Nicox recently announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire all outstanding equity of Aciex Therapeutics, Inc., an ophthalmic development pharmaceutical company based in the United States.

VSP Vision Care recently announced its individual vision plans are now available for sale by insurance brokers in the United States.

CooperVision has launched an app that will help patients find more information on the right contact lenses for them, find an optometrist, and remind them when it’s time to replace their lenses.

Eyecare professionals have a new tool to help them educate patients about UV exposure, courtesy of The Vision Care Institute.

iHealth has launched a glucose monitor for iPhone and Android smartphones. According to the company, iHealth Align is the world’s smallest and most portable mobile glucometer.

A viewpoint article recently published in JAMA argued that mobile health (mHealth) apps should be reviewed and certified by experts to “ensure the apps do not post potential harm to their users or have significant security or privacy vulnerabilities.”

Allergan recently announced it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Ozurdex (dexamethasone intravitreal implant) 0.7 mg as a new treatment option for diabetic macular edema (DME) in adult patients who have an artificial lens implant (pseudophakic) or are scheduled for cataract surgery (phakic).

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAOphth) has reiterated its stance on medical marijuana for the treatment of glaucoma, stating that it finds no scientific evidence that marijuana is an effective long-term treatment for the disease, particularly when compared to the current prescription medication and surgical treatment available.

M&S Technologies has announced that the latest version of its Smart System 20/20 software is intergrade with Echo patient education from Eyemaginiations.

Abbott recently announced it has received CE Marking (Conformité Européenne) in Europe for the Tecnis Symfony extended range of vision intraocular lens (IOL) for the treatment of cataract patients who may also have presbyopia.

A study from the Centre for Eye Research Australia at the University of Melbourne found that comprehensive ophthalmologist and ophthalmology trainees who participated in an online multinational study to assess optic discs were about twice as likely to underestimate as to overestimate glaucoma risk.

A recent study published in Optometry and Vision Science supported the biocompatibility of contact lenses coated with an antimicrobial peptide, which could help lower the risk of contact lens-related infections.

Research from the University of California, San Francisco, found that adding topical corticosteroids two to three days after starting topical antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial keratitis is linked to improved vision, according to a study recently published in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Two new therapies are aiming to treat dry eye disease by targeting dry eye-related inflammation.

The second step of the retail selling process is the interview. During the interview, the optician attempts to learn the customer’s unique set of needs, wants, and desires. Notice I did not say just needs or wants. Both of these are important and strong motives to buy, but desire is even more important. In fact, without being able to increase desire to purchase a product, an optician will have a great deal of difficulty establishing value in the product(s) being offered.

Since the baby boomers have boomed, the syneresis process seems to be moving as fast as the polar ice cap is melting. I understand the sudden appearance of a large dark object is worrisome and needs to be managed in our offices. Yet, can we overdo it? What is really the most appropriate time frame to get these patients in for a look and when should they be seen again?

We often hear that we get out of life what we put into it. How can we change our outcome or results unless we utilize a new approach and vary our vision? I often say that instead of being stressed, we should accept the things we cannot change and find a way to reach a win-win outcome by embracing what we can control. Knowing that managed vision care is a part of our lives let us explore ways to make it more profitable for our practices.

Are there any absolute laws for glaucoma other than the broad few that govern its definition? Well, maybe not. Think about it. The word “typically” precedes much of what we say when we describe glaucoma outside of its definition. An example would be the fact that visual field loss is typically nasal at first. However, a temporal wedge defect may, at times, be the first defect to become manifest.

Whether you practice in a small private practice, a commercial setting, or a large hospital-based institution, Windows withdrawal of support for Windows XP as of April 8, 2014 needs to be seriously addressed by you or your organization.

By now, we have all heard about the SELECT trial and the ensuing media fish-oil frenzy concerning prostate cancer.1 A broad cross-section of industry and academic experts has slammed this study as nonsense. The SELECT study was a secondary analysis study that did not provide subjects with fish oil supplements nor monitor what type of fish or fish oil supplements were consumed