Toronto Optom Put Away
Topic: Optical
The CNW reported that "the Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO) applauds Justice James Turnbull for taking a strong stand in upholding the Regulated Health Professions Act and protecting Ontarians from unscrupulous business owners, like Great Glasses founder Bruce Bergez, who put the public's vision at risk for the sake of profits."

Eyewear Is Hot!
Topic: Eyewear
It's gotta be true. The HuffingtonPost announced it yesterday: "This fall, the eyes have it -- not just a medical need, eyeglasses and sunglasses have become accessories in themselves. And a number of retailers and opticians are ready to help you look your best." This is news?

Helping Those in Need
Topic: Eye Care

Should you have a patient who is having trouble affording vision care, you might refer him/her to one of these organizations, as recommended by the National Eye Institute.

• EyeCare America, a public service foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Provides eye exams and care for up to one year, often at no out-of-pocket expense to eligible callers through its seniors and Diabetes EyeCare Programs. Its Glaucoma EyeCare Program provides a glaucoma eye exam. The EyeCare America Children's EyeCare Program educates parents and primary care providers about the importance of early childhood (newborn through 36 months of age) eye care. Telephone: 1-800-222-EYES (3937). Website: http://eyecareamerica.org.
• VISION USA, coordinated by the American Optometric Association (AOA), provides free eye care to uninsured, low-income workers and their families. Telephone: 1-800-766-4466. Website: http://www.aoa.org/x5607.xml.
• Lions Clubs International provides financial assistance to individuals for eye care through local clubs. A local club can be found by using the "club locator" button found on their website at http://www.LionsClubs.org.
• Mission Cataract USA, coordinated by the Volunteer Eye Surgeons' Association, is a program providing free cataract surgery to people of all ages who have no other means to pay. Surgeries are scheduled annually on one day, usually in May. Telephone: 1-800-343-7265. Website: http://www.missioncataractUSA.org.
• Knights Templar Eye Foundation provides assistance for eye surgery for people who are unable to pay or receive adequate assistance from current government agencies or similar sources. Mailing address: 1000 East State Parkway, Suite I, Schaumburg, IL 60173. Telephone: (847) 490-3838. Website: http://www.knightstemplar.org/ktef/ktef-faq.htm#contact.
• InfantSEE® is a public health program designed to ensure early detection of eye conditions in babies. Member optometrists provide a free comprehensive infant eye assessment to children younger than one year. Telephone: 1-888-396-3937. Website: http://www.infantsee.org.

Eyeglasses

• Sight for Students, a Vision Service Plan (VSP) program provides eye exams and glasses to children 18 years and younger whose families cannot afford vision care. Telephone: 1-888-290-4964. Website: http://www.sightforstudents.org/.
• New Eyes for the Needy provides vouchers for the purchase of new prescription eyeglasses. Mailing address: 549 Millburn Avenue, P.O. Box 332, Short Hills, NJ 07078-0332. Telephone: (973) 376-4903. E-mail: neweyesfortheneedy@verizon.net. Website: http://www.neweyesfortheneedy.org.

Prescription Drugs

• The Medicine Program assists people to enroll in one or more of the many patient assistance programs that provide prescription medicine free-of-charge to those in need. Patients must meet the sponsor's criteria. The program is conducted in cooperation with the patient's doctor. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4182, Poplar Bluff, MO 63902-4182. Telephone: 1-866-694-3893. E-mail: help@themedicineprogram.com. Website: http://www.themedicineprogram.com.
• Partnership for Prescription Assistance offers a single point of access to more than 475 public and private patient assistance programs, including more than 150 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. Telephone: 1-888-477-2669. Website: https://www.pparx.org.

Government Programs

• Medicare Benefit for Eye Exams
  For People with Diabetes -- People with Medicare who have diabetes can get a dilated eye exam to check for diabetic eye disease. Your doctor will decide how often you need this exam.
  For People at Risk for Glaucoma -- Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss. People at high risk for glaucoma include those with diabetes or a family history of glaucoma, or African Americans age 50 or older. Medicare will pay for an eye exam to check for glaucoma once every 12 months.
  Patients must pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount after the yearly Part B deductible. Telephone: 1-800-633-4227. Website: http://www.medicare.gov.
• State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
  For little or no cost, this insurance pays for doctor visits, prescription medicines, hospitalizations, and much more for children 18 years and younger. Most states also cover the cost of dental care, eye care, and medical equipment. Telephone: 1-877-543-7669. Insure Kids Now! Website: http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/states.asp.

