Optician articles from October 2003

Optician archives from October 2003

Preseptal cellulitis; (Eyelid infection).
October 3, 2003... DESCRIPTION Preseptal cellulitis is an infection of the subcutaneous eyelid tissue, anterior to the orbital septum. It presents as an acute inflammation of the eyelids and is most common in children under five years of age. Preseptal...

Master's prize.(Brief Article)
October 3, 2003... The Spectacle Makers' Company presented the Master's Prize at London's Apothecaries' Hall this week to Vijay Anand, a 26-year old optometrist who is completing his doctorate at the University of Bradford. Anand, who has been studying the...

Survey of pre-reg students' experience of contact lenses.
October 3, 2003... Dr James Wolffsohn, Dr Clare O'Donnell, Arnold Cochrane and William Douthwaite report on a BUCCLE survey of pre-reg students. It seems contact lens fitting is an important part of their clinical practice, so why is this not always the case...

nemowrites.
October 3, 2003... Then and now I have long subscribed to the view that the politicisation of education and health have proved to be the greatest self-inflicted wounds on this country since the end of the war. Its unfortunate consequences confront us daily....

American Optical makes its point with AO Pro Easy POS material.
October 3, 2003... u American Optical has produced a set of point-of-sale material for its new progressive lens AO Pro Easy. The company describes the POS as eye-catching and boldly designed to create maximum impact, comprising curved freestanding counter...

The optical detectives.
October 3, 2003... Keith Holland & Associates is an innovative, child-centric practice, and winner of the Children's Eye Care Practice of the Year. Chris Bennett travelled to Cheltenham to find out more Keith Holland & Associates' main practice operates out...

Clothing firm Ted Baker launches frame range for the younger male.
October 3, 2003... u Ted Baker has launched a new frame collection for men in the UK, manufactured and distributed by eyewear company Mondottica. Ted Baker is a London-based clothing firm that targets the 18-40 year-old market, with clothing that is designed...

OO's suspicions lead to tumour diagnosis.(Brief Article)
October 3, 2003... A Wakefield optometrist was the first to spot a tumour that caused a Yorkshire 14-year-old to grow to nearly 7 feet tall, it emerged this week. Allan Morrell was examining Mark Hellard after he complained of blurred vision in his right...

Football clubs ignore need for vision care.(Brief Article)
October 3, 2003... Britain's top football clubs could be losing talented players because they don't pay enough attention to their vision, a leading sports optometrist said this week. Geraint Griffiths, vice-chairman of the Sports Vision Association, said...

Drivers admit to vision risks.(Brief Article)
October 3, 2003... More than one in 10 British drivers who wear spectacles or contact lenses admit that they sometimes drive without them, according to a survey by a leading insurer. The survey of 675 drivers found that 12 per cent confessed to frequently or...

Boots' store managers take control of optical practices.(Brief Article)
October 3, 2003... Boots announced this week that it was putting its opticians businesses under the direct control of its general shop managers, rather than running them as separate units. The company is to brief staff about the details of the changes today...

J&J joins legal fight to sell silicone hydrogels.(Brief Article)
October 3, 2003... Johnson & Johnson this week became the third major contact lens manufacturer to enter the worldwide legal battle for the rights to sell silicone hydrogel lenses, when it asked a US court for preliminary permission to market its Acuvue Advanced...

Big Boots.(chemist shop Boots)(Brief Article)
October 3, 2003... Is true structural change about to return to the optical scene? Following Boots The Chemist's decision to integrate its optical management into its general management, the scene could be set for the kind of quantum shift on the high street...

Full prescriber status moves a step closer.(Brief Article)
October 3, 2003... The Government said this week that it is to allow optometrists to act as supplementary prescribers of medicines and has assured industry associations that it will allow them to prescribe independently in future. A Department of Health...

More go blind as DoH dithers over therapy.(Department of Health, United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
October 3, 2003... The Government has condemned another 3,000 people to losing their sight because it is delaying the implementation of a newly approved treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), campaigners said this week. The Royal National...

Optical bodies issue revised FoI guidance.(Freedom of Information)(Brief Article)
October 3, 2003... A re-written Freedom of Information scheme tailored for the profession has been approved by the Government, several months after the first version was condemned as intractable and impenetrable. Optics' professional bodies this week issued...

Managing director of Vision Express resigns.(Brief Article)
October 3, 2003... The managing director of Vision Express resigned on Tuesday (September 30), sparking speculation about the future of the 200-strong chain in the UK. The company, which operates 105 stores itself and franchises another 95, issued a...

