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dispensingoptics
Dispensing Optics
PO Box 233, Crowborough TN6 9BD
Telephone: 0781 273 4717
June 2014
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.abdo.org.uk
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dispensingoptics
CONTENTS
June 2014
Cover point
3
Cover point
4
Continuing Education
and Training
“No child of mine is
wearing glasses!”
We hope to build on this successful
initiative in the year ahead. Doing
what we have set out to do: promoting
the skills of Britain’s opticians.
9
Frequently asked questions
10
Diary of a practice refit:
part 2
by Robert Callander
12
Experience for long-term gain
by Antonia Chitty
All eyes on EYE TV News
The success of our partnership with
ITN Productions in creating EYE TV
News is still attracting considerable
attention. We continue to get requests
for further information as well as
messages of congratulations from
both members and from colleagues
and organisations abroad.
Our inclusive approach to promoting
the whole sector and, in particular,
our emphasis on the importance of
the eye examination has been
warmly welcomed. The advantage
for our members is that we have
also been able to concentrate on
the importance of dispensing and
the need for properly qualified
professional advice for patients. We
have also been able to highlight areas
of high importance such as paediatric
dispensing and low vision services.
If you have yet to view EYE TV News
you can do so via the ABDO website
at www.abdo.org.uk/eye-tv-news, or
directly by clicking on ‘Eye Health’ at
www.healthcarenews.itn.co.uk
Patient and practice
management
16
Member of the month
James Taylor-Short
17
Patient and practice
management
Why our communities matter
by Paul Surridge
Change at ABDO College
On page 30, we report on the career
change by Michelle Derbyshire who
after 12 very busy and successful years
at ABDO College is leaving to run her
newly acquired practice. Naturally, all
of her colleagues will wish her well in
taking the plunge into practice
ownership. She will be greatly missed
by all of those who have benefited
from her work over the years at the
College – and I personally would
like to thank her both for all that
she has done to help establish the
College and for her work on behalf
of the profession.
Michelle will not, however, be totally
free – as she will be working with
the Association to help colleagues
in our work with the new Local Eye
Health Networks.
19
Dry eye preparations:
pull-out special
An update
by Angela McNamee
23
National Optometric
Conference
Shape eye health at NOC 2014
24
Optrafair London
‘UK Optics plc’ supports new
London show
28
Black arts
by Peter Black
30
Newsbrief
36
Disjointed jottings from
a DO’s desk . . .
Magic moments
by Shelly Bansal
37
Tony Garrett n
Book review
The Wills Eye Manual
Sixth Edition
38
Local focus for
Vision UK 2014
39
Diary of Events
ABDO works in Partnership with:
ABDO is a member of:
Front cover:
Shamir Duo™ – A new visual
harmony from Shamir
ABDO also actively works in conjunction with:
The Worshipful Company
of Spectacle Makers
4
dispensingoptics June 2014
“No child of mine is
wearing glasses!”
by Ben Brewer
BSc (Hons), FBDO
CompetencIes covered:
Dispensing opticians: Communication, Refractive Management,
Paediatric Dispensing
Optometrists:
Communication
Sometimes, in practice, parents of
children who have been found to be
myopic are reluctant to allow their
children to wear their spectacles. This
viewpoint can be a result of many
different factors – ranging from
seemingly-trivial concerns over the
cosmetic aspect of wearing
spectacles through to worries that
wearing a correction of some kind
will make the eyes ‘weaken’ or
encourage a myopic prescription
to increase.
As an example, in the author’s
practice, a young girl who was found
to require around a -2.00D correction
in each eye was keen to try contact
lenses, to complement her new
spectacles. Her father was very much
against this idea on the grounds that
while spectacles could be removed
when not especially required, the
more constant correction by contact
lenses would encourage her
prescription to increase and her
uncorrected vision to worsen. In
this case, the father had come
across some information on earlyonset myopia (EOM) and believed
that he was serving his daughter’s
best interests by encouraging her to
remain uncorrected as much
as possible.
It’s beyond the scope of this article to
examine the exact causes of EOM,
other than to summarise general
theories and opinions. This only serves,
though, as background for the more
practical question to review: in terms
of a child’s general well-being, is it
better to risk an increased level of
myopia by having a child routinely
wear their correction, or is it better to
wear any correction as infrequently
as possible?
As research into the causes of earlyonset myopia is increasing in
frequency, more parents in the same
situation are becoming aware of it as
a possible factor in their children’s
eyecare, and the idea that ‘wearing
glasses will make my child’s eyes
worse’ is coming up more frequently
in practice.
Whether a parent is concerned
specifically about EOM, or has
reservations about their child wearing
a correction for other reasons, the
standard response from a dispensing
optician in practice is normally: “Of
course it’s better to wear the
correction”. However, it’s worthwhile
to actually review and be aware of
This article has been approved for 1 CET point by the GOC. It is open to all FBDO members,
including associate member optometrists. The multiple-choice questions (MCQs) for this month’s
CET are available online only, to comply with the GOC’s Good Practice Guidance for this type
of CET. Insert your answers to the six MCQs online at www.abdo.org.uk. After log-in, go to ‘CET
Online’. Questions will be presented in random order. Please ensure that your email address and
GOC number are up-to-date. The pass mark is 60 per cent. The answers will appear in the
October 2014 issue of Dispensing Optics. The closing date is 5 September 2014.
C-35557
Continuing Education and Training
current literature that, in this situation,
offers support for what the dispensing
optician’s best course of action
should be. Any conclusions can then
be used in practice to offer more
evidence-backed advice.
dispensing bifocals and progressivepower lenses to reduce the
accommodation required for near
(which have themselves occasionally
been shunned by parents on cost or
cosmetics grounds).
Due to its more frequent discussion
by parents, this article will first provide
a little background on EOM. Then, in
examining the consequences of
increased myopia (which parents
are often ultimately trying to avoid),
research into potential detrimental
ocular effects will be complemented
by considerations of wider, more
generalised differences in quality of
life between patients wearing their
myopic corrections or not. We can
then aim to reach an evidenced
conclusion as to whether it is in a
young patient’s best interests to
correct their myopia to a good level
of distance visual acuity, or to leave
them uncorrected as often
as possible.
Other considered factors in EOM have
ranged widely from simple hereditary
reasons, to time spent outdoors, to
the elasticity of the choroid. Small
communities have appeared to show
variation in myopia to positively
correlate with an individual’s amount
of near work2; on the other hand,
larger, more genetically-diverse
communities who all share a higher
level of near-work may show a
general increased risk of early-onset
myopia3, but not at the consistent
level to be expected if near work was
the only factor.
Early-onset myopia
Early-onset myopia (EOM) is the
name given to a progressive increase
of myopia in an individual during
their youth – potentially identified
from around the age of five, with
the prescription sometimes fluctuating
until as late as around the age of 21.
For myopia in general, the
misplacement of the retinal image
(forward of the retina) can be
caused by one of three factors: 1) the
optical system of the eye (the main
elements of which are the cornea and
crystalline lens) being too powerful;
2) the effective refractive index of the
eye being too high; or 3) the axial
length of the eye being too long.
EOM falls into the third type, a kind of
axial myopia, because it is thought to
be centred around the eye gradually
becoming longer than would be
‘matched’ with the eye’s optical
system as the patient grows.
Due to apparent stabilisation of EOM
at around -3.00D1, initial research into
its cause was directed at a potential
link between prolonged
accommodation during near work (a
-3.00D uncorrected myope generally
will not accommodate any more for
near work) and magnitude of
myopia. Dispensing solutions aimed at
working within this theory include
These are only a sample of theories as
to EOM’s cause. Although research
into a definite cause is ongoing, this in
itself may be a useful point to make
in practice. There is certainly little
evidence to suggest whether wearing
a correction more or less has any
effect on the progression of a child’s
myopia. Where parents are
concerned about their children
wearing some form of vision
correction, whether concerned about
EOM or otherwise, it is worthwhile to
examine evidence for how that
correction will affect their child’s
quality of life.
Measuring quality of life
Research into the assessment of
quality of life outlines that it can offer
“important information on the impact
of disease and treatment on physical,
psychological, and social functioning
and well-being”4. These assessments
translate a patient’s objective
impairments into both objective and
subjective descriptions of how much
(if any) of a disability or handicap
they cause. The same research
suggests that, “Quality of life, by its
very nature, is idiosyncratic to the
individual, but intuitively meaningful
and understandable to most people”.
There is the suggestion here that if a
general description of quality of life
with poor visual acuity can be arrived
at satisfactorily, then it may be a
useful tool in explaining its effects to
parents of myopic patients.
Assessment of quality of life in children
by the children themselves presents a
number of problems of its own5 –
aside from the potential for children
to be less able to understand what is
being asked of them, children who
are afflicted in some way (however
minor) often have no memory of
being unafflicted – a ‘base state’ to
which their present situation can be
compared. This is comparable in
optics to children not being aware
that their vision is blurred through
ametropia, since their vision is
‘normal’ to them.
Analysis of quality of life in children
as part of a controlled study of any
kind also presents many ethical
issues, which limit the number of
children-based studies available.
There are many long-held general
principles surrounding childcare and
giving children the best quality of
life possible; it would be difficult to
convince an ethics committee to
allow even one child to be
deprived of current best practice
where a need was shown, in
order that they might act as a
control subject6.
To counter these difficulties, we can
instead look at literature that involves
not only vision-related quality of life in
children, but also comparable adult
situations (where a patient’s vision has
altered in some way) and lifestyle of
children with vision-related problems.
This could be used to suggest if there
are any patterns in activities or habits
amongst different groups of children
and judge (although admittedly with
a degree of personal bias) whether
these activities suggest a better or
worse quality of life.
Quality of life related to vision
In 2011, Lazon de la Jara et al7
presented a study of LASIK patients;
LASIK surgery is designed to improve
unaided vision, so can be perhaps
compared somewhat to dispensing
spectacles to improve visual acuity.
To be fair, it should be noted that
there is a potential bias arising from
the fact that all members of this study
had actively chosen to have
refractive surgery, so can be assumed
to have already been dissatisfied with
their existing visual acuity (for
whatever reason).
Continued overleaf
6
dispensingoptics June 2014
The study found, through analysis of
quality of life questionnaires postsurgery, a statistically significant
correlation between improved
unaided vision and a perceived
improved quality of life. This
improvement could be ascribed to
either improved vision, or simply not
having to wear the spectacles
associated with myopia anymore, so
it is only suggested, rather than
certain, that the improved quality of
life found would be paralleled
through the dispensing of spectacles
to correct myopia.
Perhaps a more direct comparison
could be obtained from studies of
post-cataract surgery patients in
China. The subjects’ visual difficulties
that arise from their cataracts cannot
be corrected with spectacles and so
any difference in quality of life is less
likely to be attributed to not having to
physically wear them (although phako
surgery does generally aim to leave
patients emmetropic for distance).
A controlled trial by He et al8 suggested
that patients with cataracts removed
reported a better quality of life than
those who remained un-operated
on. Although these results were not
strictly statistically significant, it can
be appreciated that there may be
several other factors influencing,
for one, the successful outcome of
phako surgery; for example, an
unsuccessful lens extraction may
leave a patient with poorer visual
acuity than before surgery.
One limitation of this trial is that no
mention is made of the subject’s
recorded visual acuities before and
after the surgery. However, a
similar trial showed comparable
improvements to quality of life
(although over a smaller sample size)
in patients whose pre-operative visual
acuities range from 6/18 Snellen to
3/609. Although this extends to poorer
vision that would be expected with
an uncorrected -3.00D myopia, a
number of subjects fall within the
6/72 approximately expected in
this case and would therefore be
more comparable.
Although there are similar sample
biases to Lazon de la Jara et al’s LASIK
study and possible inaccuracies in the
comparison between these patients
and uncorrected myopic children, this
overall meta-analysis of these
different pieces of evidence still
strongly suggests an improvement in
the patient’s perceived quality of life
for having better visual acuity, such as
that provided by spectacles for
myopia; in terms of visual acuity
alone, it is likely that improved visual
acuity correlates with an improved
quality of life.
Although expert opinion falls fairly low
on the hierarchy of evidence (even if
in this case it is formed after the results
of several separate studies) it is
perhaps worth noting that the World
Health Organisation has made
specific mention of people’s inability
to work due to uncorrected refractive
error, the negative impact on quality
of life this causes and its potential
correction with spectacles10.
Despite the issues with measuring
quality of life in children, there are
some specific aspects that have been
studied. Horwood et al11 conducted a
study amongst children who suffer
with some form of visual defect
(including wearing spectacles) and
those who do not, reporting on
perceived levels of victimisation
amongst each group. It was found
that 61.5 per cent of children who did
not wear spectacles never
experienced any victimisation,
compared with 53.9 per cent of
children who did wear spectacles.
This would suggest that being
dispensed with spectacles makes a
child slightly more likely to be
victimised by their peers; the authors
of this study do suggest, however, that
this could potentially be addressed by
simple education programmes for
pupils and increased awareness in
staff in schools.
Another study found, as part of the
Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation
of Ethnicity and Refractive Error
(CLEERE) project, that children who
develop myopia generally spend
fewer hours playing outdoor sports, as
well as spending more hours playing
video games12. It is perhaps subjective
to say whether either of these factors
is synonymous with a better or worse
quality of life, but several studies have
shown a link between regular exercise
and a reduction in the occurrence
of heart disease, as well as other
health complaints.
One limitation noted by this study is
that it is currently unclear whether
children partake in more activities
involving near vision after first
developing myopia because they
can more comfortably see near tasks,
whether they develop myopia as a
result of spending more time viewing
near objects while corrected for
distance, or whether children who are
pre-disposed to myopia are also predisposed towards enjoying playing
indoors for some separate reason; this
question, as well as possible, more
direct links between myopia and
general health, is already being
explored by further research.
Studies begun in 2013 have started
exploring the simple relationship
between light exposure and myopia,
exploring the possibility that it isn’t
necessarily physical activity outdoors
that helps to stave off early-onset
myopia, but perhaps just the amount
of time a child spends outdoors13.
In a similar vein, there is sometimes
concern from parents over their
children’s ability to actually take part
in an active lifestyle while wearing a
pair of spectacles, as shown in Figure 1.
Depending on the parent’s specific
issues, the dispensing optician has
Continued overleaf
Figure 1: Wearing a correction should not limit
children’s outdoor pursuits
MODEL: M018 c1
For more information Tel: 01452 510321 • Email: [email protected] • View online: www.norville.co.uk
8
dispensingoptics June 2014
Figure 2: Protective eyewear is available for
children for a variety of activities
several potential routes of discussion.
There is an ever-increasing range of
prescription-ready sports appliances
that many dispensing opticians are
familiar with, from simple wraparoundstyle frames, to protective spectacles,
to swimming goggles. Additionally,
a discussion about how readilyavailable sports-specific corrections
are (an example is shown in Figure 2)
may segue nicely into discussion
with parents and children of how
equally-common refractive error is
within the sports community – ‘people
still enjoy an active lifestyle while
needing glasses!’
