to see just how it was spent and to discuss the state of the UK prescription lens business The recent...

Optometric imaging systemsPart 1: Technology.
March 12, 2004... Dr James S Wolffsohn and Rachael C Peterson begin this series on imaging systems in optometry with a clarification of some of the terminology and descriptions used in imaging systems Computer imaging is becoming more common in our everyday...

Rewarding CET commitment.(Dollond and Aitchison Group Ltd., Continuing Education and Training)
March 12, 2004... With a heritage of over 250 years in UK optics, Dollond & Aitchison is proud to continue its sponsorship of the CET Award Dollond & Aitchison is pleased to be able to demonstrate D&A's ongoing commitment to Continuing Professional...

All change at Oakley.
March 12, 2004... One of the latest product developments from Oakley is the interchangeable Rx technology that is teamed up with its Half Jacket. Rory Brogan found out about this and other products to fire the imagination As well as the opportunity to view...

Batemans reshuffles top management team.(Batemans Opticians)
March 12, 2004... u Batemans Opticians, which includes the Horstmanns and Dunscombes practices in the south of the country, has restructured its management team for the 81-practice group. Following the retirement of area director Roger Straiton, other area...

Weco renews Henson contract.(H Tinsley)
March 12, 2004... u Weco UK and H Tinsley have announced that contracts have been exchanged for the continuation of Weco's exclusive distribution agreement for the Henson range of visual field analysers and associated products. Developed by Dr David Henson...

The Diploma in OrthopticsPart 3 - Certificate A Clinical Portfolio.
March 12, 2004... In the third part of this series (Parts 1 and 2 appeared in the January 16 and February 13 issues respectively), Professor Bruce Evans uses as an example a patient from his own portfolio to illustrate the best approach to submitting case...

GOC must pay price for legislative change.(General Optical Council)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2004... The GOC is to spend thousands of pounds to take its important regulatory changes, including giving the Council powers to impose mandatory CET, past its final legislative hurdles. After five tortuous years the GOC's legislative programme is...

Disciplinary cases could go to High Court.(General Optical Council )(Brief Article)
March 12, 2004... Outcomes of disciplinary cases deemed 'unduly lenient' or 'not in the public interest' could end in High Court re-trials for practitioners, it was stated last week. At the GOC's spring meeting, Council members heard that the Council for...

moneowrites.(optometrists-compensation and benefits)
March 12, 2004... There can be no denying that, while many are unhappy about the current arrangement, it feels cosy. We may be underpaid for what we do but we feel safe with the current arrangements. It is natural to feel concerned about people prying into what...

OOs highlight need for extra AMD training.(Ophthalmic Optician, Age-related Macular Degeneration)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2004... One in five optometrists have admitted they lack confidence in distinguishing between the two major types of age-related macular degeneration, and half feel they need more training on the condition. Those are two findings of a study...

Specsavers practice concedes to locum.
March 12, 2004... A Specsavers practice has conceded that a locum optometrist should be considered as an employee and subsequently that he was unfairly dismissed. Marvyn Slater of Finchley, London, took Basildon Visionplus to an employment tribunal claiming...

Optometry declares CET funding victory.(Continuing Education and Training)
March 12, 2004... The optometry profession's negotiators are claiming a 'landmark' victory after they successfully negotiated a CET funding package. Education recompense was the sticking point in the year-long GOS sight test fee discussions between the...

Howard takes Blair to task over PDTdelays.(photodynamic therapy )
March 12, 2004... Pressure is building on the Government to speed up the implementation of photodynamic therapy (PDT) treatment for sufferers of wet AMD. This latest debate began last week (March 3) when leader of the opposition Michael Howard quizzed the...

Gordon Ruskell 1930-2004.(Obituary)
March 12, 2004... Emeritus Professor Gordon L Ruskell, known to many generations of optometric students, died on March 3. From his own student days his interest in anatomy grew steadily, although his entry into the optical world was by working with Norville...