Older Drivers Not Talking with Eye Care Professionals
Topic: Eye Care

Most drivers older than 55 risk their safety and the safety of others, according to a study of UK drivers. Forty-five percent of theses drivers never discussed their ability to drive with an eye care professional.

Small Signs of Improvement
Topic: Optical
Optician reports that "overall exports of Italian lenses, spectacles, and sunglasses from January to June increased 13.7 per cent on the same period in 2009. Frame exports increased by 7.4 per cent, while exports of sunglasses increased by 16.6 per cent. However, the announcement was not entirely positive, revealing that Italian optical exports are still below pre-crisis figures at -7.6 per cent compared to the first half of 2008. Exports of sunglasses and prescription frames to Europe increased by 7.4 per cent during the period and comprised more than 54 per cent of total exports, with 22.3 per cent being exported to Central, North and South America and 25 per cent to Asia." ttaly is the world's largest exporter of lenses and frames.

Soccer (Football) Eye Care Promo Moves Ahead
Topic: Optical--Sort Of

An advertisement "for the supermarket Asda offering free eye tests for Uruguayans after a referee and linesman from that country missed Frank Lampard's goal for England at the World Cup has been cleared of causing offence. The online promotion for Asda opticians stated: 'Our special World Cup offer: Free eye tests for all Uruguayans. Like everyone in England, we couldn't believe our eyes when the Uruguayan referee and linesman failed to recognise Frank Lampard's equalising goal against Germany,'" according to a story posted on the Independent.

Eagles Take Offensive with Eye Care
Topic: Eye Care
Philadelphia Eagles retired offensive lineman Jermane Mayberry helped the Eagle's charitable organization, EYP, create the Eagles Eye Mobile, a mobile optometry office. The retired lineman, legally blind in one eye because a treatable condition was not diagnozed for lack of an eye exam when he was a child, donated $100,000 to the Eye Mobile. That's part of the post on Philly.com.

New CL Cleaner Gets FDA Approval
Topic: Contact Lenses
Abbott has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) market clearance for RevitaLens Ocutec, a multi-purpose disinfecting solution for silicone hydrogel and conventional soft contact lenses. Jim Mazzo, senior vice president of Abbott Medical Optics, said the solution, with its rub and rinse regimen, establishes a new standard of disinfecting technology for contact lens wearers.

UV Protection Should Be a National Priority, Congress Told
At a Congressional hearing yesterday, Representative Gene Green (TX) asked lawmakers to make protecting the eyes from ultra-violet (UV) rays a national health priority by increasing the prevalence of UV and eye-health messages coming from federal agencies. The Co-Chair of the Congressional Vision Caucus made his remarks at a congressional briefing hosted by Prevent Blindness America with support from the Transitions Healthy Sight for Life Fund.

Who Needs New Glasses (or Proofreader)?
Topic: Optical--Sort Of
Can you find the mistake that appeared in the OCRegister? "About 80 percent of Costco optical employees are certified for optical work by the American Board of Ophthalmology, the company says." One question remains: Did COSTCO say ABO and the OCRegister presumed the American Board of Ophthalmology? One can only hope that was the case.  

Opticians Hook Up with Hospitals in Scotland
Topic: Optical
"The new system, which builds on the investment already made in enhanced free eye examinations, will enable optometrists to send images of patients who they suspect have serious eye problems directly to hospital eye doctors. The consultant will then decide the same day whether or not a patient needs a hospital appointment." That's the start of the story posted on TheCourier.

Tom Little Optom of the Year
Topic: Optical
"Optometrist Tom Little (pictured) who was murdered whilst leading a humanitarian health mission in Afghanistan in August has been awarded the WCO International Optometrist of the Year accolade. The award is given annually to recognise an individual who has shown 'outstanding commitment and contribution to both the profession of optometry and the community at large,'"  according to a story in OptometryToday.

Health Care Costs Climb
Topic: Optical--Sort Of
"In 2011, the combined average of premium and out-of-pocket costs for health care coverage for an employee is projected to climb to $4,386, according to an annual study by Hewitt Associates to be released this week. That's a 12.4 percent increase, or $486, over this year," according to a story posted on ChicagoTribune.

Autocorrecting Glasses Wins WSJ Tech Award
Topic: Eyewear

The Wall Street Journal  named Zoom Focus Eyewear  as one of its 10 winners of the WSJ's 2010 Silver Innovation Award. The Van Nuys, CA, company's TruFocals impressed the judges. A "wearer can manually adjust to give clear, undistorted vision whether reading a book, working on a computer or looking into the distance. The judges [also] praised the potential large-scale benefit of TruFocals. Richard S. Lang, one of the judges and a physician at the Cleveland Clinic, called the technology a paradigm shift in the way it addresses a problem 'that has been handled the same way for many years.'"