Of course, there is also the possibility,
depending on the individual patient,
of contact lenses to explore. This is,
naturally, down to the contact lens
optician’s discretion, but in the
author’s practice some of the most
keen and compliant patients are
young people motivated by
experiencing the visual benefits of a
myopic correction for the first time.
While it would be practically
impossible to improve a child’s
uncorrected vision while enjoying their
particular activity, the benefits of
having clearer vision through wearing
some method of correction while
trying to catch a ball, watch their
sporting opponents or understand a
swimming instructor, for example,
would hopefully be straightforward to
outline to parent and patient alike.
Conclusions
Although research into quality of life
amongst children is uncommon,
parallel adult studies involving a
sudden change to visual acuity
strongly suggest that quality of life is
improved with improved visual acuity.
Available research into the lifestyle
habits of myopic children does not
make it clear whether these habits
would be altered for being dispensed
with spectacles, or whether they are
related to being myopic by some
other reason (further research into this
area may be used to decide whether
there is a link between myopic
correction, visual acuity, and health in
general). There is some evidence to
suggest that wearing spectacles
increases the incidence of bullying in
children, but also that this can be
negated by programmes in schools.
We can draw the conclusion that,
overall, it is preferable to correct
myopia in children where faced with
the alternative of wearing no
correction at all, or wearing it for
limited periods. There is more (and
statistically more significant) evidence
that quality of life improves with visual
acuity than there is to suggest that
quality of life is reduced through
either increased levels of myopia (due
to the correction accelerating the
development EOM) or the practice of
wearing spectacles itself.
It may sound common sense to instruct
a patient (or their parent), where
necessary, that wearing their
spectacles is a good idea. However, as
some parents gradually become more
aware of the idea that ‘wearing glasses
might make their child’s eyes worse’, or
resist their child wearing correction for
some other reason, it’s useful to be able
to draw on actual evidence to
support this long-assumed advice.
Perhaps luckily, the closest that
current research has come to finding
a direct cause for myopia in children
(so far, at least) centres around
advice that is simple for a dispensing
optician to give to children: lead an
active, healthy lifestyle, play outdoors
and enjoy the clear vision that
spectacles can provide.
References
1. Young FA. The development and
control of myopia in human and
subhuman primates. Contacto 1975;
(19): 16.
2. Young FA, Leary GA, Baldwin WR,
West DC, Box RA, Harris E et al. The
transmission of refractive errors within
Eskimo families. American Journal of
Optometry and Archives of
Optometry 1969; (46): 676.
3. Oakley KA, Young FA. Bifocal
control of myopia. American Journal
of Optometry and Physiological
Optics 1975; (52): 758.
4. Revicki DA, Osoba D, Fairclough D,
Barofsky I, Berzon R, Leidy NK et al.
Recommendations on health-related
quality of life research to support
labeling and promotional claims in
the United States. Quality of Life
Research: An International Journal of
Quality of Life Aspects of Treatment,
Care and Rehabilitation 2000; 9 (8):
887-900.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
11284208 (accessed 4 February 2014).
5. Wolffsohn JS, Cochrane AL. Design
of the low vision quality-of-life
questionnaire (LVQOL) and measuring
the outcome of low-vision
rehabilitation. American Journal of
Ophthalmology 2000; 130(6): 793-802.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/scien
ce/article/pii/S0002939400006103
(accessed 4 February 2014).
6. World Medical Association, Inc.
WMA Declaration of Helsinki – Ethical
Principles for Medical Research
Involving Human Subjects.
http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/
10policies/b3/ (accessed 4 February
2014).
7. Lazon de la Jara P, Erickson D,
Erickson P, Stapleton F. Visual and nonvisual factors associated with patient
satisfaction and quality of life in LASIK.
Eye 2011; 25(9): 1194-1201.
http://www.bioportfolio.com/resource
s/pmarticle/203088/Visual-and-Nonvisual-Factors-Associated-WithPatient-Satisfaction-And-Quality-Of.ht
ml (accessed 4 February 2014).
8. He M, Xu J, Li S, Wu K, Munoz SR,
Ellweint LB. Visual acuity and quality of
life in patients with cataract in
Doumen County, China.
Ophthalmology 1999; 106 (8): 1609.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/scien
ce/article/pii/S0161642099904608
(accessed 4 February 2014).
9. Zhao J, Sui R, Jia L, Fletcher AE,
Ellweint LB. Visual acuity and quality of
life outcomes in patients with
cataract in Shunyi County, China.
American Journal of Ophthalmology
1998; 126 (4): 515-523.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/scien
ce/article/pii/S0002939498002748
Continuing Education and Training
(accessed 4 February 2014).
10. World Health Organisation. WHO |
Sight test and glasses could
dramatically improve the lives of 150
million people with poor vision.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/ne
w/releases/2006/pr55/en/index.html
(accessed 4 February 2014).
11. Horwood J, Waylen A, Herrick D,
Williams C, Wolke D. Common visual
defects and peer victimization in
children. Investigative Ophthalmology
& Visual Science 2005; 46 (4): 1177-1181.
12. Jones-Jordan LA, Mitchell GL,
Cotter SA, Kleinstein RN, Manny RE,
Mutti DO, Twelker JD, Sims JR, Zadnik
K. Visual activity before and after the
onset of juvenile myopia. Investigative
Ophthalmology & Visual Science
2011; 52 (3): 1841-1850.
http://www.iovs.org/content/52/3/184
1 (accessed 4 February 2014).
13. French AN, Ashby RS, Morgan IG,
Rose KA. Time outdoors and the
prevention of myopia. Experimental
Eye Research 2013; 114 (September
2013): 58-68.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/scien
ce/article/pii/S0014483513001061
(accessed 12 February 2014).
Ben Brewer BSc (Hons) FBDO is assistant
manager at Shore Sight Opticians, in
Braunton, Devon, having worked in
optics for the last 10 years. Ben spent the
final year of his degree focusing on the
wider implications of correcting juvenile
myopia, receiving five academic prizes
at his graduation in 2011. n
The multiple-choice questions (MCQs) for this month's CET are available online only, in random order, to comply with
the GOC's Good Practice Guidance for this type of CET
Frequently asked questions
answered by Kim Devlin FBDO (Hons) CL
Repairing safety spectacles
The question this month concerns repairing safety spectacles. This
member asked if she might repair existing safety spectacles in her
practice, as the patient worked abroad and was flying back the next day.
We all know the rules – don’t do anything to a safety spec! The rationale
behind this is simple: whatever you do, you may well interfere with an
appliance, which has been manufactured to certain standards and thus
invalidate the warranty the manufacturer issued with the spectacles.
This, of course, applies to the patient as well in that they may not do
anything to the specs (removing the side shields is the favourite one).
So if you, or a member of your staff, replace a missing screw or refits
the lens that fell out, you could well invalidate the manufacturer’s
warranty should an accident occur and a claim be made against the
safety spectacle manufacturer.
Another question that is frequently asked is: “Do safety spectacles
have to be dispensed by a registered optician?” The answer is “No”.
Anyone can dispense such spectacles as long as the patient is over
16 and not registered as sight impaired.
Back to the original query…I thought that the most sensible and
professional action would be to repair the safety specs, in house. My
thinking was that the patient would be best served by having a
functioning pair of safety specs. Circumstances were such that the
usual action of returning the appliance to the manufacturer was not
an option but there was a real danger that without the appliance,
the patient’s eyes could be damaged. The patient should be
informed of the choice open to them – repaired safety specs
without a manufacturer’s warranty or no safety spectacles at all.
If the worst happened and the appliance failed to protect the
patient’s eyes, the member could be in danger of being sued, since
the manufacturer would say that their terms and conditions had
been breached. Personally, and it is for everyone to decide for
themselves, I would take my chance in court. Your records would
show what was done and why, and that everything possible was
done to keep the patient safe in the given circumstances. And that is
what good professional conduct is all about.
Kim Devlin is chair of ABDO’s Advice and Guidelines Working Group n
Closing date for registration of supervisors and practices for
those wishing to sit the winter 2014 contact lens examinations
Practical examinations to be held in January 2015
Those planning to sit the winter 2014 practical examinations for the Certificate in Contact Lens Practice should note that
the closing date for registering Supervisors and Practices for Provisional Approval is 31 July 2014.
Candidates wishing to sit the contact lens practical examination in winter 2014 must have at the time of their
examination application, and throughout the period up to and including their practical examination, a supervisor and
practical experience practice on the current ABDO approved register – or have been given provisional approval
following completion of a supervisor/practice registration application form.
Completed registration application forms relevant to the winter 2014 sitting must reach the ABDO offices in Kent by
31 July 2014.
Registration documents are available upon request from the Examinations and Registration Department on 01227
732921/732924 or email [email protected] n
10
dispensingoptics June 2014
In part two of his practice modernisation diary, Robert
Callander writes from a local hotel where he has set up house
Diary of a practice
redesign: part 2
I
have the pleasure of writing this
from the Function Suite of the Star
and Garter Hotel, an icon at the east
end of Linlithgow’s High Street. The
temptation to help myself from the
unmanned, but generously stocked,
bar is strong. So far I have managed
to resist. What I can’t resist is overindulging in the treats from the coffee
bar and lunches from the bistro. A
reduced workload with lattes on
demand and cooked lunches – I
expect to get fat.
For the two weeks leading up to Easter,
this is my temporary office. The
practice is closed for a refit and we’re
offering a skeleton service from this
hotel. I think it is better to offer some
service rather than none and from
here we can handle collections,
minor repairs, general enquiries and,
most importantly, take bookings for
eye exams. We’ve arranged to have
the phones diverted and put up
information posters on the windows of
the practice directing our customers
here. One of the fears I have around
closing down for so long is that
existing customers may think we’ve
gone away for good and seek their
eyecare elsewhere.
In the 10 days or so leading up to the
start of works we’ve been phasing
down our workload and keeping
customers informed that their new
glasses will be available for collection
from the hotel rather than the
practice. This prospect seems to have
gone down rather well. It was all hands
on deck last Saturday. We didn’t
schedule a clinic but we did open to
the public as we started from the back
rooms – putting everything into
storage, securing record cards,
shutting down and dust-proofing the
consulting room equipment.
Let there be light
The final task at the end of trading on
Saturday was to remove all the frames
from display and put them away
safely. We are fortunate to have a big,
old building with space enough to
store everything negating the need
to hire external storage. The team of
shopfitters arrived early on Sunday
and got stuck right in – removing all
the old fixtures and fittings, doors,
suspended ceiling and reception
desk. It’s amazing how quickly the
destruction progresses.
The next day, the decorators got
started on their prep. Stripping off the
old paper revealed the signature of a
previous worker whose scrawl was
dated June 1930. Sadly, that’s now
plastered over. History’s loss for the
sake of a nice, smooth wall. Back at
the hotel we’re seeing just a handful of
customers each day but our presence
is appreciated by these patients. The
rest of our time is well spent on admin,
planning for the re-launch and
ensuring frame stock and contact
lenses are delivered as necessary.
It’s now Wednesday evening of week
two – and having popped in for a look,
can see that things are moving on
apace. The new lights are fitted and
powered up. Lack of light was probably
the major problem to be resolved and
that issue is now well and truly sorted. It
is so bright not only will frame colours
be so much more visible, I reckon we’ll
sell more sunglasses too!
The new mounts for the frame displays
are fixed to the walls and they look
fantastic – as do the new radiators.
Who’d have thought a radiator
could look so, well, cool? Such clean
lines, and so modern; a world away
from the ‘old’ shop. Things seem to
be well ahead of schedule and it
turns out that’s because the workers
are desperate to finish in time for the
Easter weekend.
Come Easter Monday it’s all hands on
deck again. Stepping into the empty
practice is amazing. It looks bigger,
definitely brighter, slick and modern.
There is a huge ‘wow!’ factor and
I’m delighted with the new look.
Today we’re really excited but feeling
the pressure to set up the consulting
room, my new dispensing area and
merchandise the frame display. It’s a
great opportunity to think about our
workflow and reposition kit to make
better use of the available space.
Clean and clear is the theme we’re
aiming for. Let’s see how long
that lasts…
Robert Callander MBA, FBDO, has
more than 25 years’ experience in
the world of optics including the
supply side and in practice. Currently
he owns and operates his own
practice in Linlithgow, a market town
just outside Edinburgh. n
Practice design
Hard at work in the local hotel
TO AV
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ICONIC GREEN
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12
dispensingoptics June 2014
This month, Antonia Chitty speaks to
some experienced practitioners about
what it takes to succeed in optics over
the long-term
Experience for
long-term gain
D
o you wish that there was an easy
way to learn all the lessons you
need for a successful optical
practice? No amount of business
studies lessons can replace practical,
in-practice experience, whether it is
learning what makes a business
succeed or how to deal with patients.
What you can do, however, is learn
from more experienced practitioners.
In this article, you can read tips from
practitioners who have been in
dispensing optics for 20 years, 30
years or longer, about the sort of thing
they wish they’d known when they
started out.
“Stick to your principles and
embrace change”
Clive Marchant is a dispensing
optician, managing director at Colin
Lee Opticians and ABDO Board
member. He has worked in optics since
1976. He explains: “I was going to go
and study electronic engineering, but I
failed an A level and wasn’t accepted
at the university I had applied to. I was
then given the opportunity to join
Scrivens as a trainee dispensing
optician. The morning I decided to
accept the job in dispensing, I also got
a letter in the post from a different
university to say they would accept
me with the A Levels I had. Faced with
the choice of having to leave home
within 48 hours, with no funding or the
prospect of £16 per week, with the
possibility of it rising to £100 per week
when qualified – there was no choice.
I took the job, and applied to do the
dispensing optics correspondence
course with distance learning with two
fortnightly block releases in Bradford
over three years.
“Optics wasn’t entirely unknown to
me,” continues Clive. “My brother-inlaw Colin and my sister Linda worked
for Scrivens; I’d spent school holidays
filing for Linda, and so I had some idea
of optical practice. Not long after I
qualified I moved to Colin Lee
Opticians, the family business which
Colin and my sister Linda started in
1978, and I’ve been there ever since. I
joined them just in time to open our
Rugeley practice.”
With coming up to 40 years’
experience, Clive has plenty of advice.
He says: “Believe in yourself, stick to
your principles. For me, it’s all about
quality of service. I want a patient
looked after in the same way that
you’d want your grandparents, your
parents, your children to be looked
after and that’s from when they walk
in the door to when they depart. It’s
something that’s sadly lacking in retail
in general.”
In the time Clive has spent in optics he
has seen many things change. He says:
“It takes a long time to achieve what
you want to achieve in a practice.
You can be lucky, things may boom
from day one, but that’s unusual. My
initial experience in opening the first
practice a week before Christmas
was that we took £9, the practice
flooded over Christmas and we had
to start again! Now, we’ve moved
the Rugeley practice three times,
and each move has been due to
expansion. We offer a far greater
range of clinical services now.
“Initially we needed more consulting
rooms. The second move allowed us a
larger dispensing area, but the
Clive Marchant
Continued overleaf
For further information contact Rodenstock on 01474 325 555
dunhill.com Alfred Dunhill Ltd.
