Optician articles from September 2007

Optician archives from September 2007

Necrotising herpetic retinopathies.(Features)(Disease/Disorder overview)
September 7, 2007... DESCRIPTION The necrotising herpetic retinopathies constitute a spectrum of conditions involving acute, rapidly progressive retinal necrosis, often resulting in retinal detachment. Current opinion is that most cases are caused by...

ABDO College students celebrate exam success.(News)
September 7, 2007... The ABDO College and Distance Learning Institute in Godmersham, Kent has maintained its high student pass rates in practical dispensing examinations with its 2007 results. Almost 90 per cent of ABDO College DLI students passed the...

Your sales data wanted.(British Shops and Stores Association)(Brief article)
September 7, 2007... The British Shops and Stores Association (BSSA) is urging practitioners to have an input into the compilation of its new quarterly sales monitor. The trade body for small and medium-sized non-food retailers including optical outlets wants...

Locum pleads guilty to defrauding multiple.(News)
September 7, 2007... A 47-year-old Leicestershire locum optometrist has been given a suspended jail sentence for duping Boots Opticians out of [pounds sterling]13,500 by submitting false claim forms for eye tests. Jayant Dattani pleaded guilty last week at...

Features.(Brief article)
September 7, 2007... Fiona Bosher, the UK member of the Oakley Transitions Ironman Team, stormed home in last weekend's Monaco Ironman 70.3 to take third place in her age group. The Hampshire-based optometrist was part of a seven-strong team of opticians from...

Alliance aims to raise profile.(News)
September 7, 2007... Health Minister Ben Bradshaw MP will address an Eye Health Alliance fringe event at the Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth later this month. The event, 'Diversity in commissioning - opportunity or a choice too far?' is part of the...

Publications on performance.(Features)
September 7, 2007... Recent publications have provided new information on the complications of contact lens wear and eye symptoms among users Patients' initial experience of contact lenses or a new modality is crucial to successful lens wear. The finding that...

Opening eyes tocontact lenses.(Features)
September 7, 2007... Training for front-of-house staff can have huge benefits, as optometric assistant Gill Hill discovered at a recent seminar Being relatively new to the optical world I was a bit nervous about what to expect from Sarah Morgan's seminar,...

head to go here for zeiss.(Carl Zeiss Inc. reduces labor costs )(Brief article)
September 7, 2007... Carl Zeiss Vision has reduced its annual labour spend by 27 per cent across its UK operations following consultation with de Poel, which specialises in temporary and permanent agency labour recruitment and subcontractors. Carl Zeiss Vision...

News.
September 7, 2007... The David Clulow Group has opened a new joint venture practice in Marlow, managed by optometrist Shilpa Sanghani, who has been practising in the Buckinghamshire town and the surrounding area for many years. The outlet has been fitted with...

Assessing the assessor.(Features)
September 7, 2007... Rather than an exercise in box-ticking, the role of a pre-registration assessor demands a variety of skills. Emma White reports Two years ago optometrist Nick Silverberg decided to apply to become an assessor for the College of...

World-class care but on the cheap.(Other)(Letter to the editor)
September 7, 2007... * I am pleased to see that the profession is united in applauding the recent move by the DoH towards independent prescribing (Optician, News August 31). I will be even happier when they tell us that we get proper fees for doing this work,...

Essential contact lens practicePart 7: Soft toric contact lens fitting.(Features)
September 7, 2007... Jane Veys, John Meyler and Ian Davies continue their series by discussing the latest fitting, evaluation techniques and lens designs required to ensure soft torics continue to be a routine part of contact lens practice for patients with 0.75D...

Essilor growth.(News)
September 7, 2007... Essilor posted an 18.1 per cent contribution margin for the first half of 2007, up slightly on last year's 17.8 per cent. The company saw a 10 per cent rise in half-year operating profit at [euro]267m on sales which rose 8.4 per cent to...

GOC rebuts attack on profession by Which?(News)
September 7, 2007... By Perry Thakrar perry.thakrar@rbi.co.uk The GOC has refuted claims by Which? that nearly half of eye examinations performed by optometrists are poor or very poor, after the consumer watchdog carried out an undercover investigation....

FMO meeting.(News)
September 7, 2007... There are still places available for the Federation of Manufacturing Opticians' free-to-attend education and networking day at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on September 26. The FMO is keen to reach its member laboratories and businesses...

NICE AMD guidance hit by media furore.(News)
September 7, 2007... * We are writing to highlight our concerns about recent publicity surrounding the NICE AMD guidance and accusations of their 'massive incompetence'. As practitioners dealing regularly with low vision patients, we would welcome a more...

