A preview into advances in optometry at EnVision Summit 2026

In part of the Educational Track at EnVision Summit 2026, ODs and MDs will detail advances in optometry over 2 days at the conference. Jade Coats, OD, FAAO, and Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, DipABO, are a few of the many that will be weighing in over February 14 and 15 in Puerto Rico on said advancements and what they mean for eye care. Koetting and Coats sat down with the Eye Care Network to provide a preview of their session.

What are some recent drug approvals that you believe that have the power of changing approaches to disease management/treatment?

Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, DipABO: So we've got a couple of really big advances or FDA approvals that have happened in the last couple years, even within this last year. We just had Tenpoint [Therapeutics] for their presbyopia drop, which is now the fourth to the category. We had 2 others that are approved in the last year and a half to 2 years. So that category is really building up, and I'm really excited to see now that we have multiple players, what's going to work out. Because it's not a 1 size fits everyone. It's really what works for each person. So whether that be Qlosi from Orasis [Pharmaceuticals], whether that be Vuity, the OG. We've got Vizz in there, [Yuvezzi,] the one from Tenpoint.

We got about a bunch of options in the dry eye space. We now have Tryptyr, which is the acoltremon drop, that has been doing phenomenal in clinic. It'll be really interesting to talk to other doctors about it and [know] what we're seeing. And alongside of our other drops: our cyclosporin, our lifitograst, our varenicline nasal spray. Where do these all fit and how do we navigate these nuances of which patient and what [treatment]?

Jade Coats, OD, FAAO: Several recent drug approvals have the potential to meaningfully shift how we care for patients by expanding both what we can treat and how we individualize treatment. In dry eye disease, neuromodulatory therapies such as Tryptyr represent a significant advancement by targeting the neural–inflammatory feedback loop that drives chronic symptoms. Rather than simply supplementing tears or suppressing inflammation broadly, these therapies address underlying pathophysiology, which can lead to more durable symptom relief for the right patient.

In presbyopia, the approval of pharmacologic options like Qlosi, Yuvezzi, and Vizz is reshaping how we think about near vision correction. These drops offer non-surgical, on-demand solutions that may reduce dependence on reading glasses or multifocal contact lenses for select patients. Importantly, they allow us to tailor treatment to lifestyle needs—whether that’s occasional near tasks, professional demands, or cosmetic preferences. Collectively, these approvals reflect a broader shift toward personalized, patient-centered eye care that moves beyond 1-size-fits-all management.

What is a modality/technology/drug in eye care that you couldn’t imagine practicing without?

Coats: High-resolution ocular imaging has become indispensable in my practice, particularly meibography. These technologies allow us to visualize disease in ways that were simply not possible a decade ago—whether it’s subtle corneal changes, tear film dynamics, or meibomian gland architecture. This level of detail enables earlier detection, more precise diagnosis, and better monitoring of treatment response.

Beyond diagnostics, these tools have dramatically improved patient education and engagement. When patients can see gland dropout or corneal irregularity, it transforms abstract symptoms into something tangible, which improves understanding, trust, and adherence to treatment plans. Imaging has shifted eye care from reactive symptom management to proactive, data-driven decision-making.

Koetting: How about this: a slit lamp. I will bring it back to the basics. I talk about this when I lecture that we take it for granted, but you can learn so much from a slit lamp and just for a very pointed exam. So I think I'm going to throw it back to the basics right there. I'm actually really excited in a lot of the things I've learned is to how to look at patients’ eyes, looking at the skin, the muscles, everything, even just around the eye.

How do you predict artificial intelligence (AI) will assist the advancement of optometry?

Koetting: AI is just going to make our job easier and allow us to move forward and to continue to grow. I don't think it's something we should be afraid of. It's going to get implemented. It's happening. It's going to be there, but it's going to be an assistance. It's not going to take over by any means. We've been using it in retina for years. There's the software to help with detection. It's going to get better. That's going to help us with patients, maybe catching something subclinical. Why do we have an optical coherence tomography [OCT]? We dilate, but we can catch things on an OCT that we can't catch with dilation because our eyes can only see the top right. It can see layers. I want to think about AI like that in that now we're adding that in. So it's that next advancement that's going to help us do our job and catch things earlier.

Coats: AI has enormous potential to enhance both clinical precision and practice efficiency in optometry. Clinically, I anticipate AI playing a growing role in early disease detection, progression risk stratification, and decision support—particularly for retinal disease and glaucoma. By identifying subtle patterns that may not be immediately apparent to the human eye, AI can help clinicians intervene earlier and tailor treatment more effectively.

Equally important is AI’s ability to streamline administrative and workflow burdens, from documentation and imaging analysis to patient triage and follow-up. By reducing time spent on non-clinical tasks, AI can allow optometrists to focus more fully on patient interaction, education, and complex decision-making. Used thoughtfully, AI won’t replace clinical judgment—it will enhance it, ultimately improving access, efficiency, and outcomes in eye care.