14
dispensingoptics June 2014
Tim Bowden
Jennifer Brower
Hazel Willby
consulting rooms were upstairs. They
were nice and private, but it was a
problem as patients aged. We moved
one consulting room downstairs to
cater for their needs but more ground
floor consulting rooms were needed so
we moved premises again so everyone
would be able to access a consulting
room downstairs. The new practice also
includes a screening area; that wasn’t
the way 35 years ago when everything
was done in the consulting room. Our
receptionists have evolved and can
now offer retinal photography and field
screening as optical assistants.”
a minefield, but by engaging with
ABDO, your LOC and other local
societies, you can be part of the
change and have a better
understanding of what is evolving.”
optics, I’m always looking for inspiring
contributions. Please get in touch via
[email protected]
When asked how he would advise a
new practitioner who wants to be in
optics for the long term, Clive says,
“Embrace change; it’s going to
happen, and you become a dinosaur
if you resist it. When we started you
couldn’t even advertise, you couldn’t
put a Visa sign on the door, and you
couldn’t display prices on frames in the
window. We bought one practice with
two frames on display, and the rest in
boxes. Look at where we are now and
many of the changes have to be for
the good – but be wary of being
dragged down a price war that you’re
never going to win.
“Price isn’t everything – the majority of
people will look at service and quality
of product. You need to be
competitive, but you don’t need to be
the cheapest. Beyond day-to-day
practice, be politically aware. Be
involved with your local optical
committee and your professional
body. Take part in the ABDO
President’s Consultation Day, where
there is an open invitation to all
members. Changes in the NHS can be
Many thanks to all the practitioners
who have shared their extensive
experience. If you have tips you’d like
to share or views on an aspect of
Former optometrist Antonia Chitty now
writes on business topics. She has written
books including ‘Making Money Online’,
‘Blogging: The Essential Guide’ and
‘Marketing: The Essential Guide’, providing
effective ways to grow your practice. n
“Be true to yourself”
Tim Bowden of Bowden and Lowe in Gillingham started in optics in 1968 and became a
contact lens optician some 10 years later. His advice is: “Find something in optics you
enjoy doing and do it to the best of your ability. You are working a long time so enjoy it
and enjoy the people. When you don’t enjoy it, get out! Work for an independent or,
better still, run your own independent practice. The harder you work the luckier you get.
Always be true to yourself. You sleep easier at night.”
“Have confidence”
Jennifer Brower is the immediate past president of ABDO, an ABDO Board member, low
vision adviser to the ABDO Board and chairman of the ABDO Low Vision Committee.
Jennifer practises in Hertfordshire, in a practice that she opened with her optometrist
Richard Rawlinson
Lesley-Ann Murray
NE
Patient and practice management
W!
partner in 1978. She advises new practitioners: “Have confidence
in yourself and your qualifications. You have gone through years
of study and examinations, so think of yourself as qualified and
competent rather than newly qualified and unsure. We don’t all
know everything and there will be times that you can’t answer a
patient’s question – but don’t panic and never be afraid of asking
for help. You will have a much happier patient if you say
something like, ‘I'll just check that for you’, rather than say,
‘Sorry, I don’t know’. The patient will know you are dealing with
the query and will think how helpful you are!”
“Enjoy it”
Hazel Willby started working in optics in 1981 and now works for
Linklater Warren, managing Leslie Warren in Sevenoaks. She says:
“I’m not sure if it sounds clichéd to say ‘enjoy your work’ but
that’s exactly what I’d tell someone starting out. If you don’t
enjoy what you do, it comes through to your patients, and they
recognise that you are just going through the motions, lose
confidence in your abilities and doubt their choices. The most
important thing is to continue to be interested, no matter how
the business or the products change. Make sure there is
something that you enjoy and love, that your whole team enjoys
and loves. Include your team in the process to get the best out
of your practice.”
I SEE
VISION REDEFINED
through Nikon spectacle lenses
“Don’t be complacent”
Richard Rawlinson has been in optics for 28 years, the last 18 as a
franchise business owner at Boots Opticians. He also represents
ABDO on the UK Domiciliary Eyecare Committee and is a
director of Vision Aid Overseas. He says: “Looking back, advice
which was given to me that I took heed to, is to remember that
we’re a healthcare service led industry, and treat each customer
as one of our own family. Don’t get complacent that this is just
a job, but put yourselves back in the shoes of the patient.
Secondly, look at your business through a fresh pair of eyes –
again, from the customer’s perspective, to see the way the
practice is presented.”
“Learn frame fitting”
Lesley-Ann Murray started working in optics in 1991 and has
worked for Boots, Specsavers, ASDA, and now works for an
independent in Cambridge. She has experience in management,
contact lenses and is an ABDO examiner. She advises: “For a
young dispensing optician, I think one of the most important
skills to learn is frame fitting. When dealing with a patient,
reiterate everything so you are both clear. Customer service is
the basis of successful practice. Don’t push the sales: give
people plenty of space. Always tell them to come back in if they
need an adjustment or repair or have queries with their vision.
One thing that I do for any patient with children is to ask when
they last had their eyes tested. Many people don’t realise
children can have their eyes examined before they can read.”
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16
dispensingoptics June 2014
An eye for design, a sense of thrift and knowing when
to ask for help stood James Taylor-Short in good
stead when his customers stopped coming
Member of the month: James
Taylor-Short
James Taylor-Short with Darth Vader
Not giving in to
the Dark Side
Q
ualifying as a dispensing optician
from Anglia Ruskin University in
Cambridge in 2008, Devon-born James
undertook a variety of different roles
before training as a DO – from making
spectacles and assessing low vision
needs to practice management.
Deciding to concentrate on his passion
for fashionable eyewear, James set up
his first practice, A&J Opticians, in
Torrington, Devon, in 2008 in partnership
with optometrist Anita Brady.
quickly obvious that we needed to
move to a better location but we were
tied into a lease until this year,” says
James. “Luckily, we managed to sign
a new lease with a cheaper rent right
in the heart of the town. We knew we
needed to attract younger patients
but we were never going to do that
whilst we continued looking like an ‘old
school’ opticians.” So James and his
team set about re-launching as a
fashion eyewear boutique.
As the Torrington practice grew, James
decided to branch out by buying a
second practice in the market town of
Barnstaple in 2012 – a move that
marked an unfortunate reversal of
fortunes, as James explains: “The
previous owners sold the practice to Bill
& Taylor Opticians at the bottom of its
potential, having seen the good days
in the 1980s and 90s and sort of given
up on it when one of the partners
passed away. So not only were we in a
street off the centre of town, the
practice was slowly dying because our
patients were dropping off the end of
the life cycle and not being replaced
by anyone new.”
Phoenix from the ashes
The team attempted to push the
practice forwards but it was not as
easy as they had hoped. “It was
With any practice revamp comes a
practice revamp budget – which
James simply didn’t have. “We were
refused a bank loan and so I ended up
putting in around £4,000 from my own
savings. I knew I needed help and so I
contacted Sight Care, of which I’m a
member, to explain my situation – and
they were down in the practice within
days. They provided much-needed
practical advice and support with
things such as marketing materials and
their trendy new frame ranges.”
James also called on family and friends
for their support, furnishing the practice
with items ‘up-cycled’ from his own
home – such as dining room floor
boards for use in the window display, a
welsh dresser from his kitchen to display
frames on, and an old farmhouse
bench that was re-homed in the
waiting area. He even reclaimed a
fallen tree and with the help of a friend
who’s a tree surgeon, made a set of
shelves. He took on some stylish new
collections from, amongst others,
William Morris London, Wolf Eyewear
and Pro-Optic, and teamed up with a
local kids café to kit out a kids’ zone
with magazines and toys.
“What we’ve ended up with is a
beautiful boutique style practice, with
an amazing frame selection – all done
on a shoestring,” explains James. The
grand opening of the new practice
took place on Saturday 3 May and
featured Darth Vader promoting the
new Star Wars range of children’s
frames, goodie bags from William
Morris London and Nikon Optical and
“more champagne than would be
needed to sink the Titanic!”
“By moving premises and relaunching
as a stylish boutique, we’ve gained a
new type of customer – the browser,”
James continues. “We saw more
people browsing here in one day than
we did in the whole two years in our
old place. The response from the local
community has been fantastic and we
are really now part of the town –
Member of the month
offering a personal service where we
make the customer feel special.
“When times were bad about a year
ago, my father-in-law Michael Taylor –
who owns the other Bill & Taylor Optical
practices – sat down with me and we
had a long hard think together. Then a
meeting with my accountant told me
that I could either face bankruptcy
within 12 months, or invest in making
the practice different. And that’s what
we’ve done. We’ve gone the extra
mile – and then some – and I think a lot
of that comes from my personal
passion for eyewear. It’s been a
stressful experience but hopefully one I
can look back on with pride.”
As well as continuing to grow his
practices, James creates his own
bespoke range of frames – having
been one of the first dispensing
opticians in the UK to adopt in-practice
3D printing. He has even designed a
range of frames made from old
skateboard decks and a range of laser
James’s children enjoying the new kids’ zone
A display shelf built from a fallen tree
cut wooden frames. “It’s something I’m
really passionate about,” says James,
”if only there were 48 hours in a day!”
mountaineering and playing the piano
and guitar. “If only I had a piano in the
practice – I would be the happiest DO
in the world!” James jokes. n
Keeping busy outside of optics too,
James is the station officer for the local
Coastguard team and is the only
search and rescue dog handler
located in the North Devon area. He
has a young family, enjoys surfing,
Have you got a story to tell? Put forward
yourself, or someone you know, for
Member of the Month by emailing Nicky
Collinson at [email protected]
Why our
communities matter
What does community mean
to you? Paul Surridge asks
F
or decades we’ve witnessed an
insidious erosion of Britain’s
communities and, as a consequence,
a serious decline in the number of
secondary retail units and other small
businesses that are the very fabric of
local life. The decline has manifested
itself for a number of socio-economic
reasons, too complex to cover in this
short article, coupled with the
incredible growth of the internet and
related technology, which now
dominates everyday living and has
changed consumer buying
habits forever.
So what does community mean to
you? If you live or work in a small
village or town, the chances are
you’ll value the benefits of doing so.
It might be the slightly less frenetic
pace of life or the convenience of
being able to park without problems.
It might be the availability of good
local schools and infrastructure, or
the camaraderie you’ve built with
local people. Of course, in larger
towns and cities there may well be a
different criteria for community and
those who choose city living will have
lots of reasons for doing so. Whatever
your experience or perception is of
community, it’s rapidly changing –
and in my view not necessarily for
the better.
We all want a vibrant, dynamic place
to live in where people care about
their environment and local affairs.
Not faceless societies where
community simply means somewhere
to live; where decay sets in and small
business units are boarded up denying
important services to families with
small children, or those less mobile
and often most needy.
Opticians’ practices, not unlike
pharmacies, are a vital community
resource, which has to be protected –
but by whom? Fortunately, opticians
and pharmacies have a clinical
dimension to their business model,
which gives some financial protection
against the vagaries of economic
downturn or the socio-economic
changes referred to earlier, but is it
Continued overleaf
18
dispensingoptics June 2014
enough to sustain those businesses in
the decades to come?
Action needed now
A number of reports have been
commissioned in recent years to
investigate the ‘decline in Britain’s
High Streets and rural communities’
and they make for interesting reading.
As one would expect, there’s a
multitude of complex dynamics at
work, and as a consequence, none of
the report authors proffer quick-fix
solutions or an obvious nationwide
strategy to halt the decline. The fact is
we are where we are, and while the
government and think tanks ponder
the dilemma, we need action now to
bring about change at a local level
before it’s too late.
At Sight Care we’re passionate about
the independent business model and
how that fits into community life, and
have championed the independent
message for a quarter of a century.
Our national PR campaign,
www.sightcarelocal.co.uk, is testament
to that. ABDO and Sight Care are great
resources within the optical profession –
both seeking to serve individuals who,
in turn, serve the public. If there is
any section of the business community
well placed to bring about community
change it’s ours.
If you want to help revive your local
community and see your business
prosper consider the following. It’s not
a definitive list of activities but could
get the process going:
• As a practice team, conduct a
SWOT analysis of your community:
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats
• From that discussion, give thought
to what you believe people want
from the community and,
importantly, what would
encourage them to shop locally
Conduct a questionnaire survey with
your patients over a three-month
period asking them what they like and
dislike about local community life,
and what they’d like to see in the
future. Analyse the results. Conduct a
similar survey of local businesses and
ask them if they’d like to be a part of
a ‘shop local’ campaign. With those
businesses that show an interest,
Involve local people of all ages in your community campaigns
organise a brainstorm meeting to
discuss ways of bringing about the
changes people want. Set up a
working party to see what could be
achieved. (Clearly infrastructure
changes or ideas that require local
government backing or serious
funding should be put to one side at
this stage – although not forgotten.)
Having identified ideas that could be
implemented, allow the working party to
determine an action plan involving all
those parties that have a stake in the
outcome. It’s this group that should be
prepared to carry out the plan and help
fund activities where a financial
commitment is required. Involve the local
parish council or chamber of commerce
or other similar bodies/organisations that
have a vested interest and could well
play a role. Get the local media
engaged in what you are doing so they
can help publicise activities.
You may decide to organise a
community awareness day where
businesses come together to promote
what they do and encourage local
people to attend. Involve people who
live in the community and get them
to spread the word. In addition to joint
activities, every business in the
community should have its own plan
to engage with local people
throughout the year. For opticians, the
following is just a small list of ideas:
• Place posters/banners in the
window promoting the community
initiative. Have leaflets available
and engage with patients
• Arrange for charismatic teenagers
to distribute balloons with your logo
on to families with young children
on busy shopping days. A Friday or
Saturday is ideal
• Give eyecare presentations to local
junior schools ideally involving
children, parents and teachers.
Arrange a painting/drawing
competition for the children
encouraging parents to bring
entries into the practice so you can
encourage eye exams for all the
family
• Consider sponsoring a sporting
activity for children. Rugby, football,
netball, etc
• Distribute press releases to the local
media about the importance of
eyecare – and why community
matters; there are plenty of sources
of information
• Give presentations to the local WI
and other community groups
In those areas of the UK that have a
strategy to arrest the decline, local
businesses prosper and people’s lives
are enriched. I fear that if we fail to
act soon, community life as it should
be will be lost forever – and that can’t
be in anyone’s best interest.
Paul Surridge is chief executive of
Sight Care Group. For more
information about helping change
your local community and improving
business prospects, email
[email protected] n
Practical guidance
Angela McNamee provides an updated list of the latest dry eye
preparations with a useful ingredients glossary
Dry eye
preparations: an update
T
he original version of the table
overleaf appeared in the July 2009
issue of Dispensing Optics, as part of
the article: ‘A drop of the wet stuff –
part two’. The table proved particularly
popular, as no such comprehensive
resource existed, and many readers
reported pulling it out to keep as a
practice reference guide.
Here, in response to requests, the
author has updated the table to
encompass many new products –
in a special ‘pull out and keep’ format.