Two pounds a point to defuse CET timebomb.(General Optical Council (United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2004... It appears practitioners will help pick up the bill for next year's management of mandatory CET with additional GOC registration fees of around [pounds sterling]25 a year. Last week GOC members met in private and supported proposals made...

Entries encouraged.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2004... Practices can expect another copy of the optician Awards entry form to arrive soon courtesy of a promotion by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care. J&J has sent out an eye-catching mailer to 5,000 eye care professionals, encouraging them to enter...

Essilor reports profit increase.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2004... French lens giant Essilor has announced consolidated sales for 2003 of E2.12bn, down 1 per cent on the previous year, but an operating income of E365m, up 7.1 per cent. The falling turnover was explained by negative currency effects,...

Specsavers beats forecasts.(Specsavers Opticians)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2004... New figures have confirmed Britain's largest opticians continues to grow at a relentless pace. Specsavers Optical Group's annual report released today (March 12) reveals like-for-like sales up almost 9 per cent to [pounds sterling]545m in...

Pre-registration pay enters free market.(Brief Article)
March 12, 2004... Employers are now free to set their own salary levels for pre-reg trainees, without being penalised by the Government. The Optometric Fees Review Committee and the Department of Health have agreed to abolish the abatement rule,...

Wiseman fund is extended.(Wiseman Memorial Fund)(Brief Article)
March 12, 2004... The Wiseman Memorial Fund, which provides help for those undertaking optical training and research, has extended its remit to provide benevolent support for optical technicians. Following an increasing number of requests from technicians,...

Squamous cell carcinoma - lid; SCC, epidermoid carcinoma, prickle cell carcinoma.
March 19, 2004... DESCRIPTION Some possible histological stages in the development of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are (Reifler and Hornblass 1986): Intra-epidermal squamous dysplasia (actinic or solar keratosis). In this phase, epidermal cells are...

Charles Bonnet syndrome.
March 19, 2004... Dr Frank Eperjesi and Nabila Akbarali describe the clinical characteristics and aetiology of Charles Bonnet syndrome, where the patient suffers complex visual hallucinations Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) is named after a Swiss philosopher...

Marchon displays range to yield healthy profits.(Marchon Eyewear UK promotes its prescription sunglasses)(Humberside Optical, Emporium Eyewear)
March 19, 2004... u In response to the growing trend for foreign holidays and the increasing awareness and concern for quality eye protection, Marchon Eyewear UK has launched a prescription sunglass promotion. Practitioners can order the set package of 24...

Sleep apnoea syndrome and primary open-angle glaucoma.
March 19, 2004... Sleep-related breathing disorders and the study of a possible relationship with circulatory parameters relevant to glaucoma pathogenesis are attracting interest, writes Dr Doina Gherghel It has already been demonstrated that primary...

Spring time for ECOO in the capital.(European Council of Optometry and Optics)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2004... London will play host to the developers of the European Diploma when the European Council of Optometry and Optics (ECOO) meets for its General Assembly from May 15-16. Potential changes to the Diploma could mean it moves from a...

Keratoconus in adults with learning difficulties.
March 19, 2004... Keratoconus in adults who suffer from learning disabilities is all too common. Gill Levy discusses the routes open to patients and in particular the work of the RNIB's Multiple Disability Services A look of total disbelief came across the...

Specialisation of CET points is next stage, says GOC registrar.(Continuing Education and Training )(General Optical Council)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2004... Once continuing education is mandatory the next stage of development for CET will require practitioners to achieve a specific number of points in specific clinical areas. Peter Coe, registrar of the GOC, signalled the idea earlier this...

Bolle comes to Dunwoody's aid to raise funds.
March 19, 2004... u Eyewear company Bolle has announced its sponsorship of former jockey Richard Dunwoody in his fund-raising activities. English National Hunt racing jockey Ulsterman Richard Dunwoody was forced out of the saddle following a neck injury in...

The new face of the College.
March 19, 2004... It's been a busy six months at the College of Optometrists. Not least for Bryony Pawinska who became its chief executive last August. She talks to Chris Bennett Bryony Pawinska - the 'w' is sounded as a 'v' - arrived at the College of...

