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EDITORIAL 020 7501 6745 Editor-in-chief Chris Bennett 020 7501 6660 chris.bennett@markallengroup.com Editor Simon Jones 020 7501 6667 simon.jones@markallengroup.com Deputy editor Mike Hale 020 7501 6670 mike.hale@markallengroup.com Clinical editor (Optometr y) Dr Manbir Nagra manbir.nagra@markallengroup.com Clinical editor (Dispensing) Tina Arbon Black tina.arbonblack@markallengroup.com Content editor Andrew McCarthy-McClean 020 7501 6788 andrew.mcclean@markallengroup.com Online editor Lucy Patchett 020 7501 6663 lucy.patchett@markallengroup.com Production editor Gar y O’Connell 020 7501 6706 gar y.oconnell@markallengroup.com Ar t editor Sara Challinor 020 7501 6666 sara.challinor@markallengroup.com ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP Associate publisher Darren Ward 020 7501 6668 darren.ward@markallengroup.com Key account manager Joseph Lever 020 7501 6708 joseph.lever@markallengroup.com RECRUITMENT & CLASSIFIED Recruitment solutions manager Daniel Doherty 020 7501 6686 daniel.doherty@markallengroup.com Managing director Anthony Kerr 020 7501 6726 anthony.kerr@markallengroup.com Group production manager Kyri Apostolou 020 7501 6779 kyri.apostolou@markallengroup.com Production director Richard Hamshere Chief executive officer Ben Allen Chairman Mark Allen EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Will Ayliffe PhD FRCS FRCOphth DO; Sally Bates FBDO; Dr Frank Eperjesi PhD BSc MCOptom FAAO; Professor Bernard Gilmartin PhD FCOptom FAAO; Graham Hutchison MBA; Professor Mo Jalie SMSA FBDO FCGI MIMgt; Dr Lyndon Jones PhD FCOptom DCLP DOrth FAAO; Geoff Roberson BSc FCOptom; Dr Steve Taylor PhD MSc FCOptom; Graeme Young MPhil FCOptom DCLP FAAO SUBSCRIPTIONS 0800 137201 Subscribe or renew 01722 716997 subscriptions@markallengroup.com BACK ISSUES 01722 716997 REPRINTS 020 7501 6790 ISSN 0030.3968 Par t of www.markallengroup.com Optician is published ever y Friday © 2024 MA Healthcare Ltd St Judes Church, Dulwich Road, London SE24 0PB. Telephone 020 7738 5454 Website: www.opticianonline.net ISSN 0030.3968 Printed in Britain by Pensord Press, Tram Road, Pontllanfraith, Gwent, NP12 2YA Please read our privacy policy at privacypolicy.markallengroup.com. This will explain how we process, use and safeguard your data facebook.com/opticianonline 7 DAYS To read the full stories and keep up to date on the latest news and views visit opticianonline.net Falkirk DO erased from register A fitness to practise committee has erased Falkirk-based dispensing optician David McIntosh from the GOC register after his fitness to practise was found to be impaired by reason of misconduct. This was in relation to McIntosh obtaining funds from his employer by conducting unauthorised and false refund transactions, which the committee said were inappropriate and dishonest actions. The committee heard that McIntosh obtained £1,471 from his employer Specsavers on 12 separate occasions, with refunds ranging in value from £1 to £293. These unauthorised and false refund transactions took place from June 2022 to May 2023 at a practice he worked at for eight years and was a store manager. Beach clean-up at Optician event Attendees at Optician’s Eyes On Sustainability event next month (October 2) have been encouraged to join Waterhaul eyewear and Net Zero Eyecare for a beach clean-up. On the evening before the event, a team of litter pickers will scour the pebbly beach of Brighton next to the i360 venue. Volunteers can sign up at shorturl.at/pwoWK. Andrew Clark, founder of Net Zero Optics, said: ‘We’ll muster at 6pm on Tuesday, October 1, on the beach-side of the i360 – the venue for the Eyes on Sustainability Beach clean conference the following day. Me and the Waterhaul team will briefly introduce our mission and litterpicking gear will be available, as we’ll then spend an hour or so combing Brighton beach for unwanted plastic.’ Scottish myopia study presented in China Hoya Vision Care will present new clinical evidence on its MiyoSmart spectacle lenses and results from a 2024 Scottish study at the International Myopia Conference in China on September 25-28. Dr Hua Qi will present at the event on how to evaluate the optical performance of spectacles lenses with micro lens array. An analysis of a five-year study in Scotland will be made by Dr Miriam Conway who will highlight the increased proportions of children with myopia post-Covid and the association between living in flats and myopia. Sally Li, managing director of Hoya Vision Care China, said: ‘The research we will present at IMC 2024 demonstrates our ongoing commitment to raise awareness of myopia and mitigate its impact through action.’ CLOs given green light on new therapy A new therapy to treat inflammation and damage to the surface of the eye can now be issued by contact lens opticians (CLO). The Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) has confirmed that CLOs will be covered under their existing professional indemnity insurance to prescribe NuVision’s Omnigen and OmniLenz. The treatment options used dried placental tissue (amniotic membrane) that is applied to the eye’s surface and held in place using a bandage contact lens. Amniotic membrane ABDO said CLOs who undertook training provided by NuVision now had a new option to support patients with corneal damage and ocular surface disease. Model students trained with model eye Huddersfield University optometry lecturers have published a study outlining how a model eye has been used to train students in the clinical skill of tonometry. Lecturers, Kate Doorduyn, Rebekka Heitmar, Lauren Coetzee, in the department of optometry and vision sciences first began using the model as an instruction tool for tonometry during Covid-19. The study highlighted that ‘the tonometry model eye was reported to be a useful experiential tool, facilitating a safe learning environment for students to develop the technical skills required to perform Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) before moving on to real-eye experiences.’ Due to the use of the model eye, 86% of students reported improvements in confidence Model eye 4 OPTICIAN 27 September 2024 opticianonline.net
