By Staff
Monday, July 15, 2024 1:11 PM
It's official—summer has arrived. Last week, a large region of the United States was engulfed by a stubborn heat wave that just won’t seem to quit. The Western part of the country has been especially hard hit as the region suffered through triple-digit temperatures as high as 115 degrees in Las Vegas. As people head to pools, lakes and beaches to escape the scorching temperatures, the heat is not the only danger out there. According to the New England College of Optometry (NECO), swimming can expose your eyes to various potential hazards, including chlorine irritation, eye infections and UV rays.
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By Staff
Monday, July 15, 2024 12:55 PM
At the 2024 Global Health Summit held in Geneva, May 31, 2024, Hoya Vision Care’s CEO Alexandre Montague pushed for urgent action to improve early detection and reduce the burden of myopia in children. Montague’s goal is to make myopia a global priority for governments and public health bodies, encouraging them to act collectively to ensure early detection and increase education and awareness.
Review of Myopia Management recently caught up with Montague to learn about the importance of prioritizing myopia care, how Hoya is working to spread the message of myopia management, the potential long-term burden on health care systems if myopia is unaddressed, and more.
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By Staff
Friday, July 12, 2024 4:56 PM
EMERYVILLE, Calif.—NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American: NBY), a developer of eyecare, skin care and wound care products, has announced preliminary net revenue of $2.4 million for the second quarter of 2024 and $5.0 million for the first half of 2024, primarily derived from the company’s eyecare products. Net revenue from the company’s eyecare products increased by 9 percent for both the second quarter and the first half of 2024 compared with the corresponding periods in 2023, the company noted. NovaBay also said it expects 2024 net revenue from the company’s eyecare products to be approximately $10 million.
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By Staff
Friday, July 12, 2024 9:05 AM
In all the excitement of writing the last column for Focus on Refraction, it somehow slipped by us that it was the 50th! We have covered a spectrum of topics and tools that we use to help in prescribing decisions and have even waxed the philosophical (just a bit). For our 51st column, we wanted to do a “clip show” and highlight some of the past 50 columns as a refresher for those of you who might have missed them. They are all available on the
Review of Optometry website, so you can dig in at your leisure. Here’s a key point or two from each.
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By Staff
Thursday, July 11, 2024 1:44 PM
SAN FRANCISCO—The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society have issued a response to a recent study that suggests patients taking semaglutide—the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy—may be at higher risk of developing non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, an eye condition that can cause blindness. The study, conducted by researchers at Harvard University, was published on July 3, 2024 in
JAMA Ophthalmology.
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By Staff
Thursday, July 11, 2024 1:33 PM
Capturing optical sales requires a patient experience that is smooth, enjoyable and efficient. Here are the key characteristics of our optical dispensary that have resulted in consistently impressive yearly sales growth since our cold-start practice opened in 2015. As practice manager, I run a monthly sales report of how many frames were sold, and which ones need to be reordered. Like clockwork, on the third Thursday of every month, I reorder the frames that were sold, so no empty slots appear for our patients when they are browsing.
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By Staff
Wednesday, July 10, 2024 10:50 AM
NEW YORK—The national average for gross revenue at ECP locations decreased last week, July 1–7, when compared with the previous week, at a rate of -36 index points due to last week’s July Fourth Independence Day holiday. That places gross revenue at a level -26 index points below where it was at this point in time (Week 27) when compared with last year (2023), -18 points below the same period in 2022, -12 points below 2021, -1 point below 2020 and 17 points above 2019, according to Jobson’s most recent Practice Performance Tracker.
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By Staff
Wednesday, July 10, 2024 10:40 AM
Every year,
Women In Optometry highlights those optometry students who graduate at the top of their class. This year, we’ve created a special section around this feature with additional content. We’ve divided the top grads into region, so readers can find their alma mater or schools in the area more quickly. We’ve also added some data from the schools on the entire graduating class where we could. We’ve visited with previous top grads from earlier years to learn what they are doing now. And finally, we have added a financial section that addresses different approaches to student loan debt.