This time, all of the preparations
included may be sold ‘over the
counter’ and thus are available for all
dispensing opticians and contact lens
opticians to supply. The few products
which carry a Pharmacy ‘P’
classification have been omitted.
Also included this time is the
ingredients glossary below, which
covers not only preservatives and
lubricants, but also most of the
other ingredients/terms commonly
found in dry eye preparations.
Dry eye preparations glossary of ingredients and terms
Aminomethylpropanol Buffer.
Benzalkonium chloride Preservative.
Bicarbonate Electrolyte.
Boric Acid (Sodium borate) Buffer.
Buffer Maintains pH of solution.
Calcium Electrolyte.
Carbomer (Polyacrylic acid). Viscoelastic lubricant. Binds moisture to eye surface.
Carboxymethylcellulose (Sodium carboxymethylcellulose/Carmellose sodium)
Low viscosity polymer lubricant.
Chelating agent Binds metals. Enhances activity of preservative.
Cetrimide Preservative
Citrate Buffer
Dexpanthenol Derivative of vitamin B5. Aids healing
Dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol Polar phospholipid surfactant. Mimics polar
lipids in the tear film. Decreases tear evaporation.
EDTA (Disodium edetate) Chelating agent.
Electrolytes Salts found naturally in tears, and added to dry eye preparations.
Electrolytes contribute to osmolarity and act as buffers.
Glycerin Draws/binds water to cells. Also may act as an “osmoprotective”,
protecting the ocular surface from the effects of increased osmolarity.
Hydroxypropyl guar (HP-Guar) Viscoelastic lubricant, becoming more viscous
when in contact with the eye, to form a gel-like network, which binds to the
ocular surface.
Hypotonic Having a lower concentration than normal tears. Hypotonic solutions
aim to reduce tear osmolarity. Increased osmolarity of tears is common in dry eye,
and leads to drying of ocular surfaces, inflammation, and damage to goblet cells,
meibomian glands and lacrimal gland.
Hypromellose (HPMC) Low viscosity polymer lubricant.
Isotonic Having the same concentration as normal tears.
Liquid paraffin High viscosity polymer lubricant.
Magnesium Electrolyte.
Mineral oil Lipid.
Ocupure Vanishing preservative. Breaks down into water and sodium chloride
when exposed to light.
Osmolarity The measure of solute concentration per unit volume of solvent. In
the context of tears, this could be described as a measure of how concentrated or
“salty” they are.
Oxyd Vanishing preservative. Turns to water, oxygen and sodium chloride on
contact with the eye.
Phenoxyethanol Used in spray preparations. A vanishing preservative which
evaporates from the aerosol state.
Phosphate Electrolyte.
Phospholipid Stabilises the lipid layer of the tears.
Polyethylene glycol (PEG) Lubricant.
Polyhexanide (Polyhexamethylene biguanide/PHMB) Preservative.
Polyquad (Polidronium chloride/Polyquaternium 1) Preservative.
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) Low viscosity polymer lubricant.
Potassium Electrolyte.
Povidone (Polyvinylpyrrolidone/PVP) Low viscosity polymer lubricant.
Propylene glycol Lubricant.
Purite Vanishing preservative. Breaks down into water and sodium chloride when
exposed to light.
Sodium Electrolyte.
Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyualuronic acid) Viscoelastic lubricant.
Sorbitol A sugar alcohol. Optimises viscosity to reduce blur on instillation.
Soy bean oil A source of phospholipids.
Soy lecithin Contains a phospholipid, to stabilise the lipid layer.
Tonicity The osmotic pressure gradient of two solutions (tears and cell contents)
separated by a semi-permeable membrane (the cell membrane).
Trehalose A disaccharide, shown to protect corneal cells from desiccation and
subsequent death.
Triglycerides Lipids
Trometamol Buffer
Vanishing preservative Preserves the product in the bottle but is not present in the eye.
Viscoelastic Lubricant becoming more viscous when the eye is open.
Viscosity In general, the higher the viscosity, the longer the product will remain in
the eye, and the more likely it is to blur vision.
Vitamin A An antioxidant. May promote corneal healing.
Vitamin B12 May protect from oxidative stress.
Vitamin E An antioxidant. May also help stabilise the lipid layer.
White soft paraffin High viscosity polymer lubricant.
Xanthan gum Polymer. Prolongs contact time of drop.
Zinc-hyaluronate Zinc bound to hyaluronic acid, forming a mechanical barrier.
Zinc also acts as an antimicrobial, avoiding need for preservative.
The author has no commercial interest in any of the products mentioned. Information on products has been obtained from the manufacturers or suppliers and is reproduced in good
faith. Explanations in the glossary relate to the ingredient/term as used in the context of dry eye preparations, rather than being strict definitions. Terms in italics have a separate entry.
20
dispensingoptics June 2014
PRODUCT
SUPPLIER
LUBRICANT
PRESERVATIVE
CL USE
Artelac
Rebalance
Bausch + Lomb
Sodium hyaluronate 0.15%,
polyethylene glycol 8000 0.5%,
(+vitamin B12)
Oxyd1
Yes
DISCARD
AFTER
2 months
Bausch + Lomb
Carbomer 0.2%, triglycerides
Cetrimide
No
28 days
Blink Contacts
Unit Dose
Blink Contacts
Multi-Dose
Blink Intensive
Tears Unit Dose
Blink Intensive
Tears Multi-Dose
Blink Intensive
Tears Plus
AMO
Sodium hyaluronate 0.15%
None
Yes
AMO
Sodium hyaluronate 0.15%
Ocupure 0.005%1
Yes
AMO
Sodium hyaluronate 0.2%,
polyethylene glycol 400 0.25%
Sodium hyaluronate 0.2%,
polyethylene glycol 400
Sodium hyaluronate 0.38%,
polyethylene glycol 400 0.25%
None
Yes
Ocupure 0.005%1
Yes
Ocupure 0.005%1
See
note3
Blink Refreshing
Unit Dose
Blink Refreshing
Multi-Dose
Clinitas Hydrate
AMO
Polyvinyl alcohol 1.4%
None
Yes
AMO
Polyvinyl alcohol 1.4%
Ocupure 0.005%1
Yes
Altacor
Carbomer 980 0.2%
Cetrimide
No
Sodium hyaluronate 0.4%
None
Yes
Soybean oil 7%, natural
phospholipids 3%
Sodium hyaluronate 0.1%
None
Yes
None2
Yes
Soy lecithin 1.0%,
(+vitamins A & E)
Zinc-hyaluronate 0.15%
Phenoxyethanol 0.5%1
Yes
None
Sodium hyaluronate 0.15%
None2
See
note4
Yes
Artelac
Nighttime Gel
NOTES
Aqueous/
general deficiency.
Hypotonic
Hyabak
Unit Dose
Spectrum Thea
Sodium hyaluronate 0.15%
None
Yes
Hycosan
Scope
Ophthalmic
Scope
Ophthalmic
Scope
Ophthalmic
Sodium hyaluronate 0.1%
None2
Yes
Sodium hyaluronate 0.2%
None2
Yes
Sodium hyaluronate 0.1%
(+dexpanthenol 2%)
None2
Yes
Moorfields
Hypromellose 0.3%
Pharmaceutical
Avizor
Povidone 1%
None
Yes
Polyhexanide 0.0002%
Yes
More severe dry
eye/lipid deficiency.
Day or night use.
N/a
Aqueous/general
deficiency
45 days
Aqueous/general
deficiency
N/a
Aqueous/
mucous deficiency
45 days
Aqueous/
mucous deficiency
45 days
Aqueous/mucous
deficiency. More
severe dry eye.
Hypotonic
N/a
Aqueous/mucous
deficiency
45 days
For mild dry eye
symptoms
4 weeks More severe dry
eye or night use
N/a
Aqueous/general
deficiency
N/a
Lipid deficiency
(MGD)
12 weeks Aqueous/
general deficiency
6 months Lipid deficiency
(MGD)
4 weeks
Aqueous/
general deficiency
3 months Aqueous/
general deficiency.
Hypotonic
N/a
Aqueous/
general deficiency.
Hypotonic
6 months Mild aqueous/
general deficiency
6 months Moderate aqueous/
General deficiency
6 months Severe aqueous/
general deficiency
or damage/injury
N/a
Aqueous/
general deficiency
60 days
CL rewetting drop
Avizor
Sodium hyaluronate 0.1%
Polyhexanide 0.0001%
Yes
60 days
Avizor
Sodium hyaluronate 0.1%
None
Yes
N/a
Lubristil
Unit Dose
Lubristil
Gel Unit Dose
Lubristil
Gel Unit Dose
Lumecare
Fast Acting Drops
Lumecare Long
Lasting Gel
Lumecare
Unit Dose
Ocusan
Unit Dose
Optive
Moorfields
Pharmaceutical
Moorfields
Pharmaceutical
Moorfields
Pharmaceutical
Lumecare
Sodium hyaluronate 0.15%
None
Yes
N/a
Sodium hyaluronate 0.15%,
xanthan gum 1%
Sodium hyaluronate 0.15%,
xanthan gum 1%
Hypromellose 0.3%
None
No
N/a
None
No
N/a
Benzalkonium chloride
28 days
Lumecare
Carbomer 0.2%
Cetrimide
See
note5
No
28 days
Lumecare
Hypromellose 0.3%
None
Yes
N/a
Agepha
Pharma
Allergan
Sodium hyaluronate 0.2%
None
Yes
N/a
Purite1
Yes
6 months
Optive Fusion
Allergan
Purite1
Yes
6 months
Optive Plus
Allergan
Carboxymethylcellulose 0.5%,
glycerin 0.9%
Sodium hyaluronate 0.1%,
carboxymethylcellulose 0.5%,
glycerin 0.9%
Carboxymethylcellulose 0.5%,
glycerin 1.0%, castor oil 0.25%
Purite1
Yes
6 months
AMO
AMO
Clinitas Soothe
Altacor
Unit Dose
Emustil Unit Dose Moorfields
Pharmaceutical
Eye Logic Dry
Savant
Eye Drops
Eye Logic
Savant
Spray Relief
Eyezin
Moorfields
Pharmaceutical
Hyabak
Spectrum Thea
Hycosan Extra
Hycosan Plus
Hydromoor
Unit Dose
Lacrifresh
Comfort Drops
Lacrifresh
Moisture Drops
Lacrifresh
Moisture Drops
Unit Dose
Aqueous/
general deficiency
Aqueous/
general deficiency.
Aqueous/
general deficiency
Moderate- severe
dry eye or night use
Moderate- severe
dry eye or night use
Aqueous/
general deficiency
More severe
dry eye or night use
Aqueous/
general deficiency
Aqueous/
general deficiency
Mucous/aqueous
deficiency. Mild
Mucous/aqueous
deficiency.
Moderate to severe
Moderate to severe
dry eye. Supports all
tear layers
Dry eye preparations table 2014
PRODUCT
SUPPLIER
LUBRICANT
PRESERVATIVE
CL USE
Optrex Actimist
2-in-1 Spray
Dry & Irritated
Optrex Actimist
2-in-1 Spray
Itchy & Watery
Optrex Actimist
2-in-1 Spray Tired
& Uncomfortable
Optrex Dry
Eye Drops
Oxyal
Optrex
Soy lecithin 1.0%,
(+vitamins A & E)
Phenoxyethanol1
Optrex
Soy lecithin 1.0%,
(+vitamins A & E)
Optrex
Optrex
Kestrel
Ophthalmics
Refresh Contacts Allergan
Refresh Contacts Allergan
Unit Dose
Refresh Soothe
Allergan
And Protect
Unit Dose
Systane
Alcon
Systane Balance Alcon
NOTES
Yes
DISCARD
AFTER
6 months
Phenoxyethanol1
Yes
6 months
Lipid deficiency
(MGD)
Soy lecithin 1.0%,
(+vitamins A & E)
Phenoxyethanol1
Yes
6 months
Lipid deficiency
(MGD)
Sodium hyaluronate 0.15%
Oxyd1
Yes
4 weeks
Sodium hyaluronate 0.1%,
Protector (“filmogenous polymer”)
Sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose
0.5%
Sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose
0.5%
Sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose
1%
Oxyd1
Yes
60 days
Purite1
Yes
60 days
Aqueous/
general deficiency
Aqueous/general
deficiency. Hypotonic
CL rewetting drop
None
Yes
N/a
CL rewetting drop
None
Yes
N/a
Mucous/aqueous
deficiency
Hydroxpropyl guar, polyethylene Polyquaternium-1 0.001%
glycol 400 0.4%, propylene
glycol 0.3%,
Propylene glycol 0.6%,
Polyquaternium-1 0.001%
hydroxpropyl guar, sorbitol,
‘LipiTech’
(dimyristoylphosphatidylglygerol
+ mineral oil)
Hydroxpropyl guar, polyethylene Polyquaternium-1 0.001%
glycol 400 0.4%, propylene glycol
0.3%, sorbitol
See
note6
6 months
Mucous/aqueous
deficiency
See
note6
6 months
Lipid deficiency
(MGD)
See
note6
6 months
Hydroxpropyl guar,
Polyquaternium-1 0.001%
polyethylene glycol 400 0.4%,
propylene glycol 0.3%, sorbitol
Hydroxpropyl guar, polyethylene None
glycol 400 0.4%, propylene glycol
0.3%, sorbitol
Yes
6 months
Mucous/aqueous
deficiency. Moderate
to severe. Day or
night use
Mucous/aqueous
deficiency
Yes
N/a
Mucous/aqueous
deficiency
None
See
note6
N/a
Mucous/aqueous
deficiency
Aqueous/general
deficiency.
Moderate to severe
dry eye
Mucous/aqueous
deficiency.
Hypotonic.
Electrolyte balanced.
Mucous/aqueous
deficiency.
Hypotonic.
Electrolyte balanced.
Day or night use
Aqueous/
general deficiency
Aqueous/general
deficiency.
Hypotonic.
Aqueous/
general deficiency
Hypotonic
Moderate to severe
aqueous/general
deficiency. Hypotonic
Moderate to severe
aqueous/general
deficiency.
Hypotonic
More severe dry
eye. Night time use.
Systane
Gel Drops
Alcon
Systane Ultra
Alcon
Systane Ultra
Unit Dose
Alcon
Systane
Unit Dose
Alcon
Thealoz
Spectrum Thea
Hydroxpropyl guar,
polyethylene glycol 400 0.4%,
propylene glycol 0.3%
Trehalose 3%
None
Yes
8 weeks
Theratears
Lubricant Eye
Drops Unit Dose
Matheson
Optometrists
Sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose None
0.25%
Yes
N/a
Theratears
Liquid Gel
Unit Dose
Matheson
Optometrists
Sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose
1%
None
Yes
N/a
Vismed Light
TRB Chemedica Sodium hyaluronate 0.1%
Polyhexanide
Yes
3 months
Vismed Multi
TRB Chemedica Sodium hyaluronate 0.18%
None2
Yes
3 months
Vismed
Unit Dose
TRB Chemedica Sodium hyaluronate 0.18%
None
Yes
N/a
Vismed Gel Multi TRB Chemedica Sodium hyaluronate 0.3%
None2
Yes
3 months
Vismed Gel
Unit Dose
TRB Chemedica Sodium hyaluronate 0.3%
None
Yes
N/a
VitA-POS
Scope
Ophthalmics
No
6 months
Xailin Fresh
Unit Dose
Xailin NIght
Nicox Pharma
White soft paraffin, light liquid
None
paraffin, liquid paraffin, wool
fat (+vitamin A)
Sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose None
0.5%
White soft paraffin, white
None
mineral oil, lanolin alcohol
Yes
N/a
No
28 days
Nicox Pharma
Lipid deficiency
(MGD)
Moderate aqueous/
general deficiency
More severe dry eye.
