Practice Tip: Inform all Patients About the Drop Debacle
With the multiple recalls on OTC drops, due to concerns regarding bacteria, Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, recommends optometrists inform all patients, not just those who have a history of using drops. Specifically, she suggests placing signs in the reception area and exam rooms that contain the name(s) of the recalled product(s), recall reason, possible adverse events, and to immediately cease use. See the full column at https://www.optometricmanagement.com/issues/2023/may-2023/clinical-dry-eye.
Alcon Expands Plastic Bank Partnership
Alcon announced the expansion of its partnership with Plastic Bank. This is an organization that builds recycling ecosystems in under-developed communities to fight plastic pollution, while providing collection members with a path out of poverty, according to the press release. Alcon says it aims to support the plastic removal of more than 990,000 kg in 2023. This is the equivalent of stopping more than 49 million plastic bottles from reaching the ocean this year, according to the press release. To learn more, visit https://plasticbank.com/client/alcon/.
American Academy of Optometry Photography Contest Is Open
The annual Comprehensive Eye Care Section Ocular Photography Contest is now open. Optometrists may submit, by July 1, up to two entries per category:
· Anterior Segment Category: Lids, Conjunctiva, Cornea, Contact Lens, Iris, Lens, Angle/Gonioscopy, digital color photo.
· Posterior Segment Category: Vitreous, Optic Nerve, Retina, Color/Red-free photo, Fluorescein Angiography/ICG, Fundus Auto-fluorescence.
The winners will be notified by Aug. 1, and the grand prize winner from each category will receive complimentary registration to Academy 2023 New Orleans, occurring Oct. 11 to Oct. 14. Additionally, the winning image will be published in the Academy’s Fall Newsletter. Visithttps://aaopt.org/meetings/annual-meeting/comprehensive-eye-care-section-ocular-photo-contest/.
American Optometric Association Releases Statement About Florida Legislation
The American Optometric Association responded to SB230, which, in part, prohibits optometrists from referring to themselves as “physicians.” The organization’s statement: “The American Optometric Association (AOA) will vigorously oppose any attempt to prevent Florida-licensed doctors of optometry from legally practicing at the highest levels allowed by state and federal law, including their ability to effectively communicate with their patients by introducing unnecessary confusion. The proposed legislation undermines the doctor-patient relationship that will, in turn, jeopardize patient outcomes.”
AOAExcel to Host Retirement Workshop
AOAExcel is hosting a workshop to provide doctors of optometry with answers to their retirement questions and explain the effects of the new Secure 2.0 Act. AOA members are encouraged to attend “Recent Retirement Plan Changes: What Optometric Practice Owners Need to Know” on Wednesday, May 24, at 8 pm ET. To register, visit eyelearn.aoa.org. Participants are encouraged to bring questions or submit them ahead of time to aoaexcel@aoa.org.
C. Light Technologies Receives FDA Premarket Designation for Retina Device
C. Light Technologies, Inc. received word from the FDA that its Retitrack, a retinal eye-movement monitor for non-invasive, objective clinical assessments, has been cleared for marketing through premarket notification 510(k). The Retitrack is a monocular, tabletop eye movement monitor intended for recording, viewing, measuring, and analyzing temporal characteristics of fixation, and saccadic responses when a patient is viewing a visual stimulus.
CooperCompanies Provides Progress on Key Initiatives
CooperCompanies released its 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) report. The report highlight’s the company’s progress on these issues. For example, in 2022, CooperCompanies manufactured a record number of products, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 7%, according to the company. A big contributor to this success, CooperCompanies says, was the start of the operation of a combined heat and power facility in Puerto Rico. The company says it expects the system to help significantly reduce its carbon footprint in the coming years. Read more at https://coopercos.com/esg/.
EssilorLuxottica Reinforces Commitment to Road Safety
EssilorLuxottica and the United Nations Special Envoy for Road Safety partnered to reinforce their commitment to promote good vision on the road. As part of this collaboration and starting with the UN Global Road Safety Week (May 15th to May 20th), EssilorLuxottica launched an awareness campaign to support the United Nations road safety targets and to highlight the call to action: “Check your vision - Drive Safe.”
Euclid and the Power Practice to Host Orthokeratology Learning Event in Virginia
Euclid and the Power Practice invite eye care professionals to attend “Level Up Your Ortho-k Practice: Clinical, Financial and Practice Management Strategies for Success,” occurring July 31 to Aug. 1 in Reston, Va. The event is “designed for ECPs looking to take their practice to the next level,” by helping ECPs unlock the full potential of their orthokeratology practice. For more information and registration, visit https://www2.euclidlenses.com/level-up-your-ortho-k-practice.
