Review of Optometry articles from January 2003

Review of Optometry archives from January 2003

J&J to sell lenses, 1-800 to verify rxes: 1-800 also acquires Lens Express. (News Review).(Johnson and Johnson Vision Care)
January 15, 2003... You could say that December was a banner month for 1-800 Contacts. The mail-order contact lens supplier reached an agreement that would allow it to directly purchase Vistakon contact lenses, then quickly moved to acquire two mail-order...

FDA. (In the News).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... The FDA has approved Restasis (cyclosporine, Allergan), the first prescription medication approved for dry eye. Allergan says Restasis will be packaged in single-dose vials, and available in April.

American Academy of Optometry (AAO). (In the News).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... Thomas Lewis, O.D., president of Pennsylvania College of Optometry, has been chosen to head the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) for the next two years. He was installed as president at the AAO's annual meeting in San Diego.

National Board of Examiners in Optometry. (In the News).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... Frank Salimeno, O.D., of South Odgen, Utah, was elected president of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry at its annual meeting in Bloomington, Ind., in November.

First Health Network. (In the News).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... Optometrists are now welcome to apply to participate in the health plans of First Health Network (the largest directly contracted PPO network), thanks to the AOA's Eye Care Benefits Center. E-mail FirstHealthODrequests@aoncons.com for more...

Essilor of America (EOA). (In the News).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... Essilor of America (EQA) has named John Carrier as president of Essilor Laboratories of America. Mr. Carrier was most recently senior vice president of marketing for EOA.

Why doctors and patients see dry eye differently. (News Review).
January 15, 2003... Report from Academy 2002 Doctors who diagnose dry eye and the patients who present with the condition often don't see eye to eye on the severity of the symptoms, researchers from Indiana University concluded in a paper presented last month...

VSP's 'FrameConnect' program to begin soon. (News Review).(Vision Service Plan)
January 15, 2003... Vision Service Plan will roll out its newest program, FrameConnect, next month. The new plan aims to offer O.D.s preferred pricing perks and other benefits, company officials say. At press time, details of FrameConnect were still limited....

Medicare rate cut one step closer, one step more certain. (News Review).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services made it official right before the New Year: Optometrists and other practitioners will face a slash in Medicare payments to the tune of 4.4% come March 1. "Although we have exhaustively examined...

Smile ... It's a New Year: set the doom and gloom aside. There are worse ways to make a living. (Editor's Page).
January 15, 2003... You know, I could've written about how the Senate seems amenable to the idea that Medicare die on the vine, and how that would be a terrible loss for optometry. But, enough of the doom and gloom. This is the start of a New Year (the 112th...

An attack of the nauseous kind: while my wife was dancing to Manilow, I was at home singing a different tune. (Chairside).
January 15, 2003... It seems that the smarter you are, the more stressed you are. I certainly must be a genius because I spend most of my time freakin' out. Other things that come with intelligence are crooked ears (got 'em), high myopia (got it), and an...

Kicking in the doors of prejudice: Dr. Paula Newsome is now putting up doors in a $2 million practice in downtown Charlotte, N.C. (Profiles In Excellence).
January 15, 2003... When Paula Newsome first looked for an optometry job in Charlotte, N.C., more than 20 years ago, she got plenty of interviews. O.D.s obviously knew she was a woman from her impressive resume. What they didn't know on paper was that she was...

Pulse on the profession: do you like what you do? (National Panel).
January 15, 2003... We asked 265 O.D.s about their profession. What did they say? their morale is slipping. The bureaucracy is beastly. But taking care of patients is still a lot of fun. Two out of three optometrists would recommend their profession to a...

Cases from the 'self-illuminating' world: treating computer users requires a different approach, as these four patients illustrate. (Ophthalmic Lenses).
January 15, 2003... Robert complains of blurry distance vision and occipital headaches. Lori says her eyes get tired and dry. Eye fatigue and frontal headaches plague Natalie, while Richard finds his eye fatigue at the end of the day bothersome. These...

GPs and presbyopia: why today's designs are easier to fit; The anatomical and optical considerations for fitting presbyopes with GP multifocals. (Contact Lenses).(gas permeable)
January 15, 2003... Just as presbyopes are the most underserved group of the contact lens-wearing population, so are gas permeable (GP) multifocal and bifocal designs the most underutilized types of contact lenses. Yet, GP designs give you the opportunity to...

Why pachymetry? Why now? OHTS sheds new light on the need for measuring central corneal thickness, but this data is useful for many other decisions you have to make in practice. (Cover Story).(Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study)(Cover Story)
January 15, 2003... The pachymeter--or pachometer--is an instrument you don't typically find in the optometric office. This device historically has been used to measure corneal thickness for assessing corneal health related to pathologies and to evaluate corneal...

Fluoroquinolones: The next generation; fourth-generation fluoroquinolones--moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin--will change how we treat ocular infection. (Therapeutics).
January 15, 2003... In a few months, ophthalmic drug suppliers will introduce a new class of fluoroquinolone antibiotics for topical use. These fourth-generation fluoroquinolones are the result of extensive scientific research and reflect significant progress in...

Review of systems, Part I: getting to the heart of cardiovascular disease; here's the latest research to help you recognize the warning signs and help manage your patients' overall health. (Patient Care).
January 15, 2003... Editor's note: As primary-care doctors, optometrists have an ever growing role in the management of their patients' overall health. To enable optometrists to fulfill this role, we're starting a series of articles that explain the latest...

Surgical Update, Part I: how to avoid and manage mishaps in cataract surgery; it starts with knowing what to look for during your pre- and post-op exams. (Optometric Study Center).
January 15, 2003... As the population ages, we can expect the volume of cataract surgeries performed to steadily rise. Cataracts already affect nearly 20.5 million Americans over age 40. That number is expected to increase 41%, to 29 million, by 2020.(1) So, we...