DoH snapshot shows input from profession.(United kingdom. Department of Health)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2004... The latest DoH snapshot of the profession's contribution to the Health Service shows that over six months last year 5.16 million sight tests were carried out. The figure, taken from April to September 2003, comprises tests paid for by...

Hutt signals further investment in Wales.
March 19, 2004... The Welsh Assembly's health minister has authorised new funding to back eye care successes in the principality. Speaking at the annual general meeting of Optometry Wales last weekend Jane Hutt commented that the Assembly wanted...

DO stole cash from practice.(dispensing optician)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2004... A dispensing optician stole [pounds sterling]3,700 from a branch of Specsavers to improve her financial position, a Lancashire newspaper has reported. The Wigan Evening Post (March 13) stated that Rozia Khan had worked at the multiple's...

Anglia opens new clinic.(Anglia Polytechnic University)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2004... The Essilor Clinic at Anglia Polytechnic University was officially opened by the dean and deputy dean of the Applied Sciences department last week. Essilor has equipped an ophthalmic dispensing teaching room at the Cambridge-based...

Opinion divided over pre-reg pay.
March 19, 2004... What effect will the removal of restrictions on pre-reg students' salaries have on the employment market? Samantha Dalton canvasses opinion Last week's announcement of the scrapping of the abatement rule on pre-reg salaries has received a...

Supervisor courses.(Brief Article)
March 19, 2004... The College of Optometrists will be running four one-day courses at various locations across the country in May. 'An introduction to supervision' will cover all aspects of supervising pre-regs, in particular the New Scheme For Registration...

Clinical guidance key to hearing evidence.
March 19, 2004... The issue of whether or not optometrists should carry out visual field tests on every patient over the age of 40 was raised this week at a hearing of the disciplinary committee of the GOC. Oxfordshire-based practitioner Michael Barfield...

Dry discussion.(dry eye specialist to speak on ocular surface disease and the contact lens wearer)(Brief Article)
March 19, 2004... The US inventor of Theratears, dry eye specialist Jeff Gilbard, will speak on ocular surface disease and the contact lens wearer in London on March 22. A guest at the Matheson Optometrists Theratears Dry Eye Conference at the Institute of...

Speciality managers take charge at Asda.(Brief Article)
March 19, 2004... Asda has reorganised the management of its in-store optical practices to fit more closely with its other speciality businesses under a newly created role. In future all of the specialist outlets within a store, such as optical, will be run...

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS); Erythema multiforme, toxic epidermal necrolysis.
March 26, 2004... Description Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) is a rare, occasionally fatal, acute mucocutaneous disorder and is probably an autoimmune disease. It is self-limiting, but the sequelae of associated scarring and tissue destruction is often...

BSM backs 'passport' offer.(British School of Motoring)(Brief Article)
March 26, 2004... Independent practices are being encouraged to join in a high-profile eyewear promotion backed by the British School of Motoring. Sinclair Optical has organised the offer in which a choice of three different eyewear promotions are supported by...

Grand displays.
March 26, 2004... The UKoptics industry can often be found in the most unlikely locations. Rob Moss discovers a converted barn in the Kent countryside, where frame display specialist Mewscraft has opened its showroom Having decided that your practice needs a...

Riding the waves of uncertainty.
March 26, 2004... Sight Care recently hosted the largest optical business conference in the UK. Chris Bennett travelled to Birmingham to find out more Attracting 540 optical practice staff to attend a one-day conference is no mean feat, but one Sight Care is...

Top performers.
March 26, 2004... Positive results are recorded for all benchmarks. The stars in the pack are progressives, up 42 per cent from last February, and reflection-free coatings, up 35 per cent over the same period All February's benchmarks leapt forward following...

The age test.
March 26, 2004... In a recent survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 35 per cent of people said they had been discriminated against on the grounds of age compared to only 14 per cent who had experienced sex discrimination. Freelance...