288 students erased from GOC registers.(General Optical Council )(Brief article)
September 7, 2007... The General Optical Council removed a total of 288 student optometrists and dispensing opticians from its registers on Monday. Their removal has been triggered by the failure to complete the retention process by returning a completed...

Still innovating at 90.(Keeler celebrates its ninetieth anniversary)
September 7, 2007... Ophthalmic products manufacturer Keeler is this year celebrating its 90th birthday. Shannon McKenzie paid a visit to the firm's Windsor headquarters to learn about its past, present and future In 1917, when American-born Charles Davis...

In celebration of my Patrick days.(Patrick retinoscopes for opticians)(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
September 7, 2007... * It was interesting to read the article by Dr Colin Fowler (Optician, August 10) on how he built his own retinoscope. In my early student days I soon recognised that an accurate retinoscopy is the essential basis of every normal refractive...

P pages.(Survey)
September 7, 2007... The Which? Report 'Testing the testers' was published last week. It stated that '17 out of a sample of 39 examinations conducted (through the UK), were considered poor or very poor - largely due to missing out important tests' 14 test were less...

Other.(reports of opticians)(Viewpoint essay)
September 7, 2007... The Which Report "Testing the testers" was published last week. Its headlines stated that "17 out of a sample of 39 examinations conducted (through the UK), were considered poor or very poor - largely due to missing out important tests" 14 test...

P pages.
September 7, 2007... Lynx IDG has launched a newly refurbished showroom in its research and development facility in Manchester. The new space is equipped with the latest optical interior concepts with the full range of 2007/2008 product lines. Centre stage are the...

More concern about packaging wastage.(News)
September 7, 2007... * Following Alan Donnelly's letter regarding invoicing wastage, perhaps Signet Armorlite can explain itself. Each pair of surfaced lenses comes in a paper wallet. Each wallet is contained in a large cardboard folder, which, when unfolded...

P pages.
September 7, 2007... The National Eyecare Group has added an extra date to its annual autumn seminars and widened the evening programme. The seminars are open to all practitioners, not just NEG members, and cover business development and new products, with four...

Innovision innovates.(News)(Nikon Corp. and Birmingham Optical Group PLC)(Brief article)
September 7, 2007... Bromley practice Innovision is working with Nikon as its lens manufacturer of choice as it aims to provide the latest in optical technology and differentiate itself from other practices in the region. As part of the move, the practice has...

New looks launched for Iris.(P pages)(ProDesign extended its Iris fram)(Brief article)
September 7, 2007... ProDesign has extended its Iris frame series by adding another collection that it describes as exuding exclusivity, joy and feminine values. The company said the new collection has a variation of patterns and a more simplified expression...

How are students qualified to judge?(Other)
September 7, 2007... * I feel I must comment on the recent Which? consumer report that sent optometry students 'undercover' to assess a number of sight tests across various companies, concluding that almost half of the sight tests were 'poor, or very poor'. I...

Replay places up for grabs.(News)(Brief article)
September 7, 2007... Leading suppliers will be exhibiting at this autumn's Replay Learning Optician Clinical Conferences and four lucky winners have an opportunity to win two places (worth [pounds sterling]95) at each conference. The conferences will take...

CL comfort benefits are clear.(P pages)(product information of Sauflon Pharmaceuticals)(Brief article)
September 7, 2007... Sauflon bioclear 1 Day is a biomimetic daily disposable lens containing AquAtract, a comfort enhancing material. Sauflon explained that AquAtract encourages hydrogen bonding of water, resulting in the lens material retaining water for the...

hdhHarold Silverberg.(News)
September 7, 2007... Liverpool optometrist Harold Silverberg died on July 6 aged 74. Silverberg bought his first practice in Anfield in 1957, expanding the business to six practices in Liverpool by the 1980s. In 1983 he developed retinitis pigmentosa, ultimately...

PAC invites all practitionershdh.(News)
September 7, 2007... There is still time to book a place at this year's Specsavers' Professional Advancement Committee (PAC) Conference on October 7 at the ICC, Birmingham. For the first time the event will include an all-day exhibition featuring leading...

Vision-Eyecare runs with Enrico Coveri.(P pages)
September 7, 2007... Enfield-based Vision-Eyecare, the UK distributor of Enrico Coveri and Braccialini designer frames and sunglasses, has introduced the new collections for 2008. The eyewear is manufactured by established Italian firm Vecellio Occhiali, a...