Keep the patients you refer to others: interprofessional communication could help improve your patient's care. (Comanagement Q&A).
January 15, 2003... Q I recently referred a patient with type-2 diabetes to an endocrinologist. The M.D. then sent the patient to a local ophthalmologist for an eye exam and I lost the patient. How can I prevent this from happening in the future? A The best...

How to make CRT glare and halo free: night vision problems with corneal refractive therapy are rare, but possible. (Cornea & Contact Lens Q&A).(corneal refractive therapy)
January 15, 2003... Q Have many patient's complained of haloes or glare at night with Paragon's CRT contact lenses? A During the FDA clinical trial of Paragon Vision Science's Corneal Refractive Therapy contact lenses, very few patients complained of glare,...

Baby's pupil reflex has parents curious: should this abnormality, plus an esotropia and retinal lesions, be cause for concern? (Retina Quiz).
January 15, 2003... A mother and father brought their 7-month-old daughter in for an evaluation. They had noticed an abnormal white pupil reflex in both eyes for the past six weeks, and that the left eye turned inward. The parents reported a full-term...

A new risk factor: corneal thickness; The OHTS study helped to simplify our treatment, but it also added a new wrinkle. (Glaucoma Grand Rounds).(ocular hypertension)
January 15, 2003... A 52-year-old white female initially presented in May 2000 as a new patient to the office. Her past ocular history was positive for ocular hypertension, for which she was monitored for approximately six years without intervention. She has no...

More thoughts on AREDS, AMD: here's what to consider when recommending vitamins for your patients. (Therapeutic Review).(Age Related Eye Disease Study, advanced macular degeneration)
January 15, 2003... Editor's note: This month, we welcome Dr. Hoscheit to our roster of columnists. Dr. Hoscheit, a private practitioner in Gastonia, N. C., has published and lectured frequently on numerous topics, including ocular pharmacology. With the...

New labeling for Opti-Free. (Contact Lens Care).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... The FDA has approved labeling which states that Alcon's Opti-Free Express Multi-Purpose No-Rub disinfecting solution is indicated for use with silicone hydrogel contact lenses. FDA approval of this new indication came after Alcon presented...

Glitter and glamour. (Contact Lens Care).(CIBA Vison)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... CIBA Vision's newest cosmetic contact lens gives wearers a sparkle in their eyes by incorporating glitter into the lens itself. Designed for both light- and dark-eyed patients, Glitter Eyes are available in three different colors that vary...

Get Shorty. (Ophthalmic Lenses).(Specialty Lens Corporation)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... Patients who want a short-corridor progressive for their smaller fashion frames now have photochromic choices. The new Shorty PAL from Specialty Lens Corporation gives a full reading zone without sacrificing the far and intermediate zones, the...

A new concept in low vision. (Product Review).(Eschenbach Optik)
January 15, 2003... Eschenbach Optik has incorporated multi-order diffractive optics into its low-vision lenses, creating lenses in 12.00D, 16.00D and 20.00D powers that are half as thick as and weigh up to 66% less than refractive low-vision lenses of the same...

Scheduling in the age of HIPPA. (Practice Management Software).(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act )(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... Version 8.0 of Spectra Soft Inc.'s AppointmentsPRO software supports the privacy rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). This Windows-based program allows you to control access to the information in patient...

LED Field Target. (Diagnostic Aids).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... Richmond Products Bott Confrontation Field Target provides a blinking LED light for visual field testing. You conceal the light in this 18.5-inch wand with a flip of the wrist. Call (561) 994-2112 or go to www.RichmondProducts.com

Pushing frame fashion forward. (Ophthalmic Frame Board).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... Donna Karen Eyewear by Marchon offers a new optical and two new sun frames for women. DK 8809 features a triangular temple with wrapped end pieces. Sizes are 49-15/135 and 51-15/135 in color choices of moss tortoise, dark Havana, milky crystal,...

Harleys for men and kids. (Ophthalmic Frame Board).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... Harley-Davidson Performance Eyewear from Viva International Group offers two new collections for men and kids. The "Essential for Every Rider" collection is a stainless steel group of softer-shaped frames for men. It includes the HD 174, a...

Just for tweens. (Ophthalmic Frame Board).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... ClearVision Optical's Save the Children Eyewear Collection has designed these frames specifically for girls in the "tween" age group: those between the ages of 9 and 12. * SCF 937 is a thin, metal wire frame with an almond eye shape. Color...

Lilliputian pliers. (Optical Tools).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... Designed specifically to help set ophthalmic lenses in smaller fashion frames, the newest alignment pliers from Breitfield & Schliekert Optical feature 20mm jaws that make it easier for your optical staff to turn lenses the company says. For...

Optical Laboratories Association Awards Excellence in ophthalmic lenses. (Product Review).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... The Optical Laboratories Association has announced the winners of its Awards of Excellence for 2002. They are: * Best in Lens Materials--Trivex by PPG Industries Inc., available in Hoya Phoenix and Younger Trilogy lenses. * Best in...

Meetings & Conferences.
January 15, 2003... February * 3. Anterior Uveitis and its Sequelae, Rochelle Park, N.J. CE hours: 2. Sponsored by Bergen-Passaic Optometric Society. Contact Michael Veliky, O.D., 340W. Passaic St., Rochelle Park, NJ 07662; call (201) 368-2444. * 14-16....

Blur at near plagues Ex-I.V. drug user. (Diagnostic Quiz).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2003... History A 51-year-old black male presented complaining of blurred vision at near. His ocular history was otherwise unremarkable. His last eye exam was 30 years ago. His systemic history was remarkable for cardiomegaly (enlarged heart)...