Reducing the risk of falls.
March 26, 2004... Falls are a major cause of disability and the leading cause of death due to injury among those aged over 75. Around 1,500 older people die each year as a result of a fall in the home and every year approximately 30 per cent of people living in...

Revlon lays out showcase of spring/summer wear.
March 26, 2004... u Revlon's spring/summer line will showcase a range of larger metal styles as well as introducing plastics. The brand has moved away from the market trend of producing smaller and smaller eyestyles, with model RV040, for example, recognising...

Ocular therapeutics - Part 4; The cornea and sclera.(discussion of the anatomy and physiology of the anterior eye with a look at the cornea and sclera)
March 26, 2004... Dr John Lawrenson continues his discussion of the anatomy and physiology of the anterior eye with a look at the cornea and sclera. Knowledge of the structure and function of normal tissues is essential to understand the pathogenesis of disease...

Medicine man.(David Moulsdale)
March 26, 2004... David Moulsdale believes in buying businesses and improving their financial health. The Optical Express boss who has built a national chain from starting with a single outlet in just 13 years explains his prescription to David Challinor 'I...

Specsavers invests in vision of Scandinavia.
March 26, 2004... Specsavers Opticians is looking to boost its entry into the Scandinavian optical market with further acquisitions following its first purchase in a Nordic country. Its purchase of Sweden's 34-strong Blic chain in a [pounds sterling]3.3m...

First Holland, now Sweden.(Specsavers now in sweden)
March 26, 2004... Can Specsavers succeed in the land of Ikea and Abba? David Challinor explores the Blic offer Following its Dutch success, the long-awaited new market for Specsavers was announced this week with the purchase of the 34-strong Blic chain in...

Moore quits optics for new Pentax role.(Brief Article)
March 26, 2004... David Moore, the current chairman of the Federation of Manufacturing Opticians and director of Pentax Vision Europe, is to leave the optical industry following his appointment in another division of Pentax. The move follows Pentax Vision's...

Helen Farrall.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
March 26, 2004... Helen Farrall, former principal optometrist at Coventry & Warwickshire Hospital, has died. She was 57. Her husband of 32 years, David, writes: 'Helen qualified in 1966 from City University, worked for Dollond & Aitchison for a brief period...

Sample frames stolen from car.(Brief Article)
March 26, 2004... Thieves have stolen [pounds sterling]9,000 worth of sample frames and sunglasses from a West Midland Optical sales representative in a Lancashire car park. Alvin Verber has appealed to optician readers to help trace the haul which...

Are contact lenses better than specs?(Brief Article)
March 26, 2004... What is the best form of optical correction? Is it spectacles, contact lenses, extended wear contact lenses or refractive surgery? At the British Contact Lens Association's next evening meeting, four speakers will debate the relative merits...

MP praises OO involvement in cataract referral scheme.(opthalmic optician, member of parliament)(Brief Article)
March 26, 2004... An MP of 25 years' standing has appealed to the Government to push on with NHS reforms after he trail-blazed a scheme to improve cataract waiting times through optometric referrals. Frank Field, writing in the Times (March 23), said that...

Record-keeping error highlighted by GOC.(General Optical Council)
March 26, 2004... An optometrist accused of failing to check that glaucoma tests had been carried out on a patient who later lost the sight of his right eye has been found not guilty of serious professional misconduct. Coventry-based Moira Brown was accused...

AOP/FODO agree to revalidation by 2009.(General Optical Council )
March 26, 2004... Optometrists and dispensing opticians should face a revalidation process before the end of the decade, a 'brainstorming seminar' hosted by FODO and the AOP recommended last week. The seminar was prompted by the GOC which is eager to consult...

Trio named in tabloid affair.(optical industry, Susan)(Brief Article)
March 26, 2004... Three optical professionals have become fodder for the tabloids after one flew from London to Lerwick and assaulted the other for having an affair with his wife. The Daily Mail (March 19) reported how Peter Alexander, who runs a practice...