Another Warning about Decorative CLs--This One from the FDA
Topic: Contact Lenses

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on October 22, 2002 warned consumers that extended use of non-corrective, decorative contact lenses could result in serious eye injury, potentially leading to blindness.

According to the FDA, extended use of decorative contact lenses, sold to consumers without a prescription and without proper fitting by an eye care professional, could lead to permanent eye damage.

Connecticut CL Specialist Speaks Out
Topic: Contact Lenses
"Having been a contact lens specialist for 15 years, I believe the article 'Bringing Focus To Corrective Lenses' [Business, Oct. 19] misidentified the important trade-offs of shopping online for prescription glasses and contact lenses. The writer readily admits that surveys show that eye doctors and opticians deliver top patient satisfaction" goes the letter to the editor in the HartfordCourant.

Curing Cataracts and Myopia All at Once

Beer Over Eye Tests
Topic: Eye Care
NTNews reports that "the average Territorian would rather spend $10 drinking beer with a mate than paying for eye care, a national survey shows."

OpticalCEUs Draws Outstanding Number of Opticians for Fall Seminar
Topic: Continuing Education

OpticalCEUs today drew more than 120 opticians from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, and Wisconsin. They came to the Conference Center at the lavish and elegant MGM Grand on the grounds of the Foxwoods Hotels and Casinos where they listened to Jean Davidson, Linda Conlin (left), and Herb Fletcher of Younger Optical discuss cosmetics and CLs, ANSI Standards for CLs, the history of eyewear, myopia and CLs, use of the new Sun Lens, the impact of the aging of baby boomers, and finally a CL fitting discussion. In the morning, the opticians enjoyed complimentary coffee and tea, and for lunch, there was an elegantly displayed buffet of cold cuts, breads, salads, and desserts.

Linda Conlin founded F.E. Enterprises in 1998 as way of providing opticians with an additional option for earning continuing education. The periodic challenges found in a typical practice inspired her time and again to use her science background to find answers for the questions and issues that arose during her career. With such a wealth of information at her disposal, Linda found starting the conference—called OpticalCEUs—a natural extension of what she had been doing for years.

Company's Staff Raise Thousands for Charity Vision Care
Topic: Eye Care

To celebrate Gap Adventures’ 20th Anniversary and its fund-raising event, Ignite the Nite, founder Bruce Poon Tip suggested a contest for employees. Gap Adventures staff around the globe were asked to create short videos that showcase an engaging story of how they have personally put into action one of the company’s five core values. The winner would receive two VIP box tickets to Neil Young’s Annual Bridge School Benefit Concert, October 23rd, in Mountain View, California. The show will feature music legends Pearl Jam, Elvis Costello, Billy Idol, Jackson Browne, and the reunion (after 40 years) of Buffalo Springfield.

Neil Hamdani and Matt Kinch won. Two hours later, Neil offered his colleagues a chance to win his ticket by connecting with their social networks and convincing "them to donate to support Planeterra’s ‘Ignite the Nite’ fundraiser.” Planeterra, the non-profit Poon Tip founded in 2003, is raising $60,000 to establish a permanent vision centre to help restore sight to thousands of rural Cambodians.

For the next several hours, Gappers from around the globe chimed in with their contribution to the spontaneous, second contest. By noon Thursday, Gap Adventures staff had voluntarily raised an additional $2,000 for the 20/20 Vision Centre.

To view entrants’ videos, http://travelblog.gapadventures.com/2010/10/19/best-contest-ever-what-will-gappers-do/ . For more information on Ignite the Nite and Gap Adventures, visit www.ignitethenite.com or www.gapadventures.com

NPR "Features" Eyeglasses
Topic: Eyewear

Recently NPR's Ira Flatow delved into the top secret world of eyewear manufacturing on NPR's Science Friday. As with most stories from NPR, it's clever and informative. The show provides a link to download the show as an MP3 file. Post the links on your store's website and its pages on MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. Don't have those? Then email it to your customers.

Projected Attendance at OpticalCEUs Fall 2010 Exceed Expectations
Topic: Continuing Education
At this time, 118 eye care professionals from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin are registered to attend the OpitcalCEUs Fall 2010 Seminar on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010. Linda Conlin, organizer of the event for than the past decade, said, "I have room for a few walk-ins as well. I'm pleased with the turnout. The total for both sessions this year exceeds last year's by 15 percent.." For those looking to register, call 203 366-5991.

Even with All the Warnings, Decorative CLs Remain a Growing Problem
Topic: Contact Lenses
"Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, Prevent Blindness Ohio and the Ohio Optical Dispensers Board are warning consumers about the danger of over-the-counter sales of decorative contact lenses during this Halloween season. According to the Optical Dispensers Board, the number of consumer complaints filed regarding the illegal sale of cosmetic contact lenses and the number of resulting cease and desist orders issued to violating businesses have shown a sharp increase in the past two years," says a press release on PressZoom. "In fiscal year 2009, the board issued 13 cease and desist orders based on consumer complaints. In FY 2010, 15 such orders were issued. So far in FY 2011 (just since July 1, 2010), 10 cease and desist orders have been issued – on pace to far surpass previous years."