Monday deadline for DoH bids.(Department of Health, United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
October 3, 2003... The Department of Health has put a deadline of next Monday (October 6) on bids for a total of [pounds sterling]4m to fund projects in chronic eye disease management. Strategic health authorities have been invited to bid for pilot funding...

Pseudoexfoliation of the lens capsule (PXF); (Glaucoma).
October 10, 2003... DESCRIPTION Pseudoexfoliation refers to a grey-white flaky material observed on the anterior surface of the crystalline lens. Because it appears as if there has been shedding of epithelial cells from the lens capsule, it is termed...

Mission to Africa.
October 10, 2003... People in Africa suffer up to seven times the rate of blindness as those in the rest of the world, and are desperately in need of eye care personnel. Dr Kovin Naidoo, African director of the International Centre for Eyecare Education, tells...

An Irish education.
October 10, 2003... The 10th annual gathering of the Essilor University and College Symposium took place last month at the Davenport Hotel in Dublin. Chris Bennett made the trip to Ireland to report on a collection of wide-ranging and informative presentations ...

Developments in optical aids for the visually impaired.
October 10, 2003... Richard Harsant reports on the latest optical low vision aids, highlighting developments in design and the resulting benefitsfor the end user The main means we have at our disposal to assist visually impaired people to make the best use of...

Vision correction on global health agenda.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2003... The World Health Organization is considering a change to its definition of blindness and visual impairment to take account of uncorrected refractive error. At a WHO consultation meeting in Geneva last month, it was recommended that the...

Armani acetate shades sparkle.
October 10, 2003... u More than 500 Swarovski gems adorn the latest model from the Dior eyewear brand. The model, Odel: Dior Punk Strass, is a mask sunglass with a metal frame, featuring polarising organic lenses. The 586 strass are set by hand in siam,...

UK finds appetite for Chip and PIN system.(preventing credit card fraud)
October 10, 2003... Chip and PIN, the new credit card scheme which was used on a trial basis in half a dozen optical practices this summer, is to go national next year. The card, which uses a PIN number inserted in-store by consumers rather than verification...

Doing the rounds.(a report from the Hospital Optometrists' Annual Conference)
October 10, 2003... Emma Sharples reports from another successful meeting at the Hospital Optometrists' Annual Conference, which boasted one of the most varied and comprehensive agendas yet This year's conference was attended by around 200 delegates,...

moneowrites.(activities at the College of Optometrists)
October 10, 2003... Evidence-based results October is the time of year when all members of the College of Optometrists have the privilege of renewing their membership. As you read this, most of you will have done this without a second thought. This is good...

October revolution.(World Sight Day)
October 10, 2003... On Thursday October 9 attention was focused on the plight of the visually impaired across the world. Mike Brace describes the aims of the global programme to promote eye health Following my outlining of the role of Vision 2020 UK,...

College sets date for ceremony.(College of Optometrists )(Brief Article)
October 10, 2003... Over 1,000 people are expected to attend the College of Optometrists annual diploma ceremony early next year. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, January 28 2004 at the traditional Guildhall, London venue. This year 323 diplomates...

Aggressive marketing strategypays off, says D&A boss Hardy.(Dollond & Aitchison)(Brief Article)
October 10, 2003... Multiple retailer Dollond & Aitchison is celebrating the success of its 'aggressive' marketing campaign, after recording sales growth of 5 per cent in the first six months of this year. The decline in the value of the pound against the...

Paediatric pioneer.(Gillian Rudduck)
October 10, 2003... The 2003 Eyecare Award for the best CET article, sponsored by D&A, was won by Dr Gillian Rudduck. optician describes why hers was a popular choice and discovers she has interests and skills well beyond the paediatric clinic On April 12...

Show business brisk in Vegas.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2003... Organisers of US optical event Vision Expo contented themselves that this year's exhibitors reported brisk business - and broke records in its continuing education sessions - after attendance figures remained static. Last month's four-day...

Jimmy Choo eyes market.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2003... Jimmy Choo, the fashion brand most famous for women's designer high heels, is considering developing an eyewear range. The announcement was made as the business opened its first boutique in the Italy's style capital, Milan. Chief executive...

Committee to hear charges of misconduct.(General Optical Council)(Brief Article)
October 10, 2003... Charges of serious professional misconduct are to be levelled at two optometrists later this month in two separate cases to be heard by the GOC's disciplinary committee. Cheshire-based Valerie Kitchener will appear on October 20. The...