Night time use.
1) Vanishing preservative; 2) Dispensing system prevents contamination of contents; 3) Remove CLs before use, reapply CLs when any blurring has
cleared; 4) Not for use with ionic CL materials; 5) Wait 30 minutes before applying CLs; 6 ) Use before applying and after removing CLs
© Angela McNamee 2014
National Optometric Conference 2014
Find out how to help drive the national
eye health agenda at NOC 2014
Call to action
for eye health
D
ispensing opticians have a great
range of skills honed on the High
Street that are of benefit to local optical
committees (LOCs), believes LOCSU
managing director, Katrina Verenus.
“With NHS England’s Call to Action
(CTA) recently launched, now is the
time for DOs to draw upon these skills
and help drive the national eye health
agenda,” Katrina says. “The CTA is the
start of a new national conversation
about eye health. It focuses on a
preventative approach and – in
tandem with CTAs for general practice,
dentistry and pharmacy – will lead to
the publication of a national strategy for
primary care in October.”
It’s no coincidence then that ‘A call to
action for eye health’ is the main
theme of the 2014 National Optical
Conference (NOC) being held on 23
and 24 October at the Hilton
Birmingham Metropole Hotel.
Explaining its importance for the sector,
Katrina told Dispensing Optics:
“Clinical commissioning groups are
increasingly understanding that much
of what is done in the Hospital Eye
Service can and should be done out
of hospital in the community – drawing
on the skills of primary care practitioners.
“The Call to Action is your chance to
put eye health at the top of the
commissioner’s agenda in your local
area. Given the unprecedented
financial pressures facing the NHS and
the increasing demands arising from
an ageing population, there is now a
real urgency for change in the way
services are commissioned. So, with
LOCs central to shaping future
services, influencing commissioners
and improving your business – all
roads lead to the NOC. And LOCSU is
urging dispensing opticians to book
their place.”
Local communities in focus
Dr David Geddes, NHS England’s head
of primary care commissioning, will
follow up his well-received address at
NOC 2013 with this year’s keynote
speech and is expected to outline the
emerging findings from the Call to
Action and to give his perspective on
the way services will be commissioned
in the future. To support the theme of a
Call to Action for Eye Health, the full
programme of sessions and keynote
speakers is being developed and will
be announced in due course.
Katrina continued: “As with past years,
the NOC has been carefully designed
to appeal to anyone with an interest in
developing community eye health
services, including practice owners
and dispensing opticians. As well as
the official programme, there is of
course the chance to network
throughout the event and celebrate
the success of our professions over the
past year through the AOP Awards
dinner. The conference provides an
unrivalled opportunity to find out firsthand the latest news about
community eye health services and to
share knowledge and network with
Dr David Geddes speaking at last year’s NOC
colleagues from around the country,”
Katrina concluded.
AOP Awards
Any delegate booking a residential
place will be able to go to the AOP
Awards dinner – a black-tie event to
be held on the evening of Thursday
23 October.
Costs are as follows:
1. Residential place: £576 (including
VAT). This rate includes: overnight stay
for two nights (Wednesday 22 and
Thursday 23 October); breakfast on
Thursday and Friday; evening meal on
arrival on Wednesday 22 October;
lunch on Thursday 24 and Friday 25
October; one ticket to the AOP
Awards black tie dinner on Thursday 23
October; and access to the NOC 2014
and exhibition area.
2. Non-residential place: £352.80
(including VAT). This rate includes:
lunch on Thursday 23 and Friday 24
October; one ticket to the AOP
Awards black tie dinner on Thursday 23
October; and access and entrance to
the NOC 2014 and exhibition area. n
How to book
To book a place at NOC 2014, visit
www.aop.org.uk. For updates on the full
programme, visit LOCSU’s website,
www.locsu.co.uk, and click on the NOC
box on the homepage. In common with
past years, each LOC will be able to
book one place without charge.
24
dispensingoptics June 2014
Innovation and differentiation were the buzzwords as
the profession and industry united in their support of
the inaugural Optrafair London
‘UK Optics plc’
supports new
London show
FMO chairman, Barry Dibble (left), with chief
executive, Malcolm Polley
N
ew gadgetry, space age
diagnostics, bespoke contact
lenses, business advice, significant
advances in IT and fashion eyewear
enticed a total of 4,616 visitors to the
first-ever Optrafair London, held from
13-15 April at Olympia National. “We
had an incredible response from visitors
and exhibitors alike and we are
delighted to have such a strong
platform to build upon for future shows,”
said Barry Dibble, chairman of the
Federation of Manufacturing Opticians
(FMO), which staged the event in
partnership with Optician journal. “The
width and breadth of UK Optics plc
came together at Olympia for us.
“We know there are aspects of the
show that can be developed and we
are keen to do this – nothing stands still
in optics,” Barry continued. “We value
the support of our loyal optical supplier
members and work closely with them
to produce an event which works in
their best interests.” As show owners,
the FMO partnered for the first time
with Optician journal - and its sister
company Reed Exhibitions – a
partnership that will be repeated in
April 2015 at the NEC, when the show
returns to Birmingham.
“Demand has been very, very, brisk for
exhibitors to secure their favoured
locations for Birmingham and some 33
companies have signed contracts for 36
stands at the show – while a dozen more
have signed letters of intent for specific
stand options. A further 30 suppliers are
discussing the size and positions of their
place at the event,” said Barry. “We
have some exciting marketing plans
and initiatives for Birmingham and look
forward to launching these in the
forthcoming months.”
International flavour
Compared to its Birmingham
counterpart, Optrafair London had a
more international feeling as it won
praise from overseas visitors. Fabrice
Aubinais, La Font commercial director
for France, UK and Spain, commented:
“This is an essential and long overdue
move to London. It was very well
organised and I have made some
recommendations to Silmo on the
basis of what we have seen here,
particularly with communication and
signage. We have been busy, mainly
with independents. We are very happy
with Optrafair as since exhibiting at the
Birmingham show last year, we have
grown our UK business by 69 per cent.”
Face à Face sales manager, Camilla
Brusco, also visiting from France, said:
“We have enjoyed promoting our
Face à Face, Woow and Bocca
collections to UK customers. With their
leg feature arms, the frames are aimed
at confident, sexy and sophisticated
ladies.” Orange Eyewear concentrated
on selling its ‘everyday product’ and
reported excellent sales particularly to
customers from Ireland, Scotland and
Nigeria. “The show has been an
excellent way to show off our products
and we have opened a lot of new
accounts,” said sales manager,
Claire Housden.
There was a contingent of contact lens
companies at the show, including David
Thomas Contact Lenses, exhibiting for
the first time for more than 20 years.
Kevin Mitchell, managing director of the
specialist manufacturer, commented:
“It was a very interesting show to walk
around and the Olympia hall brought
great character to the event with a buzz
about the place. We have seen a lot of
overseas visitors and exhibiting was
certainly the right move for us. The
number of enquiries has been pleasantly
surprising with plenty of interest, not just
from the UK, but also from Italy and
Nigeria and other countries.”
With its large stand CooperVision also
enjoyed the open-minded mood of
visitors. “We saw a great spectrum of
customers and on the first day alone
fitted 30 people with lenses for MyDay
comfort trials – it was a great
opportunity for practitioners to learn
more about the daily disposables,”
said Fiona Phelan, trade marketing
executive. “Olympia is a lovely
building full of natural light. The show
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DUO
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Offers surface continuity, improving
aesthetics by eliminating the visible line
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» Eliminates image jump by offering
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» Available in a wide variety of materialss
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and photochromic options.
» Ideal solution for presbyopes with
progressive lens adaptation difficulties.
26
dispensingoptics June 2014
Busy on the ABDO College and Bookshop stand
Visitors and exhibitors enjoyed the light and
airy venue
Meeting Liverpool FC fans on the Fan Frames stand
came together really nicely and was
so accessible.”
Tim Peterson explained: “The show has
been very good and we have opened
a lot of new accounts, from a small
stand. We did a lot of work before the
show with our website and online
activity to ensure that we came at the
top of any Google search. We also
had a lot of success promoting our
other more sophisticated brands.”
Technology to the fore
Clearlab, returning to the UK market
after a six-year pause, saw the event
as a great means to re-engage with
High Street practices and to promote
its own label and coloured lens
options. “We really like this venue and
have attracted a lot of people to the
stand,” said Dominique Gastaldi,
European sales manager. “We have
been keen to promote the Clearlab
label and our high levels of service with
same day deliveries.”
Orders on the table
For UK frame company, Dunelm,
export proved to be a hit with orders
written for Iceland, Tanzania, Malta,
Trinidad and Tobago, as director Peter
Beaumont said: “People came
purposely looking for good quality
frames and it has been lovely to be in
the heart of London and picking up
international trade. Export has been
excellent.” Howard Librae, managing
director of Brulimar concurred: “The
venue has a great charm about it
and we are in central London, which
has been a draw, especially for
overseas orders.”
Viva Eyewear, marking the merge with
Marcolin at the show, enjoyed the
natural daylight’s effect on the show
atmosphere. “We love this intimate
venue in central London and the
natural light which has poured through
the glass roof – we have seen a lot of
customers, particularly from Ireland,”
said sales manager, Andrew
Arbuthnot. Budget children’s eyewear
under the Moshi Monsters label was a
hit for White Optics, as sales director,
Business matters were a primary reason
for many to visit buying groups CECOP,
and the National Eyecare Group keen
to promote the benefits of their
membership schemes, plus the SPECS
network, supported by Seiko Optical.
Financial advice was on offer from
Snowbird, LDF, Braemar and
Performance Finance. Patrick Myers,
director of Myers La Roche said: “The
name Optrafair has a caché – people
know it and trust it, and they came for
that reason. We’ve had all sorts of
enquiries – potential buyers, two
practice sales and plenty of marketing
advice sought. Visitors came mainly
from London and the south east with a
good number from Ireland.”
Benefitting from pre-show marketing
was Optix practice management
software. “We have seen many warm
leads and benefitted from referrals
from our existing users,” said finance
director, Andrew Harrison. “People
have been very impressed with the
MySite dimension of our system. This
allows patients to visit the website
and make bookings, to check when
their next appointment is and when
their contact lenses are due to be
delivered or specs to be collected. It
provides a much more rounded level
of customer service and means of
sharing information.”
Largest of the exhibitor groups were
the technology companies – many
with new products to launch. Chris
Tyler, CEO of Birmingham Optical, said
the company had enjoyed being in
London and that the “quality of visitors
had been high, particularly with
interest in OCT and other advanced
technology.” Grafton Optical brought
new diagnostics to the market with the
Clearpath by MediTech
autofluorescence measuring unit for
picking up the first signs of diabetes via
the crystalline lens. “The potential for
this product within opticians, clinics
and hospitals is really significant,” said
Grafton Optical managing director,
Brian Bowles.
Also leading with innovation was IPRO
International from Stuttgart with its 3D
eye examination system. “We want to
change the approach to the eye
examination and we are doing this by
using 3D TV, via an iPad, in 70 per cent
of the usual testing time – it is much
quicker, especially with older people
and children,” said director, Martin
Himmelsbach. Proud to promote UK
manufacturing was Keeler. Sales and
marketing director, Roy Stoner, said: “We
have been very keen to support the
show in London. Our new Symphony
digital slit lamp has been a great
talking point as have the new LED lights
for updating existing retinascopes.”
Topcon launched no less than nine
new products. Managing director,
Andy Yorke, said: “After a good start
on Friday, Saturday’s attendance left
us with some degree of concern,
however, Sunday certainly put our
fears to bed as attendance was good
Optrafair London
Continental Eyewear’s Neal Grimason meets
with customers
MyDay comfort trials on the CooperVision stand
Heidelberg Engineering demonstrated the
Spectralis OCT
and business was very brisk indeed. I
think we cemented our position as the
UK's leading OCT and imaging supplier,
as our sales of this specific part of our
product range were well beyond
expectations. We are looking forward
to 2015 with a high degree of
positivity,” Andy added.
lab needs, while Birmingham Optical
demonstrated its Nidek automated
technology, with a host of suppliers
promoting lab tools and glazing
accessories.
praised the move of Optrafair to
London, saying: “This show has been
a good foundation to build upon,
especially in making international
connections. It is important that
London has a show as it is the capital
of the world. The location is excellent.”
Heidelberg Engineering director,
Krysten Williams, said that the show
had been tremendous for many
companies who had worked hard
before coming to Olympia. “We have
seen targeted customers and
demonstrated the Spectralis OCT to
pre-booked appointments. We know
that you get out what you put into a
trade show. If a company just expects
people to come that is a shame. Our
education Show and Tell sessions on
acquisition and interpretation of
imaging clearly demonstrated that we
want people to know more and we
believe that our clinical knowledge
sets us apart.”
Lenstec Optical Group used the show
to cement its acquisition of Rawdon
Optical in customers’ minds. “The easy
location provided a great opportunity
to wave the group flag. We have
been very pleased with the show as
we have met a number of customers
that we have not seen before and
been able to tell them about our
comprehensive lab offering and new
coating plant,” said sales director,
Martin Burroughs. Essilor UK managing
director, Mike Kirkley praised the
“bright, airy venue”, which attracted
plenty of visitors from the south east
and north west. Norville Autoflow
promoted its edging and surfacing
technology to suit a variety of practice
Breadth of optics
The all-embracing nature of the show,
where large multi-nationals exhibited
alongside single handed suppliers,
proved part of the charm, as voiced
by Steve Whale, managing director of
small display and ticketing company,
E.W. Morris: “I like the fact that I have
been able to be among the larger
companies and in a very busy footfall
area. I have seen new customers from
France, Nigeria and Australia, but
largely Irish and English visitors. It has
been great to have face-to-face
contact with existing suppliers too.”
Mewscraft shop fitters and practice
designers were “really pleased to be
at the show”, as managing director,
Hal Cripwell, said: “This is a great part
of London and we love the hall. We
have taken some orders and have
some promising interest and leads.”
Cesare Conti, president of Centrostyle,
Topcon launched nine new products
Boots Opticians’ new managing
director, Ben Fletcher, said Optrafair
London provided a great opportunity
to take the company’s plans forward
and to promote its ambitious opening
programme of 40 new stores within the
next 12 months. He said: “I like the
variety of the show and it is good to
be part of a competitive industry as
it forces us to be our best. It is great
to see a real range of equipment
and other practice operators: there is
so much opportunity in the UK for
our business.”