page 5
Follow us on X @opticianonline NEWS IN BRIEF Week of charitable activity planned at Suzanne Dennis Optometrist An independent in the Nor th-West is hosting a week-long special event at its three practices to raise awareness and funds for a local charity. Suzanne Dennis Optometrist’s practices in Parbold, Standish and Eccleston were suppor ting the Natalie Kate Moss Trust from October 14-19. Workshops will be held all week to monitor blood pressure and provide education around brain haemorrhages, as well as raffles and a Tom Ford eyewear showcase. Joe Higham, co-director of the three practices, said: ‘The charity links to what we do, in terms of looking at the posterior of the eye and the health of the blood vessels, which can indicate things like high blood pressure. ‘There’s evidence to suggest that we can see changes to blood vessels up to four years before any symptoms appear. We can look at an eye and as a result, recommend that someone goes for a blood pressure check. ‘All this links to the fundamentals of the charity, so we wanted to be par t of the drive to provide awareness and education around brain haemorrhages, while suppor ting a local charity.’ The independent will donate £50 to the charity for ever y frame purchase over the value of £399 during the week and patients Suzanne Dennis Optometrist staff running for the Natalie Kate Moss Trust will be incentivised with an offer of free lens upgrades during the week. Staff at Suzanne Dennis Optometrist completed a 10k run in Manchester earlier in the year and plans are being made to run a half marathon in Paris next year as par t of its fundraising activity. performing tonometry and 82% recommended the tool. EssilorLuxottica extends Meta partnership EssilorLuxottica has extended its partnership with Meta Platforms and will continue to develop multigenerational smart eyewear products. The two companies first partnered in 2019 and have launched two generations of Ray-Ban branded smart glasses in the US, UK, Australia and across Europe. ‘The incredible work we’ve done with Meta, still in its early stages, has already proven to be an important milestone in our journey to making glasses the gateway to the connected world,’ said Francesco Milleri, chair and CEO at EssilorLuxottica. Meta Ray-Ban Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta, added he was excited about the long-term partnership with EssilorLuxottica and the opportunity to turn frames into the next major technology platform. Marcolin makes key appointments Marcolin has made two appointments to support the growth of its luxury brands and commitment to providing exceptional service to its customers. Simone Wray has joined as representative in Greater London for Tom Ford, Zegna and Max Mara and Marcolin said her experience in the region would strengthen the position of its premium brands. Jen Efremova has joined as a senior key account manager for UK and Eire and has a background in the fashion industry, including at Stella McCartney. She will be the primary contact for on and offline accounts and have a key role in delivering growth across the entire Marcolin portfolio within all commercial channels. Groundbreaking study into FECD Advanced optical genome mapping has been used to identify how vision-loss disease Fuchs Simone Wray, Marcolin endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) progresses and potential therapeutic developments. A study, published in eBioMedicine journal and led by the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, revealed that understanding the mechanisms behind FECD was key to developing new treatments for FECD and other diseases related to genetic mutations. Findings of those with FECD highlighted the significance of the extreme genetic instability on a molecular level that enables a high frequency of mutations, which was heavily impacted by both size and patient age. It said that a key factor in developing FECD is the expansion of a specific DNA sequence within the TCF4 gene, called CTG18.1, and researchers aimed to develop further experiments to examine how and when this genetic change happens. Glaucoma research awarded Glaucoma UK and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists have granted its 2024 research award to Dr Lisa Hill and Dr Victoria McGilligan for two projects to the total of nearly £200,000. Dr Lisa Hill at the University of Birmingham has received £99,652 towards the development of a treatment for primary open angle glaucoma by targeting the prevention and treatment of extracellular matrix ECM dysfunction. Dr Victoria McGilligan at Ulster University has been awarded £99,919 to develop a bispecific antibody therapy targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome for glaucoma, which is said to potentially stop glaucoma progression, offering a new treatment approach beyond just lowering eye pressure. opticianonline.net 27 September 2024 OPTICIAN 5