Too much of a good thing.(supply of optometrists )(Brief Article)
October 10, 2003... There are many cautionary tales from history recalling how turning a scarcity into a surfeit seems like a good idea at first but can then go horribly wrong. Such a case, some would have us believe, is the situation with optometric manpower. ...

Opti Munich to grow by a third.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2003... Germany's Opti Munich show - whose speedy rise to prominence eclipsed Cologne's Optica event - will expand by a third when it opens in January. For 2004, the seventh show of its kind, the exhibition has shifted its venue to the New Munich...

Proven to help you gain CL confidence.(contact lens training from Proven Track Record)(Brief Article)
October 10, 2003... Optical training group Proven Track Record (PTR) is to host two contact lens training days after the success of similar educational events last year. The Fordingbridge-based company, co-founded by former Bausch & Lomb marketing boss Nick...

GrandVision lowers 2003 profit objective.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2003... GrandVision, the French owner of Vision Express which was the subject of a multi-million pound bid this autumn, has reported static finances for the third quarter. The business reported that excluding 50 joint venture franchise stores,...

Centre opens for study of ageing eye.(Centre for Age-Related Eye Research in the North East of England )(Brief Article)
October 10, 2003... The first UK centre dedicated to the study of age-related eye disorders was opened in the north east on Wednesday (October 8). A collaboration between the Universities of Durham and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the 'centre of excellence' aims to...

PCT funding is 'golden opportunity' for optics.(primary care trusts)
October 10, 2003... The profession has to take the initiative to secure funding from primary care trusts if it wants to take part in primary eye care. That was the message from a lively debate at this week's National Optometric Policy Conference, held at The...

City to launch CET scheme.(certification refreshers)(Brief Article)
October 10, 2003... City University optometry department is to launch its own CET programme for optometrists and dispensing opticians for the first time in 2004. The Department of Optometry & Visual Sciences will also host pre-reg and CET refresher programmes...

GrandVision lowers 2003 profit objective.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2003... GrandVision, the French owner of Vision Express which was the subject of a multi-million pound bid this autumn, has reported static finances for the third quarter. The business reported that excluding 50 joint venture franchise stores,...

Pseudophakic (PBK) and aphakic bullous keratopathy (ABK); (Post-surgical corneal oedema).
October 17, 2003... Description Anterior segment trauma experienced during intraocular surgery can lead to corneal endothelial cell damage resulting in corneal oedema. Although the oedema will frequently clear in the days to weeks following surgery, there is...

World class surgery.(21st Annual Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons)
October 17, 2003... Richard Allen reports on September's 21st Annual Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons The 21st Annual Congress of the ESCRS was held at the International Congress Centre in Munich from September 6-10 this...

The law in practice.(Opticians Act and other health care legislation)
October 17, 2003... Richard Wilshin discusses aspects and questions of practice that frequently arise and cause concern or tend to affect the standard of the profession's service to the public (CET Module: C4685c) The fact that optometrists and dispensing...

Moorfields studies microbe risk with silicone hydrogel CLwear.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2003... Global studies to establish the risk and incidence of microbial keratitis with silicone hydrogel contact lens wear are in progress. A two-year study, which is looking at the risks of using silicone hydrogels compared to other lens types and...

Luxottica previews sunglass range.
October 17, 2003... u Luxottica is inviting customers old and new to view its 2004 sunglass ranges at special events in Yorkshire and London this month. The events will be at The Holiday Inn, Brighouse, West Yorkshire on October 21 and Le Meridien Hotel...

nemowrites.(employment for optometrists)
October 17, 2003... Black and white According to Disraeli's cynical observation, there are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies and statistics! While lies is admittedly too strong a word to use in the following context, it is hard to dispel the feeling...

Marketing with fashion sense.(David Clulow Opticians )
October 17, 2003... David Clulow Opticians was the winner of this year's optician Practice Marketing Award sponsored by Essilor. Business development director Richard Peck explains how the company was able to harness the power of designer names to tempt more...

Conference calls for more recognition.(National Optometric Conference)
October 17, 2003... As always, this year's National Optometric Conference gathering provided an arena for lively discussion. Chris Bennett reports The clear message from this year's NOC conference was how crucial locally decided policy would be to the future...

Clive to sail the Atlantic.(Fight for Sight fundraiser)(Brief Article)
October 17, 2003... Former Fight for Sight chairman Clive Stone has decided to set sail across the Atlantic to raise funds for the optical charity 'before I get too old'. Stone, the one-time chairman of Dollond & Aitchison, is to set off in his sailing boat...