After the event, the FMO and Optician
thanked the industry for its support and
said much could be developed from
this initial show. Optrafair returns to
Birmingham in April 2015, with a further
show planned for London in 2016. n
28
dispensingoptics June 2014
Peter Black
Black arts
Since my last Black Arts, I
have been busy attending
amongst other things ABDO
College trustees and ABDO
board meetings, the
new AOP Independent
Practitioners Committee,
Ophthalmic Public Health
Committee at the Royal
College of Ophthalmologists,
Optrafair London, and a
highly enjoyable week
working in Malaysia
examining and presenting
the new graduates with
their certificates.
MSc coming soon
I will leave it to Huntly Taylor,
chair of trustees, and the
excellent publication
Review to update you on
ABDO College activity,
however, one point of note
is the expectation that, in
collaboration with Canterbury
Christ Church University,
ABDO College will have an
MSc programme by 2015
open to all BSc and FBDO
members meeting the entry
requirements. Anecdote
and experience are now
insufficient to convince
government and regulators
to change a policy. It is
important that we develop
critical thinking and
academic research to
generate evidence to fight
our corner in the future.
Board meeting report
It was agreed at this board
meeting that we would look
again at publishing redacted
minutes of our meetings on
the ABDO website in the
near future. Members
expecting to see a verbatim
report of who said what
will be disappointed as it is
important to note that all
boards of directors have
collective responsibility,
a duty to maintain
confidentiality and a duty
to present a consensus view
along agreed lines.
Optical assistant training
Other than routine president,
general secretary and
financial officer reports, this
meeting only had two other
significant items: a review
of the conference (which
has thankfully broken even)
and a discussion on
supporting the Worshipful
Company of Spectacle
Makers (WCSM) in its
training of optical assistants.
The board considered the
sometimes expressed view
that optical assistants are
stealing dispensing
opticians’ jobs and came to
the opposite opinion. Since
partial deregulation of
ophthalmic dispensing, our
profession has actually gone
from strength to strength –
doubling in number over the
past 25 years. The vast
majority of our members
work with optical assistants
on a daily basis, and it is
clear that a large
percentage of fitness to
practise cases are brought
against registrants who
have fallen foul of
supervision regulations
because their optical
assistant colleague didn’t
know any better and broke
the law on their behalf.
Currently, optical chains
with training departments
are easily able to ensure
compliance with standard
operating procedures on
paediatric dispensing and
other regulated functions via
vocational qualifications. It
is less easy for independent
practices and it is our hope
that ABDO can assist the
WCSM in promoting high
standards of staff training
and in particular assist with
the in-practice assessment
qualification that is so
beneficial to practices.
Independent Practitioners
Committee
The Optical Confederation
considers a thriving
independent sector vital to
the optical economy and
has asked the AOP to take
the lead on providing
support. ABDO was invited
to the table in reflection of
the fact that many
independent practices are
owned outright or in
partnership by DOs. The
committee reviewed
extensive research that the
AOP has commissioned into
the independent sector,
which will doubtless be
covered in Optometry
Today going forward. It is no
surprise that half of
independent optometrists
believed low NHS fees to be
one of their top three
concerns for their profession.
However, it did surprise
me that nearly half of
optometrists working in the
corporate sector selected
“financial pressure
compromising clinical
standards and public
safety”. Clearly, financial
pressure in practice is
inextricably linked with low
NHS fees and the cross
subsidy of NHS work by the
private sale of spectacles
and contact lenses that are
themselves under threat
from internet supply. Will this
research be the wake-up
call we need at the
Department of Health? I
certainly hope so.
The rise and rise of OPH
I was honoured to attend
the Ophthalmic Public
Health (OPH) Committee as
an observer and witness the
collaboration of the sight
loss sector, patient groups,
ophthalmology, optometry,
optics, orthoptics, nursing,
and social care for the good
of the public. The committee
agreed a new definition of
Ophthalmic Public Health
specifically focusing on:
• Prevention of poor eye
health and sight loss
• Promotion of good eye
health and sight
Black arts
• Improving eye health
and eye health and
care services
• Equitable access to
effective, timely,
integrated services
and support for
independent living
ABDO is a staunch supporter
of the OPH agenda,
sponsoring half a dozen
members on the Leeds
course in April, and providing
our second home grown
course for all eyecare and
sight loss professionals at
ABDO College this month.
Optrafair London
Optrafair London was well
attended, and certainly the
CET sessions supported by
ABDO on the Friday were
almost full to capacity. The
presence of two large spring
exhibitions, plus the BCLA
has resulted in ABDO
moving back to annual
autumn conferences. Our
next is likely to be the
second or third weekend in
September 2015 just in time
for the final rush for points at
the end of the CET cycle.
Illegal supply
At Optrafair I was asked to
present an ‘Ask the expert’
session entitled, ‘When is
supplying glasses and
contact lenses illegal?’ You
might be asking what
qualifies me as a so-called
‘expert’ in a legal subject. In
fact, I have studied law four
times in my career. It started
within my Ophthalmic
Dispensing course in
Glasgow back in the late
1980s when law, as well as
marketing, management
and economics formed part
of the full time course back
then. After I qualified, I
did Law A’ Level at night
school, then as part of my
training qualification with
the Institute of Personnel
and Development.
More recently, law formed
part of my Masters degree in
Business Administration. I
have also successfully
represented myself in court
against Merseyside Police
for an alleged motoring
offence, and navigated a
divorce without the aid of a
solicitor. So when is
supplying glasses and
contact lenses illegal? The
quick answer to that is:
“More often than you think”.
A few years ago, ABDO set
out to collect evidence of
illegal sale of spectacles
and contact lenses thinking
we would get evidence
against online suppliers.
What we actually got was
evidence of illegal supply
of regulated categories of
optical appliance by
registered optical practices
– typically the ones that
don’t employ DOs or where
OAs are not properly
supervised. It is clear that
people haven’t taken the
rules seriously over the
years as a raft of fitness to
practise cases centring on
the supervision of regulated
functions – principally
dispensing to children –
have proven.
There is also, of course, the
vexed issue of the internet.
We are all aware of online
suppliers, generally offshore,
who will supply contact
lenses without a valid
specification, spectacles to
children, and inappropriate
low vision aids to the
certified visually impaired –
all of which are arguably
illegal in this country. And
yet, to sell is human. People
will always be creative and
innovative in coming up
with ideas to make money.
Who of us hasn’t sat down
and spent time thinking
about how we might earn
more or make more money
for the businesses we own or
work within?
So imagine you have the
idea to set up an online
company supplying specs
and contact lenses to
anyone who wants them in
the UK. How would you
know whether your idea is
legal? How do you decide
whether the activities
normally carried out by a
registered optical
practitioner in a registered
optical practice are legal to
be carried out online in the
UK? Where would you find
that information?
The answer is with great
difficulty. You might think
that the Opticians Act 1989
(as amended 2005) would
tell you all you need to
know? But you would be
wrong. You would hope that
the Act would point you in
the direction of GOC Rules
of Council and ABDO/
College of Optometrists
Advice and Guidance? It
doesn’t. Yet these are
essential to interpreting the
law correctly. British
Standards form an integral
part of the law but you
could be forgiven for not
knowing which ones, and
not spending thousands of
pounds finding out. Finally
standard practice and legal
precedent including fitness
to practise cases from
pharmacy, medicine and
dentistry must also be taken
into account.
By the time you read this,
the GOC will be a long
way into its consultation
on illegal supply. I hope at
the end of the process, it
recognises that part of the
problem is its inability to
update rules in a timely
fashion and keep all the
salient information in one
place so that any registrant,
member of the public
or potential online
entrepreneur can access
it – and understand it.
Peter Black n
Young apprentices to start pilot programme
The Worshipful Company of Spectacle
Makers (WCSM) has announced that
eight apprentices, aged between 18
and 22, have been accepted for the
three-year advanced apprenticeship
pilot programme established by the
City of London Livery Companies’
Apprenticeship Scheme (LCAS).
The allocation of eight places to the
WCSM is the highest to any one Livery
Company. The scheme, which the
WCSM helped to set up last year, is
funded by the Department of Business,
Innovation and Skills, and the Company
secured over £130,000 to support the
optical industry. The money will flow
from LCAS directly to the employer.
“We have recruited five of the
apprentices from the manufacturing
industry, and the other three from
glazing laboratories across England,”
said Gordon Jones, WCSM deputy
master. “The Apprenticeship is a
demanding and challenging
programme: in the first year the
apprentices will gain a range of Level
2 qualifications, in year 2 the Level 3
Diploma in Spectacle Manufacturing
and in year 3 the Level 4 Diploma for
Optical Technicians – the SMC (Tech)
qualification.” n
30
dispensingoptics June 2014
Owen Blee
A Seraphin frame from Ogi Eyewear
Two DOs appointed to interim Luxury US brand Ogi signs
Irish optical board
new UK deal
Dispensing opticians, Owen
Blee and Vivienne Starr, have
been appointed to Ireland’s
new Interim Optical
Registration Board of CORU –
the new regulator overseeing
the 14 healthcare
professions – along with four
optometrists.
The interim Optical
Registration Board has been
appointed to support the
transfer of functions from the
Opticians Board to CORU.
The Opticians Board, which
has regulated the professions
in Ireland since it was
established under the
Opticians Act in 1956, will
be abolished once that is
complete. Legislation to
enable the transfer is
expected to be laid before
the Irish parliament shortly.
Owen Blee told Dispensing
Optics: “It's a great honour
to be asked to support
CORU as they move
towards establishing the
new Optical Registration
Board. There are big
changes afoot in
healthcare regulation in
Ireland and this period of
modernisation is very
positive.” n
Ogi Eyewear, the American
eyewear company
launched in 1997 and
renowned for its high
quality and innovative
frames worldwide, has
signed a distribution
agreement with UK and
Ireland eyewear distributor,
Carina Eyewear.
The agreement, signed in
January 2014, will see the
launch of Ogi, Innotec and
Seraphin Eyewear
collections in the UK and
Irish marketplace. “This
strategic partnership will
strengthen our position and
business in the UK and
Ireland,” said Ogi Eyewear
president, Joseph Tallier.
“Carina Eyewear’s team is
extremely talented and we
are really proud to work
with them.”
Carmela Ariano of Carina
Eyewear added: “We are
delighted to be partnering
with a market leader in
affordable luxury eyewear.
Ogi, Innotec and Seraphin
Eyewear frames are
truly unique.” Contact
Carmela at Carina Eyewear
on 07504 612991 or email
[email protected] n
Michelle makes the leap into independent practice
Michelle Derbyshire has left her position
as ABDO College head of operational
services, to begin the “utterly terrifying”
venture of running her own independent
practice in Folkestone, Kent.
It was in 2001 that Michelle first joined
ABDO College, in Godmersham, Kent,
from City & Islington College in
London, as the technician. She then
became head of the distance
learning institute (later renamed
operational services) in 2004,
concentrating on growing the number
and types of courses offered and
managing the business side of the
College.
Michelle told Dispensing Optics: “I
have spent the past 13 years helping
to build the business of the College,
ensuring the courses run smoothly,
managing the student
accommodation and the bookshop.
Whilst I have learnt – and achieved –
so much during my time with the
College, and enjoyed it immensely,
the opportunity to run my own
business was just too good to miss.”
Michelle is delighted to have bought
80-year-old Drake-Ardens Opticians
in the historic port town. “It’s a
traditional independent practice with
great potential,” Michelle added,
“and I’m really looking forward to
getting stuck in. My friends and
colleagues have been really
supportive and encouraging. Their
confidence and faith in me to
succeed is inspiring, reassuring and
utterly terrifying!”
Michelle Derbyshire
Michelle will continue her association
with ABDO, on a part-time basis,
helping members to engage with their
Local Eye Health Networks. n
Newsbrief
Lens education at ABDO College
Joint webinar educates on new
lens technologies
European contact lens
sales reported
PPG Industries recently
presented a seminar with
ABDO College as part of
the new Trivex Lens Specialist
Practice Programme in
the UK. Students at ABDO
College took part and more
than 250 DOs and OOs
registered, with 180
registrants receiving one
CET point.
The latest figures from
Euromcontact on sales of
contact lenses and lens
care products show that the
market value of soft contact
lenses at industry to eyecare
professionals level grew by
3.6 per cent to 1.468m euros
in 2013. With a total of 13.5
per cent (+7.1 per cent) of
The course presented new
technologies and
advancements in
spectacle lens materials
and emphasised that
dispensing opticians can
help increase their patients’
comfort if they understand
the advantages of, and
embrace the use of, new
lens materials. Kevin Gutsell,
ABDO vice president, Dora
Plisic, PPG trade manager,
optical materials, and Keith
Cross, PPG prescription
ABDO CET
technology director, optical
materials, presented the
course and then responded
to questions submitted online.
Michael Potter, ABDO head
of marketing and
communications, said:
“ABDO College is delighted
to partner with PPG to host
this webinar because we
believe it is vitally important
that opticians keep pace
with new lens technologies.
As some ABDO members
find it difficult to attend
training events in person,
the webinar platform offers
a convenient way for them
to learn how patients can
benefit from innovative lens
materials and to still earn a
valuable CET point.”
the 15 to 64-year-old
population wearing contact
lenses, Sweden is leading
the penetration ranks, ahead
of Norway (10.5 per cent,
+9.5 per cent) and Denmark
(10.5 per cent, +3.3 per
cent). Lowest among the
eleven is Spain (3.4 per
cent, -1.1 per cent). n
View a video replay of
the event by visiting
www.trivexspecialist.co.uk n
Telephone 01206 734155
Fax 01206 734156
Dual optics lens option
Duette Progressive is No7’s
newest hybrid contact lens
for presbyopes of all ages.
Duette Progressive utilises
dual optics, using a near
centre aspheric add zone in
combination with a distance
asphere to provide a
seamless progression of
powers from distance to
near. The lenses come in a
choice of three add powers,
providing every patient
with a personalised solution
for their visual needs. The
hybrid platform delivers
unmatched centration
and stability of the GP
optics, said the company.
Visit www.no7contactlenses.
com n
]UWSgSeSO`Q][’""%#"$ ''
32
dispensingoptics June 2014
Fix up,
look sharp
28 summer BUYS. the new way to wear brights. cAPITAL STYLE PLUS SALON TIPS FOR SPECS WEARERS
Claudia Schiffer by Rodenstock
lOTTIE WEARS: jacket, £60, Oasis (oasis-stores.com), T-shirt, £160, Toga (selfridges.com), jesse frames, £69, Specsavers
In association with
Frame style on Shop London
Complete spectacles
collection relaunched
Frames in focus
on fashion hub
Rodenstock has relaunched
its Complete Spectacles
Collections with new frame
models, updated lenses
and some price reductions.
Specsavers is hoping to up
its fashion credentials by
sponsoring the London
Evening Standard’s editorial
platform, Shop London.
Several new, exciting and
on-trend ranges have been
introduced – including
Claudia Schiffer by
Rodenstock, featuring
vintage, boyfriend and
oversized design concepts,
and the retro Rocco by
Rodenstock with 32
new models.