Consumer complaints on Rise
Topic: Optical

 As the number of individuals who have the eye exams in the real world and buy their eyeglasses in the virtual world, complaints are rising according to United Kingdom's Optical Consumer Complaints Service. That's the post on Optician.

 

An Overview of the US Optical Market
Topic: Optical

ResearchandMarkets has compiled the following about the US retail optical market: The market, comprising some 13,000 optician stores, annually pulls in around $8 billion, while the 20,000 optometrists' offices have a slightly larger haul, $11 billion. There are three large opticians, Luxottica Retail (LensCrafters and Pearle Vision), Eye Care Centers of America, and US Vision.

"The optician segment of the industry is concentrated: the 50 largest chains hold about 60 percent of the market. The optometrist segment is highly fragmented," says the report.  "Demand is driven by demographics, fashion, and changing healthcare practices. Most important is the aging US population, which is increasing demand for eye exams and glasses....Eyeglass purchases are mildly cyclical with the economy, as many consumers view extra glasses as an expense that can be deferred. Both segments of the industry are labor-intensive: average annual revenue per employee is about $130,000 for opticians and about $100,000 for optometrists."

New Study to Explore CXL
"A new study will explore the safety and effectiveness of corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) using Riboflavin/Dextran and Hypotonic Riboflavin in patients with progressive keratoconus and corneal ectasia," according to ContactLenses.co.uk. "The research is being carried out by the Cornea and Laser Eye Institute, with Dr Peter Hersh acting as principal investigator, and the specialists hope it will show how CXL can strengthen the cornea and decrease the progression of keratoconus."

Great Web Site by CDC's Vision Health Initiative
Topic: Eye Care

While researching the information for another blog entry, we stumble upon the Center for Disease Control's Vision Health Initiative website.

First the VHI notes that "approximately 11 million Americans 12 years and older could improve their vision through proper refractive correction. More than 3.3 million Americans 40 years and older are either legally blind (having best-corrected visual acuity of 6/60 or worse (=20/200) in the better-seeing eye) or are with low vision (having best-corrected visual acuity less than 6/12 (<20/40) in the better-seeing eye, excluding those who were categorized as being blind). The leading causes of blindness and low vision in the United States are primarily age-related eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. Other common eye disorders include amblyopia and Strabismus."

Second, it has excellent video on the eye's anatomy as well as common eye health issues, including refractive errors. Unfortunately we couldn't copy them into the blog or find them on YouTube. They could be valuable for instructing patients and new employees.

You can also access information about various states' vision health, such as Connecticut's:

Indicator	Percentage	95% CI
Visual Impairment
Distance Visual Impairment	14.2%	(13.0 - 15.5)
Near Visual Impairment	35.8%	(34.0 - 37.6)
Eye Diseases and Injury
Age-related Macular Degeneration	4.0%	(3.4 - 4.7)
Cataract	19.5%	(18.3 - 20.9)
Diabetic Retinopathy	21.6%	(17.2 - 26.8)
Glaucoma	4.2%	(3.6 - 4.8)
Access to Eye Care
Eye-care Visit in the Past Year	64.7%	(62.9 - 66.6)
Reasons for No Eye-care Visit
Cost/Insurance	17.9%	(15.5 - 20.5)
No Reason to Go	56.9%	(53.6 - 60.1)
Dilated Eye Examination in the Past Year	57.1%	(55.2 - 58.9)
Eye-care Insurance	72.1%	(70.4 - 73.7)

Data Source: CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System(BRFSS) at http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/index.htm.
Suggested Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Vision Health Initiative. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/

 

New Health Care Rules Being Today
Topic: Optical--Sort Of
The NYTimes reports that "adjusting to the new terrain could push some insurers out of business, health care analysts say...'A lot of health plans will struggle and fail,' said Jeff Fusile, a health care partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers...The challenge for the industry as a whole will be to demonstrate an ability to oversee patient care and work closely with hospitals and doctors to find ways to improve the quality of care while trying to contain costs. To that end, insurers are making big investments in technology systems and new areas of expertise."

Feds Nab Millions in Fake Sunglasses
LA Times Now reported that "federal agents at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex seized thousands of pairs of knockoff sunglasses estimated to be worth more than $12 million...The 78,600 pairs of sunglasses...from China look 'confusingly similar' to designer brands such as Coach, Gucci and Emporio Armani."