Jones to give Walker lecture.(News)(ACLM Allan Walker Lecture )(Brief article)
September 7, 2007... The fourth ACLM Allan Walker Lecture will take place on September 27 at 20 Cavendish Square in London, and is filled to capacity with some 200 practitioners and guests booked to attend. The speaker is Professor Lyndon Jones of the...

Activists make solutions claim.(News)
September 7, 2007... CIBA Vision has recalled Solocare Aqua solution sold in selected shops in France from August 25-27 after animal rights activists cited possible sabotage on a blog on the website of the US Animal Liberation Front last week. The Animal...

Features.(practice of opticians)(Brief article)
September 7, 2007... Satirists have had a field day over the years pillorying consumer rights TV shows such as That's Life and their attempts to find consumer issues where none exist. The latest Consumer report into eye examinations is in danger of consigning...

Evaluating clinical researchfor your practice.(Features)
September 7, 2007... Marketing fluff or scientific stuff? Jane Veys and Dr Cristina Schnider provide a guide to the essential elements of clinical research and how to critically evaluate study results As consumers, we're used to marketing claims for all manner...

News.(National Eyecare Group held a annual autumn seminar)(Brief article)
September 7, 2007... NEG adds to programme The National Eyecare Group has added an extra date to its annual autumn seminars and widened the evening programme. The seminars are open to all practitioners, not just NEG members, and cover business development...

Smash and grab.(Features)
September 7, 2007... It's every practice owner's worst nightmare - a call from the police in the middle of the night to inform them of a break-in. Emma White discusses practice security with targeted store owners and investigates the latest security advice ...

Hearing date.(News)
September 7, 2007... A GOC fitness to practise hearing for optometrist Shafqat Zaman will take place on October 23 at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London. Zaman faces charges of deficient professional performance. He is accused of not measuring...

Neovascular glaucoma.(News)(Disease/Disorder overview)
September 14, 2007... DESCRIPTION Neovascular glaucoma is always secondary to ocular ischaemia, typically conditions that result in retinal capillary non-perfusion and retinal hypoxia. The release of vasogenic factors stimulating the growth of new vessels in...

AMO launches Easy Rub MPS.(AMO UK Ltd. introduces Complete Easy Rub Multipurpose Solution)(Brief article)
September 14, 2007... AMO has launched the all-in-one Complete Easy Rub Multipurpose Solution, which it said featured rubbing and rinsing steps for safer and healthier contact lens wear.1 The product has a focus on comfort and disinfection efficacy,...

LOC produces eye care guide.(News)
September 14, 2007... Buckinghamshire Local Optical Committee has developed an eye health brochure with its local primary care trust which is available free to all healthcare promoters in the county. Claire Ranger of Hammond & Dummer, chair of the Milton Keynes...

Focus finds new partners.(P pages)
September 14, 2007... CIBA Vision has launched a new sponsorship venture with ITV as part of its ongoing youth targeted campaign for Focus Dailies with AquaComfort. The company is sponsoring two ITV shows, StreetMate and Holly & Fearne Go Dating, to help raise...

Eye patch dose 'can be reduced'.(new discovery in the treatment of childhood amblyopia)(Brief article)
September 14, 2007... Researchers at City University in London are claiming a breakthrough in the treatment of childhood amblyopia. A team within the Department of Optometry & Visual Science has found that the length of time an eye patch is worn for the usual...

Test of strength and weakness.(News)
September 14, 2007... Another fillip for practices to implement professional fees was applied this week, and interestingly it was provided by the internet. Dollond & Aitchison's hijacked free eye exam promotion (see news) demonstrated painfully, for optical...

D&A withdraws free test offer.(News)
September 14, 2007... By Perry Thakrar perry.thakrar@rbi.co.uk Dollond & Aitchison has had to pull a 'free eye test' offer on its website after the promotion attracted thousands of requests from patients, many of whom then reportedly took their free...

News.
September 14, 2007... David Juniper has joined Optician as a sales executive. Juniper graduated from Coventry University in 2005 with a BA in Criminology and Law and joins Optician from the title Caterer and Hotelkeeper. In his spare time Juniper plays county level...

Consultancy offers five steps to eye care fees.(News)
September 14, 2007... Janet Hatt and Richard Llewellyn from Turners Optometrists in Bridgwater have set up a consultancy designed to help practitioners begin the journey of upgrading and charging for their clinical services. The Eyecare Fees Consultancy is a...

Labels made to measure.(P pages)
September 14, 2007... E W Morris of Oxford can supply labels and label carriers for frames with wide sides. The plastic label carriers come in two parts, the main blocks available in four sizes and five different colours. The supporting arms come in three different...