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EDITORIAL 020 7501 6745 Editor-in-chief Chris Bennett 020 7501 6660 chris.bennett@markallengroup.com Editor Simon Jones 020 7501 6667 simon.jones@markallengroup.com Deputy editor Mike Hale 020 7501 6670 mike.hale@markallengroup.com Clinical editor (Optometr y) Dr Manbir Nagra manbir.nagra@markallengroup.com Clinical editor (Dispensing) Tina Arbon Black tina.arbonblack@markallengroup.com Content editor Andrew McCarthy-McClean 020 7501 6788 andrew.mcclean@markallengroup.com Online editor Lucy Patchett 020 7501 6663 lucy.patchett@markallengroup.com Production editor Gar y O’Connell 020 7501 6706 gar y.oconnell@markallengroup.com Ar t editor Sara Challinor 020 7501 6666 sara.challinor@markallengroup.com ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP Associate publisher Darren Ward 020 7501 6668 darren.ward@markallengroup.com Key account manager Joseph Lever 020 7501 6708 joseph.lever@markallengroup.com RECRUITMENT & CLASSIFIED Recruitment solutions manager Daniel Doherty 020 7501 6686 daniel.doherty@markallengroup.com Managing director Anthony Kerr 020 7501 6726 anthony.kerr@markallengroup.com Group production manager Kyri Apostolou 020 7501 6779 kyri.apostolou@markallengroup.com Production director Richard Hamshere Chief executive officer Ben Allen Chairman Mark Allen EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Will Ayliffe PhD FRCS FRCOphth DO; Sally Bates FBDO; Dr Frank Eperjesi PhD BSc MCOptom FAAO; Professor Bernard Gilmartin PhD FCOptom FAAO; Graham Hutchison MBA; Professor Mo Jalie SMSA FBDO FCGI MIMgt; Dr Lyndon Jones PhD FCOptom DCLP DOrth FAAO; Geoff Roberson BSc FCOptom; Dr Steve Taylor PhD MSc FCOptom; Graeme Young MPhil FCOptom DCLP FAAO SUBSCRIPTIONS 0800 137201 Subscribe or renew 01722 716997 subscriptions@markallengroup.com BACK ISSUES 01722 716997 REPRINTS 020 7501 6790 ISSN 0030.3968