Autumn shimmers for Donna Karan.(eyewear design)
October 17, 2003... u The autumn 2003 collection from Donna Karan New York is now available from Marchon. Two of this season's frames highlight the use of tactile materials and modern, appealing shapes in the range. The metal/plastic Donna Karan 8244 is...

Mystery group bids for US optical giant.(Cole National)(Brief Article)
October 17, 2003... US optical giant Cole National - which the owns Pearle Vision and Sears Optical chains - has received an unsolicited buy-out offer. The mystery bidder has offered to buy Cole and its optical interests for $321m, or $19.65 per share. News of...

Top-up charges: are they outside the law?(Brief Article)
October 17, 2003... Practitioners could be working outside the law by making additional charges for optometric services last week's National Optometric Conference heard. In a lively debate on the controversial issue of top-up fees General Optical Council...

HealthSure supports eye care campaign.(Brief Article)
October 17, 2003... A new campaign to improve the public's awareness of eye health - backed by high-profile insurance company HealthSure - has been unveiled today (October 17). The promotion, called Healthy Eyes, is a 'major national initiative' supported by...

Hairdresser Toni & Guy opens optical practice.
October 17, 2003... Hairdressing brand Toni & Guy has entered the UK retail optical market and hopes to run a national chain of opticians under the Toni & Guy name. The group, which has 187 franchised salons in the UK and a similar number overseas, opened its...

A new style.(Tony & Guy to open optical practice)(Brief Article)
October 17, 2003... Why is it that optics has such an amazing ability to attract the attention of business people from other markets? While those in optics beat each other up about clinical versus commercial and independent versus multiple, those outside the...

Emigrants win Pacific award.(Vancouver's Ian and Louise Mummery, of International Vision Direct)(Brief Article)
October 17, 2003... An English couple who started their business packaging contact lenses on top of the washer/drier because of a lack of space have just won a top business award. Ian and Louise Mummery, who own contact lens internet firm International Vision...

SMC rewards optical success.(Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers)(Brief Article)
October 17, 2003... The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers held its annual presentation of certificates and prizes for optical technicians and optical receptionists at London's Apothecaries' Hall this week. In total, 20 technicians and receptionists out...

DoH seeks views on control of 'fun' lenses.(non-prescription contact lenses)
October 17, 2003... The Government will look to the profession to help implement its regulatory plans for the sale of non-prescription contact lenses, says the health minister responsible for optometry. In addition, a public consultation will take place at the...

McDermott and Breslin are back.(EGO Frame in Coventry)(Brief Article)
October 17, 2003... Two former senior managers at Aspect Vision Care and CooperVision have joined forces to form a new UK-based spectacle company. As reported in last week's optician (News, October 10), Ian McDermott and Gerry Breslin have formed EGO Frame...

Pterygium.
October 24, 2003... Description Pterygia are a fibrovascular growth involving both the bulbar conjunctiva (the tail) and cornea (the head of the pterygium). Available epidemiological evidence suggests that they develop from excessive ultraviolet light...

Randolf and NiGuRa leave Rodenstock.(Randolf Rodenstock steps down after NiGuRa sale)(Brief Article)
October 24, 2003... Randolf Rodenstock has stepped down as chief executive of Rodenstock, a week after the firm announced the sale of its NiGuRa frame subsidiary. Randolf will remain on the supervisory board, but Giancarlo Galli, previously of...

Double exposure.(Malcolm Gray Optometrists win award at Silmo)
October 24, 2003... To many UK practitioners, going to Optrafair every other year is enough exhibition attending as they can handle. Hence there are few who will have travelled to last weekend's Silmo exhibition. Malcolm Gray Optometrists' staff are among...

nemowrites.
October 24, 2003... visual factor (optician October 3). At the outset, however, I have to admit that, though no expert on this particular activity, I have still to hear of a professional footballer whose career was cut short or was otherwise adversely affected by...

Merger forces relocation.(Pentax Vision Europe moves from Seiko merger)(Brief Article)
October 24, 2003... As part of its merger with Seiko, Pentax Vision Europe is moving to Gloucester in the new year to operate as a separate business unit to Pentax UK. Director David Moore told optician he was unable to give a figure of job losses at this...

Retinopathy screening is optometry involved?
October 24, 2003... Richard Broughton, Trevor Warburton and David Cartwright report on how the recently formed Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Project Advisory Group has been defining the benefits of keeping optometrists integral to any screening programme ...