Eye drop concerns.(Other)
September 14, 2007... * I'm concerned that the detergent preservative Benzalkonium chloride (BAK) is added to most eye drops for glaucoma. There were six pages in the journal Review of Ophthalmology 2001 Jun: 8(6):74-80 detailing eye problems caused by this...

P pages.(Fight for Sight organizes Clay Pigeon Shoot )(Brief article)
September 14, 2007... Fight for Sight is to hold its annual Clay Pigeon Shoot at Pennsport in Newbury on September 21 and is looking for people interested in taking part. The event raised over [pounds sterling]37,000 last year and this is the fourth time it has...

News.
September 14, 2007... Gerber Coburn, a leading provider of computer integrated optical lens processing systems, has sold its Innovations lab software product business to Ocuco Inc, a wholly owned US subsidiary of practice management software specialists Ocuco Ltd....

P pages.(quality standards for an ophthalmological tests)(Viewpoint essay)
September 14, 2007... The arrival of yet another Which? report on the quality of sight tests intrigued me for several reasons. After the previous report, optometrists argued that the results were erroneous because the examinees were members of the public who...

CET offers a hotel break.(P pages)
September 14, 2007... Practitioners who sign up for any of the National Eyecare Group's autumn seminars before September 21 will automatically qualify for a hotel accommodation voucher. The seminars are open to all practitioners and are free to attend. Those...

Registration scheme supports students.(P pages)
September 14, 2007... * I write to express my disappointment at your recent reporting of the pass rates for the July sitting of the Final Assessment of the Scheme for Registration (SfR) (Optician, August 31). The Scheme for Registration, introduced by the...

Profession urged to focus on the elderly.(News)
September 14, 2007... The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is calling on the profession to raise awareness of optical vouchers for the elderly after a new report by the charity revealed that six million older people in the UK are failing to have...

Acuity and beyond.(Features)(Discussion)
September 14, 2007... In the second of Optician's lunchtime debates, professionals discuss the thinking behind lens choice What are your views on what patients know about lenses when they walk into a practice and what they want to know about? * Bob...

See20/20 makes software simple.(P pages)
September 14, 2007... Practice management software company See20/20 has launched Cirrus, the latest version of its software that is described as having a smarter interface and additional features to make it even easier to use than ever. The company said that,...

Ted Baker's autumn line.(Brief article)
September 14, 2007... The Ted Baker autumn/winter collection features the brand's quirky styles with distinctive detailing in both sunglasses and optical models. Mondottica described the line as bringing new flair to the season, with designs to suit all faces...

P pages.(Overseas Ball organized by Vision Aid )(Brief article)
September 14, 2007... Vision Aid Overseas is holding its Overseas Ball on November 17 at the Trunkwell Mansion House in the West Berkshire countryside, just south of Reading. The event, for the third year running at Trunkwell, is described by the charity as an...

OO wanted.(News)
September 14, 2007... International development charity VSO is urgently seeking an optometrist for a voluntary placement in Guyana, South America. The volunteer will work closely with local colleagues and will be responsible for increasing the effectiveness of...

P pages.(John Varvatos introduces John Varvatos Folding Reader with Transitions)(Brief article)
September 14, 2007... John Varvatos is making men's lives easier thanks to the John Varvatos Folding Reader with Transitions, compact reading glasses with variable tint lenses. REM Eyewear said that it was the first time that Transitions had teamed up with any...

Ultra lens is a poster star.(P pages)(Brief article)
September 14, 2007... Carl Zeiss Vision has created attractive new POS material to support the launch of the Sola Compact Ultra short generation progressive. The company has created posters in two sizes, enabling practitioners to choose the format that best...

News.(Carl Zeiss Inc. reduces its annual labour spend )(Brief article)
September 14, 2007... Carl Zeiss Vision has reduced its annual labour spend by 27 per cent across its UK operations following consultation with de Poel, which specialises in temporary and permanent agency labour recruitment and subcontractors. Carl Zeiss Vision...

Silmo unveiling for new Zoobug range.(P pages)(Brief article)
September 14, 2007... The Zoobug range of children's sunglasses has been expanded and will be on show at the 40th Silmo in Paris from October 19-22. There are 17 new frame-temple colour combinations to the popular Flexibugs range for three- to eight-year-olds....

Improving vision in AMD patients using wavefront-guided lenses.(Features)
September 14, 2007... Janet P Szlyk, William Seiple, Mihir Parikh, Julia Kensick and Andreas W Dreher describe a novel use for wavefront-guided spectacle lenses Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of legal blindness in the developed world...