Par t of www.markallengroup.com

Optician is published ever y Friday © 2024 MA Healthcare Ltd St Judes Church, Dulwich Road, London SE24 0PB. Telephone 020 7738 5454 Website: www.opticianonline.net ISSN 0030.3968 Printed in Britain by Pensord Press, Tram Road, Pontllanfraith, Gwent, NP12 2YA Please read our privacy policy at privacypolicy.markallengroup.com. This will explain how we process, use and safeguard your data facebook.com/opticianonline

7 DAYS

To read the full stories and keep up to date on the latest news and views visit opticianonline.net

Falkirk DO erased from register A fitness to practise committee has erased Falkirk-based dispensing optician David McIntosh from the GOC register after his fitness to practise was found to be impaired by reason of misconduct.

This was in relation to McIntosh obtaining funds from his employer by conducting unauthorised and false refund transactions, which the committee said were inappropriate and dishonest actions.

The committee heard that McIntosh obtained £1,471 from his employer Specsavers on 12 separate occasions, with refunds ranging in value from £1 to £293.

These unauthorised and false refund transactions took place from June 2022 to May 2023 at a practice he worked at for eight years and was a store manager.

Beach clean-up at Optician event Attendees at Optician’s Eyes On Sustainability event next month (October 2) have been encouraged to join Waterhaul eyewear and Net Zero Eyecare for a beach clean-up.

On the evening before the event, a team of litter pickers will scour the pebbly beach of Brighton next to the i360 venue. Volunteers can sign up at shorturl.at/pwoWK.

Andrew Clark, founder of Net Zero Optics, said: ‘We’ll muster at 6pm on Tuesday, October 1, on the beach-side of the i360 – the venue for the Eyes on Sustainability

Beach clean conference the following day. Me and the Waterhaul team will briefly introduce our mission and litterpicking gear will be available, as we’ll then spend an hour or so combing Brighton beach for unwanted plastic.’

Scottish myopia study presented in China Hoya Vision Care will present new clinical evidence on its MiyoSmart spectacle lenses and results from a 2024 Scottish study at the International Myopia Conference in China on September 25-28.

Dr Hua Qi will present at the event on how to evaluate the optical performance of spectacles lenses with micro lens array.

An analysis of a five-year study in Scotland will be made by Dr Miriam Conway who will highlight the increased proportions of children with myopia post-Covid and the association between living in flats and myopia.

Sally Li, managing director of Hoya Vision Care China, said: ‘The research we will present at IMC 2024 demonstrates our ongoing commitment to raise awareness of myopia and mitigate its impact through action.’

CLOs given green light on new therapy A new therapy to treat inflammation and damage to the surface of the eye can now be issued by contact lens opticians (CLO).

The Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) has confirmed that CLOs will be covered under their existing professional indemnity insurance to prescribe NuVision’s Omnigen and OmniLenz.

The treatment options used dried placental tissue (amniotic membrane) that is applied to the eye’s surface and held in place using a bandage contact lens.

Amniotic membrane

ABDO said CLOs who undertook training provided by NuVision now had a new option to support patients with corneal damage and ocular surface disease.

Model students trained with model eye Huddersfield University optometry lecturers have published a study outlining how a model eye has been used to train students in the clinical skill of tonometry.

Lecturers, Kate Doorduyn, Rebekka Heitmar, Lauren Coetzee, in the department of optometry and vision sciences first began using the model as an instruction tool for tonometry during Covid-19.

The study highlighted that ‘the tonometry model eye was reported to be a useful experiential tool, facilitating a safe learning environment for students to develop the technical skills required to perform Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) before moving on to real-eye experiences.’

Due to the use of the model eye, 86% of students reported improvements in confidence

Model eye

4 OPTICIAN 27 September 2024

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