Brit Firefighter Sees a New World
Topic: Optical
"When firefighter Lynsey Philpott noticed her eyesight was deteriorating, she went for a check-up at the opticians – only to be told they could do nothing for her," according to an article for the YorkshirePost. "Instead she was referred to hospital where specialists were surprised to discover she had cataracts in both her eyes which had remained undiagnosed since birth."

Most People Don't Replace Disposable CLs
Topic: Contact Lenses
"As many as three-quarters of people who wear daily disposable contact lenses do not replace them after 24 hours, a new study has found," as noted on ContactLenses.co.uk. "Research carried out by the American Optometric Association indicates that only a quarter of people who wear daily disposable contact lenses follow the manufacturer's instructions and throw them away after a day."

Negative Refraction Power Causes Underestimation of Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fibre Layer Thickness
Topic: Optical
"Measured RNFL thicknesses decreased significantly with soft contact lenses of higher plus dioptres and increased with those of more minus dioptres. This finding was consistent with or without controlling factors including the signal strength and test–retest variability of the machine. Measurement of peripapillary RNFL thicknesses was not varied between scans performed with and without plano contact lenses," reports the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Americans Take Risks with Eye Health
Topic: Eye Care

"Millions of Americans are at risk of losing their vision, according to a new survey from Lighthouse International. Yet most are not doing anything to protect their sight," notes a post on AOLHealth. "Lighthouse's newly released survey shows that even though 82 percent of Americans fear loss of vision more than the loss of any other sense, 86 percent of those at risk for eye disease or who have an eye disease do not obtain annual eye exams."

There's some help. "The American Academy of Ophthalmology and its partners today announced the expansion of a new screening initiative, EyeSmart® EyeCheck, to combat undetected eye disease and visual impairment among at-risk populations in the United States. The free vision screening pilot program will come to Chicago, Miami and San Antonio in 2011 and 2012." 

CL Warning from AOA
Topic: Contact Lenses
For 40 million Americans, using contact lenses to improve vision is a way of life. While a good number adhere to the medical guidelines for wearing contacts, some do not. According to the American Optometric Association's (AOA) annual American Eye-Q® survey, many are breaking the rules and putting their health and vision at risk by doing so.

Cataract Surgery Prevents Car Accidents
Topic: Eye Care
"Cataract surgery not only improves vision and quality of life for older people, but apparently can also help reduce the number of car crashes. The research will be presented today's at the Scientific Program of the 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) -- Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) Joint Meeting," according to a post on Sys-Con Media.

SEC Football Officials Offered Free Eye Care
Topic: Optical--Sort Of
The Slophouse blog reports: "The old saying goes, “Hey ref, get your eyes checked!” Well, now they have their chance. Fayetteville-based McDonald Eye Associates is taking it upon itself to make sure Arkansas doesn’t have any more questionable officiating. The company said in a release Tuesday it will offer free laser vision surgery to any on-field or replay booth official from Saturday’s Arkansas-Auburn game. The Razorbacks lost 65-43, but a pair of questionable Auburn touchdowns have had Arkansas fans up in arms."

Eye Care Professionals Turn Glum
Topic: Optical
"Following an uptick in August, independent ECPs’ attitudes about business declined in September to be the lowest of the year, according to the latest edition of Jobson Optical Research’s Optical Business Barometer (OBB)," according to a report in VisionMonday. "Compared to the previous month, respondents’ attitudes toward business decreased for September 2010 at an Index of 3.3 compared to the August 3.7 score."

Eye Care Professionals Experiment with Social Media Marketing
Topic: Optical

"Monica Dillon wasn't happy with her eye care provider, so when she saw an online deal for an exam and glasses for $50, she clicked on it," noted a recent post by the BaltimoreSun. "The accountant, who lives in Columbia and works in Washington, doesn't ordinarily get medical care without a recommendation. But the offer was too good to resist — and, as she notes, there would be no surgery or undressing."

 Read how Accuvue used Facebook to market CLs to teenagers.

New ABO/NCLE Group Formed
Topic: Optical
At the end of the recent ABO/NCLE National Education Conference, the organization created the Society For Advanced Opticianry. Its purpose is “to elevate the profession of opticianry through advanced education thus providing a higher level of skill and care.” Pick up more details at VisionMonday.

Sexual Misconduct Sends Optician to Jail
Topic: Optical--Sort Of

The YorkPress, a United Kingdom publication, reported that "an optician who performed a sex act while giving an eye test to a teenage girl has been struck off. Selby man John David Gill was jailed last January for 21 months after being found guilty of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and outraging public decency at his practice in Knottingley.“