News.
September 14, 2007... The College of Optometrists is opening its doors to members of the public on September 16 between 1pm and 5pm, as part of London's annual Open House weekend. Staff and volunteers will be on hand to receive visitors to the reception, museum and...

Sales surge at CooperVision.(News)
September 14, 2007... Cooper Companies, the parent company of contact lens maker Cooper Vision, has reported revenue growth of 12 per cent to $251.9m for the third quarter of 2007. The CooperVision division recorded revenue of $212m, up 9 per cent from the...

Hamilton bullish despite losses of almost [pounds sterling]1m.(News)
September 14, 2007... By Perry Thakrar perry.thakrar@rbi.co.uk Scottish contact lens maker daysoft posted losses of almost [pounds sterling]1m for the year ended December 31 2006, with the deficit being blamed on the introduction of new accounting rules....

News.(Fight for Sight's annual Clay Pigeon Shoot )(Brief article)
September 14, 2007... Charity event will be a blast Fight for Sight is to hold its annual Clay Pigeon Shoot at Pennsport in Newbury on September 21 and is looking for people interested in taking part. The event raised over [pounds sterling]37,000 last year...

Intraocular foreign body.(the case of intraocular eye infection by a foreign body)
September 14, 2007... E A Luhishi, B Kapoor and Deborah Bott describe an unusual case highlighting the importance of adequate eye protection A 40-year-old man attended the eye casualty department with a two-day history of foreign body entry to his right eye...

Glare.(Features)
September 14, 2007... In the first of two CET articles on glare and vision, Nicholas Phelps Brown describes types of glare and some conditions responsible. C7481, one standard CET point for optometrists and dispensing opticians Glare is produced by optical...

Features.
September 14, 2007... MCQs 1 Which of the following is most likely to occur with ocular albinism? A Disability glare B Dazzling glare C Discomfort glare D Dissatisfaction glare C 2 In a young healthy adult, how much of the light...

Scrivens buys business.(Scrivens Group acquires Tilletts Adams opticians)(Brief article)
September 14, 2007... The Scrivens Group is strengthening its foothold in Norwich by acquiring Tilletts Adams opticians. The purchase of the two branches, located on Upper Giles Street and Plumstead Road in the city, takes the company to a national presence of...

Corneal staining update.(News)
September 14, 2007... Research published on silicone hydrogel lens and solution combinations claims to cast doubt over the importance of Andrasko's staining grid and to give a more realistic indication of which SH lens and solution mixtures result in corneal...

News.
September 14, 2007... Charity ball Vision Aid Overseas is holding its Overseas Ball on November 17 at the Trunkwell Mansion House in the West Berkshire countryside, south of Reading. The event, for the third year running at Trunkwell, is described by the...

Clinic is open to volunteers.(News)
September 14, 2007... Optometrists and dispensing opticians will next week have an opportunity to discover how they can use their skills in a volunteer setting. Vision Care for the Homeless is hosting an open day on Monday, September 24 for professionals to see...

X-ray specs coming soon.(scottish scientists to develop X-ray spectacles )(Brief article)
September 14, 2007... A team of Scottish scientists claim that they are close to developing X-ray spectacles that will give wearers 'super-human' vision, allowing them to see through clothing and inside suitcases. The BBC reports that researchers at Glasgow...

Tear ferning: a valuable tool in determining dry eye.(News)
September 21, 2007... Associate Professor Etty Bitton describes a less well known technique for tear assessment and argues its usefulness in practice. C7517, suitable for optometrists, DOs and CLOs A healthy and stable pre-ocular tear film (POTF) plays a vital...

ABDO appoints new board members.(P pages)(appointment of Peter Black, Garry Kousoulou and Ted Moffatt)(Association of British Dispensing Opticians)(Brief article)
September 21, 2007... ABDO announced new appointments to its board in Peter Black, Garry Kousoulou and Ted Moffatt at its AGM in Harrogate last weekend. There are nine members on the ABDO board, with three positions vacated and subject to renewed election annually....

P pages.(appointment of Roland Allen)(Brief article)
September 21, 2007... Transitions Optical has appointed Roland Allen as business director, for Northern Europe. Allen moves from the role of marketing director - Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) - where he spent six years developing the Transitions' brand...

News.
September 21, 2007... 'Seeing was believing' for 80 members of the British Contact Lens Association and guests who attended the Association's Annual Presidential Address in London this week. President Nick Atkins (pictured) presented the results of a new study that...

B&L buyout.(News)
September 21, 2007... Bausch & Lomb shareholders are being urged to vote in favour of the proposed $3.7bn cash buyout by private equity firm Warburg Pincus. According to a company statement the recommendations of advisory firms confirmed the board's unanimous...