Limbal dermoid.(Goldenhar's syndrome diagnosis and treatment)
October 24, 2003... Kirit Patel shares a case study of a young patient with Goldenhar's syndrome and explains the treatment regime A four-year-old patient visited the practice after moving into the local area. She was prescribed spectacles but there was no...

NHS fraudsters will be 'pursued relentlessly'.
October 24, 2003... The director of finance at a north west PCT has said it will 'relentlessly' pursue health professionals who defraud the NHS after an optometrist admitted in court to making fraudulent claims. Phil Wadeson, director of finance at Central...

Retinal examinationwithout dilation The Optos Panoramic 200.
October 24, 2003... optician looks at the development of an increasingly popular method of non-mydriatic fundus examination whose routine use in practice was pioneered by optometrists such as US-based Dr William Jones The Optomap Retinal Exam, produced by the...

Ciba Vision wins service award.(briefs)
October 24, 2003... u Contact lens company Ciba Vision has won the Business-to-Business category at the Unisys and Management Today Service Excellence Awards. More than 900 companies compete for the awards, which were set up in 1995 to recognise organisations...

Brulimar adds fresh looks for the new season from Morgan to Carousel.(new eyewear)
October 24, 2003... u Manchester-based optical group Brulimar has unveiled a number of new additions to some of its most successful ranges - Morgan, Ito Nakamura and Carousel. There are nine new models for the popular high-street Morgan brand, comprising four...

Be wise before you franchise.
October 24, 2003... The British Franchise Association claims franchises are twice as likely to succeed than small businesses. However, Samantha Dalton discovers practitioners must do their homework before joining the franchising industry Franchising is very...

Canon CR-DGi.(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 24, 2003... With the great interest surrounding digital imaging for diabetic screening, Bill Harvey was keen to put Canon's new non-mydriatic camera through its paces at the City University Bath Street Clinic The Canon CR6 has been a popular retinal...

Medical device recall reporting goes online.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2003... A new online system of reporting medical device recalls and adverse incidents - including contact lenses and prescription spectacles - has been launched. The Manufacturers' On-Line Reporting Environment (MORE) has been established by the...

Easy Readers doctor loses case.(Andrew Rynne challenges Ireland's Opticians Act )(Brief Article)
October 24, 2003... A GP who challenged Ireland's Opticians Act (1956) because it prevented him from selling ready-readers has had his High Court case dismissed. Dr Andrew Rynne, from County Kildare, lodged an action last December saying the Opticians Act was...

Paris exhibition draws strong UK contingent.(Silmo )
October 24, 2003... The Brits were making their presence felt at this week's Silmo exhibition in Paris, one of the world's premier optical events. Jason Kirk, founder of Kirk Originals, beat the best eyewear designers in the world to scoop the Silmo D'or award...

FDA warns of horror of Halloween lenses.
October 24, 2003... America's Food & Drug Administration has said Halloween could turn into a horror story for those who fail to appreciate the risks of misusing cosmetic contact lenses. The warning follows last week's response in this country by health...

Terror risk to eyes studied.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2003... The risks to ocular health following a terrorist attack have been studied by a Department of Health group established to issue guidelines on how to help casualties. In its first report, released last week, the group - which was established...

Should have gone toa.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
October 24, 2003... This is a comment I hoped I would never write, not because it deals with an unpleasant subject but because it brings back painful childhood memories. It concerns a subject inextricably linked to the everyday life of optometry but one that many...

Optometrist faces charges at hearing.(malpractice)(Brief Article)
October 24, 2003... An optometrist who diagnosed an ingrowing eyelash failed to discover that her patient was suffering from a detached retina, a GOC disciplinary committee heard this week. The Liverpool-based practitioner Eunice Wolfson examined 58-year-old...

MP presents plano CL bill.(John Robertson campaigns to restrict the sale of plano contact lenses)(Brief Article)
October 24, 2003... John Robertson, the MP who is campaigning to restrict the sale of plano contact lenses, is to bring a 10-minute rule bill before the House of Commons on October 28. Its official title is 'A bill to reclassify non-prescription contact...

Strong contact lens results for Novartis.(Brief Article)
October 24, 2003... Strong sales of Ciba Vision contact lenses and the age-related macular degeneration treatment Visudyne have helped push Novartis' group sales up 20 per cent to $18bn in the last quarter. Ciba Vision maintained double-digit sales growth of...

Performing with confidence.(optometry clinical conference)
October 31, 2003... Bill Harvey attends the annual PAC conference, which is now established as one of the major continuing education and training events in the optical calendar The ninth clinical conference organised by Specsavers Professional Advancement...