Euclid Vision Corporation Partners with Visionary Optics to Host
Interactive Specialty Lens Forums
Euclid Vision Corporation is joining forces with Visionary Optics to host specialty contact lens dinner discussions around the U.S. The program, “Patient Selection to Practice Growth: A Guide to Specialty Contact Lenses,” will bring eye care practitioners together to learn from industry experts and network with like-minded professionals about how to identify patient selection criteria for both orthokeratology and scleral lenses, develop a practice growth strategy, and troubleshoot common issues. The events will occur in Chicago (June 5), Boston (July 13), Southern California (Sept 20), and Houston (Nov 2).To learn more or to register, visit https://www2.euclidlenses.com/guide-to-specialty-contact-lenses-event.
National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness Calls for Nominations
for Vision Award
The National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) issued a call for nominations for the ninth annual “Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award.” The award recognizes significant efforts by an individual, or group of individuals, to improve public health approaches for children’s vision and eye health at the state or national level. The deadline for submission is July 1, 2023, at noon EDT. Visit https://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/bonnie-strickland-champion-for-childrens-vision-award/.
Professional Eye Care Associates of America Hosts Close to 800 Members At 2023 Annual Meeting
PECAA welcomed almost 800 members, strategic vendor partners and industry leaders for three days of networking, education and idea exchange during its annual meeting, which occurred April 20 to April 22, in Nashville, Tenn. Highlights included an opening keynote speech by author and speaker Chris Tuff, more than 60 vendor partners in the PECAA Partner Pavilion, Nashville-inspired skits, videos and more given by CooperVision, Hoya, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Luxottica, Safilo, VSP Vision, and Zeiss, and, closing out the meeting, Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith.
State University of New York College of Optometry to Recognize Eye Care Professionals for Advancements in Optometry
The State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry will award honorary degrees during its 49th Commencement Ceremonies to two distinguished professionals who have made substantial contributions to the advancement of optometry and public health care: Anne B. Fulton, MD, and Ronda Stilley Kotelchuck. The honorary degrees will be conferred to both recipients during the College’s commencement ceremony on May 25.
Transitions Optical Announces 2022 Innovation Award Finalists
Transitions Optical, Inc. named the finalists for its annual Transitions Innovation Awards program, which recognizes both individuals and organizations who have shown the highest level of commitment to innovating their business over the past year. They include:
• Healthy Sight Ambassador: Véronique Desrochers, optician and owner – Optique Cloutier (Châteauguay, Quebec); Michael Frayler, founder and CEO – Austin Ryan Optika (New Paltz and Pleasant Valley, NY); and Camelia Hammiche, optician and district manager – Lunetterie New Look Eyewear (Montréal, Quebec); • U.S. Eyecare Practice of the Year: Pathway Eye (Athens, Decatur, Huntsville, Madison, and Rogersville, Ala., and Chattanooga, and Collegedale, Tenn.), Sterling Optical U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Croix and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands), and Webb Eyecare (Alliance, Bridgeport, and Scottsbluff, Neb.);
• U.S. Retailer of the Year: Henry Ford OptimEyes, National Vision, Inc., and Target Optical.
Under Armour Launches 3D-Printed Line
UA Next Level is Under Armour’s first 3D-printed eyewear offering. The limited-edition, ultra-lightweight men’s open-temple sunglasses feature, among other items, an injected nose bridge and injected adjustable rubber grip temples. The sunglasses come in three colorways: (1) Emerald mirror lens with matte lime and matte black temples, (2) infrared mirror lens with matte black and orange blast temples or (3) UA tuned blue baseball lens with matte black and matte pitch grey temples.
Vision Council Set to Relaunch VisionPAC
The Vision Council has begun the process to relaunch its political action committee: VisionPAC. Advocating on both the state and federal levels, VisionPAC now has a website, which includes a pre-authorization form for members to complete to enable VisionPAC to discuss a wider range of issues. Details and the form can be found here: https://thevisioncouncil.org/members/visionpac
World Council of Optometry and Alcon Launch Dry Eye Wheel
The World Council of Optometry (WCO) and Alcon launched its WCO Alcon Dry Eye Wheel, a practical tool to help with the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye disease. Developed by Professors Jennifer Craig, Lyndon Jones, and James Wolffsohn, it’s an at-a-glance, interactive tool designed to easily reference the three pillars of mitigation, measurement, and management, and to be accessible for the broadest possible use, according to the press release. To view the tool, visit https://dryeye.worldcouncilofoptometry.info/interactive-dry-eye-wheel/
OD Notebook is published weekly on Wednesdays. Unless otherwise noted, the information presented is based on press releases and/or announcements by the respective organizations. Find earlier editions here. To submit a press release to be considered for publication, click here.