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By Staff
Tuesday, July 9, 2024 12:16 PM
July is Dry Eye Awareness month, calling attention to a disease that the National Eye Institute (NEI) estimates affects nearly 16 million Americans—a number that is expected to grow. Symptoms of dry eye disease can include a stinging or burning feeling in the eyes, red eyes, sensitivity to light, blurry vision and itchiness. A broad range of treatment options are available, ranging from over-the-counter eye drops and nutritional supplements to prescription medications. And while it is highly treatable, dry eye disease does not discriminate; if left untreated, the NEI warns that it could lead to further medical and vision issues, especially in those with comorbidities. In light of these concerns, several initiatives are underway to help educate both optometrists and the general public about this common condition.
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By Staff
Tuesday, July 9, 2024 12:05 PM
Those of us who dispense eyewear have our favorite memories of dispensing. I remember how much it changed my perspective of the profession when I was first able to deliver clear vision to someone who had never experienced it before. What a powerful memory. How often do you get to deliver a “wow” visual experience in the context of your everyday working life? Do you wish it were more often? I would like to share a product experience that brought that feeling back to me, and believe it or not, it happened with a single vision lens.
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By Staff
Monday, July 8, 2024 11:15 AM
NEW YORK—A Jobson Research poll of opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists in response to recent updates by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to the Eyeglass Rule shows that the changes will have moderate to significant impact on practices' workload and bottom line. As recently
reported in
VMAIL, the FTC announced final updates late last month to its Ophthalmic Practice Rules, also known as the Eyeglass Rule, in what the organization stated was an effort to increase compliance with the requirement that ophthalmologists and optometrists provide patients with a free copy of their prescription immediately following a refractive eye exam.
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By Staff
Monday, July 8, 2024 11:10 AM
It’s always nice to get something for nothing. There’s usually a catch, however, or at least a trade-off, a quid pro quo. So, it’s not really free. It’s a transaction with both sides realizing something of value. Perhaps not equal value, but value. It’s a situation where no one feels taken advantage of, or used. Because if they do end up feeling used, that might be the last transaction. It wouldn’t encourage an ongoing relationship. This entire line of thought came up as I struggled yet again, and on an almost daily basis, with the challenges of providing consulting services to our medical center affiliate.
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By Staff
Friday, July 5, 2024 2:29 PM
VANCOUVER, British Columbia—KITS Eyecare Ltd. (TSX: KITS), a vertically integrated eyecare provider, has provided selected preliminary unaudited results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024. According to the company, total revenue grew 25 percent year-over-year to approximately $37.5 million. The company also reported that adjusted EBITDA increased year-over-year to over 3 percent of revenue and that it finished the second quarter with a cash balance of more than $19.0 million. "We are delighted to share another record quarter for the KITS business, including our seventh consecutive quarter of positive adjusted EBITDA and revenue growth at over 5x the industry average," said Roger Hardy, co-founder and CEO of KITS.
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By Staff
Friday, July 5, 2024 2:16 PM
Every day, I read articles in the consumer media as well as professional journals about novel, exciting uses for AI. Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence technology that broadly describes machine learning systems capable of generating text, images, code, or other types of content in response to a prompt entered by a user. AI is becoming increasingly valuable in the field of myopia management due to its ability to process vast amounts of data and provide personalized treatment recommendations. By analyzing patient data, including axial length, refractive errors, lifestyle factors, and genetic predisposition, AI algorithms can help eyecare professionals tailor interventions to individual needs. Additionally, AI can assist in early detection of myopia progression by identifying subtle changes in the fundus over time, allowing for timely intervention to slow down the condition.
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By Staff
Wednesday, July 3, 2024 4:03 PM
DULUTH, Ga.—National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYE), one of the largest optical retail companies in the U.S., has announced the appointment of Mark Banner as the company’s new chief stores officer, effective July 8, 2024. Banner is transitioning into the role previously held by Sharon Petitt due to her planned retirement. A specialty retailer who joins the company after a seven-year tenure at Sleep Number, the company stated, Banner brings team leadership expertise in sales, sales operations, digital, promotion and real estate. Before Sleep Number, Banner dedicated 18 years to Signet Jewelers, a global specialty retailer jeweler.
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