Rodenstock lens product
manager, Debbie Bathgate,
said: “We now offer a
fantastic wide range of
spectacle collections to
appeal to opticians’
complete customer base.
We’ve included our most
comprehensive range of
single vision, near vision,
progressive lenses and
bifocal plastic lenses – a full
range of tints, coatings,
ColorMaticIQ, ColorMatic
Contrast IQ and polarised
lenses,” added Debbie. n
Collaborating with the
publication’s fashion team,
Specsavers’ in-house frame
stylist will be matching
frames to different London
trends, and providing style
tips. The campaign extends
online with a dedicated
Specsavers fashion hub until
October, and incorporates
a supplement to coincide
with London Fashion Week.
Tim Sebire, Specsavers
regional marketing manager,
said: “Synonymous with the
London fashion community,
the Evening Standard’s
Shop London and
upcoming London Fashion
Week supplement provide
an excellent and integrated
platform to engage with
style-conscious consumers
and build on Specsavers’
current fashion credentials.” n
Briggs joins WCO
Focusing on solutions
Former Vision Aid Overseas chief executive, Natalie Briggs,
is the new chief executive of the World Council of
Optometry (WCO).
Dispensing optician, Chris Hirst, has joined Shamir UK as area
lens consultant for the North East region.
Natalie said: “I think that WCO has an extremely important
global agenda that will have a huge impact on the
eradication of avoidable visual impairment. I am
delighted to be joining WCO and I look forward to working
with colleagues to develop our strategy.” n
Qualifying in 1994 from Bradford and Ilkley Community
College, Chris joins the lens company from the Rayner Group
where most recently he was Northern sales director. He said:
“With such an innovative and extensive portfolio of lenses I
feel that I can really support eyecare professionals by
offering solutions for all of their patients’ needs.” n
Call to end “invisible epidemic” of vision loss
The European Coalition for Vision (ECV)
met recently with the European Union
(EU)’s Directorate General for Health
and Consumers and EUROSTAT, the
statistical office of the EU, to reiterate
its call to European decision-makers to
include eye health and vision in the
European political agenda.
Earlier this year, in an event supported
by several Members of the European
Parliament, the ECV launched its
Manifesto for the European Parliament
elections in which it calls on the
European parliament to use its powers
to improve the lives of people affected
by vision impairment or at risk of
vision loss.
”Europe is facing an invisible
epidemic, with an estimated 20.4
million people in the whole of Europe
suffering from serious vision
impairment – including 2.3 million
who are blind,” said Bob Chappell,
past president of the European
Council of Optometry and Optics.
“Without adequate action, these
worrying numbers will only increase
with the rise of diabetes and the
ageing population. Shamefully, twothirds of these cases could actually
be prevented or treated and are not.” n
Newsbrief
Fresh new interior design
Conlons branch celebrates new opening
New-look for
Lutterworth practice
Let them
eat cake
Edmonds and Slatter
Opticians has welcomed
patients back to practice
following a major refit,
which included a new
interior and improved
facilities for patients
and staff.
“We have a very loyal
customer base both from
Lutterworth itself and from
a wide surrounding area.
We want to provide not
only the very best eyecare
but a really up-to-date
environment for patients.”
Conlons’ Ashton branch
recently celebrated the
opening of its new state-ofthe-art practice with a
specially designed cake.
brand new ranges of
designer frames and
offer the latest in eye
testing equipment and
hearing care.”
Dispensing optician Jo
Benfield, who manages the
practice and has worked in
Lutterworth for more than 20
years, said the refit
represented a major
investment for the
successful firm. She said:
“We pride ourselves on
giving individual attention
to our patients. We also
make regular new additions
to our choice of frames and
the new practice interior is
the ideal setting to display
them,” added Jo. n
The branch on Mercian
Way has been refitted with
a bright interior including
furniture and displays and
new ranges of designer
spectacles and sunglasses.
The branch also celebrated
the arrival of a new
manager, Helen Tornambe,
who said: “I am delighted
to be joining the excellent
team here at Conlons in
Ashton. We have some
Pictured above from the
left are Estella Rust, Helen
Tornambe, Philip Owen
and Renee Evers-Buckland.
No more lines and jumps
Shamir Duo is described as
a new freeform bifocal lens
that does away with the
age-related visible line, as
well as the visually
uncomfortable jump
between vision zones.
“Shamir Duo offers a
uniquely aesthetic
appearance, improving the
way the wearer looks, as
well as improving the way
they see,” said Shamir
general manager, Phil
Bareham. “Flat-top bifocals
are a popular conventional
solution for presbyopic
needs, but they are not
without their drawbacks.
The visible line across the
lens gives the wearer a
decidedly age-related
look. In addition, it creates
a disturbing visual jump
when the eye moves
from one visual zone to
another.” n
New charity role
Tony Rucinski, a former director of Scope and trustee of the
RNIB, is the new CEO of the Macular Society – replacing
Helen Jackman who is relocating to Canada.
Tony said: “I believe in abundant life after sight loss, so it is
a huge privilege to be working for the largest and best
membership-led organisation in the sight loss sector.”
www.macularsociety.org n
* A. Robinson Opticians in
Ulverston has joined the
Conlons group. Dispensing
optician Rachel Dacre,
previously manager of
Conlons in Kendal, has
joined the team as
manager. n
Optician Index - March 2014 summary
• Total turnover for March falls by 0.5 per cent to 172
Index points from February this year but a quarterly
comparison with the same period last year is
positive by 0.2 per cent
• Total number of eye examinations for March falls
by one per cent to 103 Index points from February
and the quarterly comparison is negative at -3
per cent
• Average monthly turnover per eye examination is
£2 lower for the first quarter of this year compared
to the same quarter in 2013 at £173.43
• Sample average dispensing is 3 per cent lower
than March 2013, at 93 Index points
• Contact lens solution sales are 12 per cent higher
than March last year, at 90 Index points
The full December 2013 Optician Index report was published in the
31 January 2014 issue of Optician
34
dispensingoptics June 2014
Colour lenses fresh to market
New Heston Blumenthal sunglasses
The EZi scleral lens applicator
Eclectic ingredients for
latest collection
Easing the
fitting process
Chef Heston Blumenthal has launched his second eyewear
collection at Vision Express, featuring 68 pieces across
three collections.
The EZi scleral lens
applicator is now available
from No7 Contact Lenses –
to help ‘ease’ one of the
most challenging aspects
of scleral contact lens fitting.
British eyewear design house Inspecs collaborated with the
chef to ensure the frames reflected his inventive and
creative nature, delivering frames handcrafted in both
acetate and metal.
Heston Blumenthal commented: “Following the success of
the debut range, the objective was to inject different
ingredient based colours as well as a sharp, accurate,
clean design to the glasses, and I am extremely pleased
with the finished product. To me, eyewear goes far beyond
the lens. The innovation and technical precision that has
gone into each and every piece is something I’m proud to
put my name to.” n
“Their relatively large
diameter and the need for a
saline reservoir make these
lenses a little more ‘fiddly’ to
apply for patients and
practitioners alike,” said
Maxine Green, No 7
commercial director.
“The new EZi scleral lens
ring has a plastic applicator
that is placed on the finger.
The lens is then easily
balanced on the platform
for application.“
The rings come in various
finger sizes. Telephone
01424 850620 for
information. n
ABDO CET Telephone 01206 734155 Fax 01206 734156
New colour contact lens range
Alcon has launched a new monthly
colour contact lens with silicone
hydrogel technology – Air Optix Colors.
“This is a significant breakthrough for a
contact lens category that hasn’t seen
change in more than a decade,” said
Franck Leveiller, head of research and
development, vision care at Alcon.
“Consumers want natural-looking
colour lenses to enhance the beauty
of their eyes, but they also want the
latest scientific innovation in lens
comfort and breathability. With Air
Optix Colors, they now get both.”
Air Optix Colors are made of lotrafilcon
B, the same material as Air Optix Aqua
contact lenses. They offer an identical
33 per cent water content and oxygen
transmission, and feature the smooth,
permanent plasma surface
technology for superior wettability,
deposit resistance and consistent
comfort, said Alcon.
The lenses also utilise Alcon’s three-inone FreshLook Colorblends
technology, encapsulating the colour
within the lens material to reduce
colour interaction with the eye and
maintain eye health. Available as
plano, they come in nine different
colours with no refit required for current
Air Optix Aqua lens wearers.
Area news
Area 4 (East Anglia): Inside track on
AR coatings
Area 4 members were invited to the
offices of Shamir Optical UK in Bar
Hill, Cambridge, on 29 April to
participate in a CET evening and learn
more about AR coatings from Shamir
project manager, Tanya Storey.
Also on the agenda was an
informative tour of the lab provided by
Gaynor Williams – with Shamir sales
consultant for East Anglia, Andrew
Copley, on hand to talk through the
latest advances in Shamir's lens
portfolio and demonstrate new tools
designed to aid the practitioner in
taking accurate measurements for
freeform lens designs.
“We’d like to say a big thank you to
Shamir Optical for supporting our
Area,” said Joanne Abbott, Area
4 secretary. n
Newsbrief
Subtle change in iris colour could
indicate Rb
Classic ‘white eye’ or leukocoria that
parents often spot in photos as a first
sign of Rb
Professions back push on
child eye cancer diagnosis
The Royal College of
Ophthalmologists and the
College of Optometrists are
supporting an initiative from
the Childhood Eye Cancer
Trust (CHECT) to help cut
delays in diagnosis of
childhood eye cancer.
The opticians’ protocol on
suspected retinoblastoma
was developed by CHECT to
prevent babies and young
children with eye cancer
having their diagnosis
delayed. Figures’ from
CHECT show that in general,
opticians are correctly
referring on children with
suspected retinoblastoma
(Rb). However, some
children face delays in
obtaining appointments or
are turned away by staff
unaware of the signs and
symptoms of the disease
and the need for urgent
examination.
CHECT chief executive, Joy
Felgate, said: “We want to
ensure that no child
displaying signs of
retinoblastoma is turned
away from an optician
without the correct
information about where to
go next. We want all optical
practices in the UK to adopt
our protocol, and having the
support of the Royal College
of Ophthalmologists and the
College of Optometrists is a
huge step towards this.”
CHECT’s protocol aims to
address this by stating that
all staff working in an optical
practice should be aware of
the main signs of Rb which
include: a white reflex
(leukocoria) or an abnormal
reflex in flash photographs; a
recently onset squint; a
change in colour to the iris;
a deterioration in vision.
Occasionally a
Dispensing Optician Required
To work in our friendly independent practice
with excellent supporting staff
Must be capable of leading, motivating
and inspiring our small team
Based in Wombwell, South Yorkshire
3.5 days per week to include Saturday mornings
An application form can be
downloaded from our website at
www.ivisionopticians.com
See ‘About Us’ page for download link
Please note that only successful
applicants will be contacted.
retinoblastoma may present
as a red, sore or swollen eye
without infection. The
protocol offers clear
information on what action
to take if a parent is
concerned by any of these
main symptoms of Rb.
David Parkins, president of
the College of Optometrists,
said: “Retinoblastoma is a
rare but very serious
condition and we are
pleased that optometrists
are making appropriate
referrals. This protocol will
help other staff who work in
optical practices ensure
they give appropriate
advice to parents whose
children may have this
condition.”
CHECT is urging all eyecare
practitioners to download
and implement the protocol
at www.chect.org.uk n
Rt Hon David Blunkett with Philip
Banton
Blunkett
visits Sheffield
practice
Local MP for Sheffield,
Brightside and Hillsborough,
the Rt Hon David Blunkett
MP, visited Frith Park Eye
Care in Sheffield recently to
hear about the benefits of
regular eye examinations
from optometrist and former
secretary of Sheffield Local
Optical Committee,
Philip Banton.
Philip said: “In Sheffield we
are very proud of the
additional community
eyecare services that we
offer. Sheffield LOC and
NHS Sheffield have worked
closely together over a
number of years to develop
local community eyecare
services. This means we can
now deliver eyecare that is
over and above the normal
examination.” n
WANTED
QUALIFIED
DISPENSING OPTICIAN
Full-time or part-time
Strabane, Co Tyrone
Contact Donal McGovern on 07798738627
Or send CV to [email protected]
36
dispensingoptics June 2014
ABDO member Ronald
Mattes found a new and
rewarding professional
interest in voluntary eyecare
work with the homeless.
Ann Johnson reports
Ever-striving for progression, Shelly Bansal recalls some magic
moments from his 35-year career as a CLO
Magic moments
Shelly Bansal
H
aving qualified as a dispensing
optician in 1982, I went on to
manage a city centre practice for
Scrivens where they had a contact lens
optician (CLO) in three days a week. As
much as I enjoyed dispensing and
managing, I very quickly realised that I
wanted to become a CLO – especially
after watching Keith Tizzard’s interaction
with contact lens patients and seeing
how much they valued his expertise. I
enrolled onto the course and worked
and trained with Keith on my day off.
My first experience with a patient was
one that I will never forget. Keith was
delayed whilst travelling from
Chesterfield, where he worked one
day a week, and my practice in
Sheffield. His first patient was waiting
for him for some time and was starting
to get uneasy. She was booked in to
try contact lenses for the first time, and
I felt that to avoid any further anxiety I
would take her history and symptoms
and keratometry reading.
The first part went really well, however,
I just couldn’t get any clear mires to
take the keratometry reading. After
about five minutes of trying and
building up a sweat, I decide to ask
our optometrist (Mr Bhogal) for help.
He promptly came into my room and
started chatting to my patient. He
then asked her to take off her
spectacles so that he could take some
measurements. I felt a total numpty,
but due to Mr Bhogal’s professionalism
and ultra cool attitude, the patient
was none the wiser that I was such a
novice. Just then, Keith arrived and
successfully fitted the patient with
contact lenses. After closing the
practice that evening, we all went for
a drink and I got the biggest ribbing of
my life – and rightly so.
Proudly making a difference
I then moved to Leadbeater and
Peters where I was privileged to work
with a fantastic team led by Robert
King – the optometrist. Under his
supervision, I started fitting contact
lenses. My next magical moment
occurred when I trialled a 60-year-old
lady, who was about minus 12 in each
eye, with rigid gas permeable lenses. A
week or so after the fitting, she came
in for me to show her how to put her
lenses on and then to take them off.
When she first put her lenses on, she said
to me: “Shelly, do you realise that this is
the first time in my life, that I have been
able to see my face clearly in a mirror!”
To this day, her statement moves me
and I truly believe that contact lenses
are a modern wonder of the world and
suitable for almost everybody. I really
cannot think of any other profession
where a small device can make such a
profound difference to someone’s life.
A few years later, I moved to London
to manage a flagship West End
practice for Dollond & Aitchison, as
one of its lead contact lens
practitioners. Again I had the good
fortune to work with, and learn from,
an expert: Chris McMahon, who was a
young optometrist from Australia and
a wizard with contact lenses. It was
then that I went to my first British
Contact Lens Association (BCLA)
clinical conference and exhibition
courtesy of D&A.
At first I was very apprehensive about
going to what I thought was a
conference for ‘experts’ only. So I was
pleasantly surprised at how welcoming
everyone was, and how inclusive the
programme was. International and
home grown speakers gave lectures,
which were easy to follow, whilst being
informative and innovative. The
manufacturers’ exhibition highlighted
new equipment and products, and
gave me the chance to meet the
teams behind the suppliers that I used.
I came away with a better
understanding of what I was doing,
and how I could do it better and
continue to offer my patients the very
best in contact lens practice.
Investing in personal progression
Over the last 15 years I have attended
every BCLA conference and I have
never been disappointed. The
workshops that I have attended have
allowed me learn new techniques and
to gain the confidence to fit specialist
Disjointed jottings from a DO’s desk . . .
contact lenses, including keratoconic
lenses and orthokeratology. The social
events have enabled me to make
some great friendships and I now have
a network of practitioners and experts
that I can call on whenever I get stuck.
For me, attending conference each
year is an investment in my own
progression and I would encourage
anyone with an interest in contact lens
practice to attend.
Having gained so much from the BCLA
and conference, I felt that it was
pertinent to give back to the
organisation. So 10 years ago I stood
for, and was elected, onto the BCLA
council where I represented CLOs. I
was bestowed with the honour of
being president for two years and this
is one of the highlights of my
professional career. My tenure on
council is due to finish before
conference this year and I can
honestly say that I have had a
tremendous time, and I hope that in
some small way I have made a
difference for the better. The BCLA
needs continual support for CLOs and I
would encourage anyone to stand as
a representative for future vacancies.
and working as a chef. I don’t believe
that he would have achieved all of this
without his contact lenses.
Providing that ‘wow’ feeling
In 1994 my wife and I opened our own
practice. Contact lenses have been
an integral part of the success of our
practice. To this day, my exuberance
to fit contact lenses is driven by the
reaction that I get from patients when I
first put contact lenses on their eyes.
That first ‘wow’ moment is unsurpassed
as a response, and applies equally to
everyone from as young as six through
to 60 years old.
I am now into my 35th year in optics,
and am still excited about what the
future holds for contact lens opticians. I
would encourage all dispensing
opticians to develop their skills further by
enrolling onto the Contact Lens
Diploma course and for all contact lens
opticians to become members of the
BCLA and attend its annual conference
so that they too can continue to be
the best that they can be in their arena.
In recent years, I have had plenty of
my magic moments. One that stands
out the most is that of a 14-year-old
keratoconic patient that I fitted with
SoClear 2 lenses. Alex was shy and
reserved when I first met him, and his
best-aided vision with spectacles was
6/24 in each eye. Having fitted him
with contact lenses, he achieved 6/6
vision in each eye. He has since then
passed his driving test, qualified as a
snowboard instructor in Canada, and
now is in Australia where he is travelling
Shelly Bansal FBDO (Hons) CL, FBCLA
is a qualified dispensing optician and
contact lens specialist, and director of
First Contact Opticians, Middlesex. He
has lectured worldwide on best contact
lens practice and is a key opinion
leader for all the major contact lens
companies. Shelly served two
consecutive terms as president of the
British Contact Lens Association, and is
the current AOP Contact Lens
Practitioner of the Year. n
Book review
The Wills Eye Manual Sixth Edition
Office and emergency room diagnosis and treatment of eye disease
By Adam T. Gerstenblith and Michael P. Rabinowitz
Published by Walters Kluwer | Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins and available from the
ABDO Bookshop priced £52 (ISBN 978-1-4511-7584-4)
Reviewed by Antonia Chitty
The Wills Eye Manual is, at first glance,
a convenient ‘everything in one place’
guide for anyone in practice who wants
a quick summary of a wide range of
eye diseases. For each disease included
in the book, the authors outline signs,
symptoms, differential diagnosis, work
up, treatment and follow-up. The book
addresses different diseases in chapters,
some based on cause, such as
trauma, others based on parts of the
eye, such as corneal diseases, retinal
diseases, etc. There are chapters
specific to paediatric eye disease,
glaucoma, general ophthalmic
problems and imaging modalities.
There are two useful initial chapters on
differential diagnosis, one focusing on
symptoms, the other on signs, giving
any practitioner a quick starting point
to help determine more likely causes
of eye problems. The editors explain
that the book’s suggested treatment
options are ‘guidelines not rules’ and
indicate personal preferences of the
writer. UK readers need to be aware
that some drug names and, indeed,
disease names and acronyms may be
different as this book is written by US
consultants. There is, however, a
helpful guide to acronyms and a
number of explanatory appendices.
With these provisos, this would be a
handy and affordable guide for
any practice. n
38
dispensingoptics June 2014
This month’s Vision UK conference will include sessions on
local level strategy and emotional support
Local focus
for Vision UK 2014
Strategy partners (l-r): Nick Astbury, Anita Lightstone,
Lesley-Anne Alexander CBE, and Dr Ivo Kocur
M
ore than 500 delegates are
expected to attend the sixth annual
Vision UK conference on 12 June at the
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre,
London. Regarded as the UK’s leading
eye health and sight loss sector
conference, the event brings together
eye health and social care professionals,
members of health and eyecare
organisations, as well as representatives
from the voluntary sector.
This year’s conference also marks the
first anniversary of the launch of the UK
Vision Strategy 2013-2018, which sets
out the framework for the future of eye
health and sight loss across the UK. The
conference will focus on ‘Turning the
UK Vision Strategy into action’, and
will feature a variety of expert panellists
and speakers, with the keynote address
to be delivered by Anne McGuire, MP
for Stirling and current co-chair of
the All-Party Parliamentary Disability
Group (APPDG).
As part of the ‘Strategy into action’
focus, the conference stream ‘Making
the UK Vision Strategy happen’ will
explain how the Vision Strategy 20132018 is being implemented at a
practical level, and the importance of
a collaborative national and local
approach to ensure the best possible
outcomes for the sight-impaired
community. Chaired by Lesley-Anne
Baxter, chair of the British and Irish
Orthoptic Society, the session will bring
together leading experts to explain
how they have worked collaboratively
with a range of stakeholders to turn the
strategy’s framework into reality.
The speakers are Wendy Macdowall,
Faculty of Public Health and Policy,
London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine; Keith Valentine, director of
empowerment, and Phil Ambler,
director of policy for the Thomas
Pocklington Trust; and Lesley Adams,
Commissioning for Effectiveness and
Efficiency project officer, South Devon
and Torbay. Phil said: “Through our
policy and empowerment work, the
Thomas Pocklington Trust has been
working with partners from health, local
authority and the voluntary sector
across London to ensure the needs of
people with sight loss, and the
importance of eye health, are brought
to the fore at a local level by key
decision makers.
“Making use of Pocklington’s knowledge
and extensive research, alongside that
of other organisations, we have been
gathering the views of local people
and actively working with partners to
address the key issues experienced by
people with sight loss on a daily basis,”
added Phil.
Spotlight on emotional impact
As well as exploring and discussing the
issues surrounding eye health and sight
loss on a national level, Vision UK 2014 will
focus on the emotional impact of vision
impairment, with a session chaired by
Mhairi Thurston, lecturer at the University
of Abertay and Chair of the Vision 2020
UK Counselling and Emotional Support
Services Group. Mhairi is also a highly
regarded researcher, and is currently
leading a team who are delivering a
practice model for counselling for
people affected by sight loss.
Mhairi commented: “The emotional
impact of sight loss is just as significant as
any physical and practical issues that
can arise when someone starts to
realise that their sight is deteriorating. It
is wonderful that this is being
recognised, both as a priority action as
part of the UK Vision Strategy 2013-2018,
and as part of the Vision UK 2014
conference programme,” says Mhairi.
“Throughout my work, I have seen firsthand the emotional difficulties and
problems experienced by many people
when faced with sight problems,”
continued Mhairi. “The provision of
emotional support for sight loss is an area
for nationwide service development.
Although frontline services are improving,
there is much to be done in terms of
making sure that effective emotional
support is available for all who require it.
The emotional impact session will also
feature Jo Pybis, research facilitator at
the British Association of Counselling
and Psychotherapy; Ann-Marie Boyd,
vision support officer, Department of
Ophthalmology, Ninewells Hospital,
Dundee; and Ursula Ferguson, project
coordinator, Looking Forward Project,
RNIB Northern Ireland. Effective
emotional support is a key priority of the
UK Vision Strategy, with the aim of
making this an integrated part of
overall eyecare and sight loss services.
The strategy outlines the requirement
for tailored counselling and other
services such as peer support network
accessibility, to be made standard.
To find out more about Vision UK 2014,
visit www.visionuk.org.uk or call 01920
885 162. n
The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
Diary of events
Please check event details online for up-to-date information at
www.abdo.org.uk
6-9 June
BCLA - 38th BCLA Clinical Conference &
Exhibition, ICC, Birmingham. Visit
www.bcla.org.uk
9-11 June
Introduction to Ophthalmic Public Health
Course, ABDO College, Godmersham For further information or to book a
place call 01227 738 829 (Option 1), or
email [email protected]
12 June
Vision UK 2014 - Eye health and sight loss
sector conference, the Queen Elizabeth
II Conference Centre, London. To register
email [email protected]
24 & 25 June
J&J Vision Care - ‘Practice made
perfect – bringing it all together’, twoday course at the Vision Care Institute,
Wokingham. For details visit
www.thevisioncareinstitute.co.uk/
tvcicourses
25 June
Area 10 (Kent) - CET evening at the
Black Horse Inn, Pilgrims Way, Thurnham,
Maidstone ME14 3LD, with up to six
points available. 6:30 buffet for 7pm.
Email [email protected]
26 June
Area 7 (West Country) - CET evening,
6pm, Padbrook Park, Cullompton, Exeter
28 June
Nystagmus Network Open Day, Mercure
Leicester - Contact John Sanders on 029
2045 4242 or email
[email protected]
6 July
Area 3 (North West) - CET day, Ribby Hall
Village, Ribby Road, Wrea Green,
Preston PR4 2PR
6 & 7 July
Independents Day - i-Day and i-Night,
Hilton Metropole, Birmingham. For
details visit www.independentsday.co.uk
8 July
ABDO Golf Society - Challenge Cup
competition, Moseley Golf Club,
Birmingham. To play or join the society
email Mike Stokes at
[email protected]
10 July
Area 10 (Kent) - Social event at the
Chequers Inn, Watery Lane,
Heaverham, Sevenoaks TN15 6NP.
Come and play Bat & Trap, an old Kentish
Game, £15 to cover cost of buffet with
peer discussion for three CET points.
Numbers limited so please apply early by
emailing [email protected]
27-31 August
ABDO College - Revision Courses, ABDO
College, Godmersham
16 September
ABDO Golf Society - Stercks Martin Salver
competition, Horsley Lodge Golf Club
and Hotel, Derbyshire. For details or to
join the ABDO Golf Society contact Mike
Stokes at [email protected]
20 September
Area 12 (Scotland) - Entertainment
evening, Edinburgh area. Details TBC
21 September
Area 12 (Scotland) - CET day, Edinburgh
area. Details TBC
22 September
Area 10 (Kent) - CET evening, 6.30pm,
the Queen’s Inn, Hawkhurst, Kent. Email
[email protected]
22-28 September
National Eye Health Week - Visit
www.visionmatters.org.uk
24 September
BCLA - Presidential Address with Susan
Bowers. Royal College of Physicians.
www.bcla.org.uk
26-29 September
Silmo 2014 - Paris. Visit www.silmo.fr
29 September
Area 5 (Midlands) - CET day, Manor Hotel,
Meridan, Solihull. For details and booking
email [email protected]
2 October
Area 7 (West Country) - CET day, details
to follow
23-24 October
NOC 2014 - Hilton Birmingham
Metropole Hotel. Contact the events
team at the AOP on 020 7549 2062 or
email [email protected]
24-30 October
30th Biennial Convention of the
International Opticians Association Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. Visit www.ioaoptician.org
27 & 28 October
J&J Vision Care -‘Practice made perfect –
bringing it all together’, two-day course
at the Vision Care Institute, Wokingham.
For details visit www.thevisioncareinstitute.
co.uk/tvci-courses
16 & 17 November
National Eyecare Group - ‘Building for
success’ conference, East Midlands
Conference Centre. Visit
www.nationaleyecare.co.uk
26 November
ABDO - Graduation and Prize Giving
Ceremony, Canterbury Cathedral n
Unless otherwise stated, details of all ABDO events and booking can be found at
www.abdo.org.uk/events. ABDO members are welcome to attend Area meetings
in any Area they wish
dispensingoptics
The Professional Journal of the Association
of British Dispensing Opticians
Volume 29 Number 6 of 12
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor Sir Anthony Garrett CBE
Assistant Editor Jane Burnand
Managing Editor Nicky Collinson
Email [email protected]
Design and Production Ros Argent
Email [email protected]
Administration Manager Deanne Gray
Email [email protected]
EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING
Telephone 0781 273 4717
Email [email protected]
SUBSCRIPTIONS
UK £140 Overseas £150, including postage
Apply to Tom Veti
ABDO, Godmersham Park, Godmersham
Kent CT4 7DT
Telephone 01227 733922
Email [email protected]
ABDO CET
CET Coordinator Paula Stevens MA ODE BSc
(Hons) MCOptom FBDO CL(Hons)AD SMC(Tech)
ABDO CET, 5 Kingsford Business Centre, Layer
Road, Kingsford, Colchester CO2 0HT
Telephone 01206 734155
Email [email protected]
Email [email protected]
CONTINUING EDUCATION REVIEW PANEL
Joanne Abbott BSc (Hons), FBDO, SMC (Tech)
Keith Cavaye FBDO (Hons) CL FBCLA
Andrew Cripps FBDO (Hons) PG Cert HE FHEA
Kim Devlin FBDO (Hons) CL
Stephen Freeman BSc (Hons) MCOptom FBDO (Hons) Cert Ed
Abilene Macdonald Grute FBDO (Hons) SLD (Hons) LVA
Dip Dist Ed Cert Ed
Richard Harsant FBDO (Hons) CL (Hons) LVA
Andrew Keirl BOptom (Hons) MCOptom FBDO
Angela McNamee BSc (Hons) MCOptom
FBDO (Hons) CL FBCLA Cert Ed
Linda Rapley BSc FCOptom
JOURNAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Richard Crook FBDO
Kim Devlin FBDO (Hons) CL
Kevin Gutsell FBDO
Ros Kirk FBDO
Angela McNamee BSc (Hons) MCOptom
FBDO (Hons) CL FBCLA Cert Ed
Dispensing Optics is published by
ABDO, 199 Gloucester Terrace, London W2 6LD
Dispensing Optics is printed by
Lavenham Press, Lavenham, Suffolk CO10 9RN
© ABDO No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or
by any means whatever without the written prior
permission of the publishers
Dispensing Optics welcomes contributions for
possible editorial publication. However,
contributors warrant to the publishers that they
own all rights to illustrations, artwork or
photographs submitted and also to copy which
is factually accurate and does not infringe any
other party’s rights
ISSN 0954 3201
Average circulation 2013: 9133 per issue - ABDO
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