New FDA Warning Added to Popular Weight Loss Drugs

By Staff
Thursday, November 7, 2024 5:06 PM The FDA has added a new warning about pulmonary aspiration during general anesthesia or deep sedation for people taking popular GLP-1 weight loss drugs. Head over to WebMD to find out what you need to know to stay safe while taking these medications.

National Vision Grows Revenue 2.9 Percent in Third Quarter, Announces Plans to Close 39 Stores by End of Fiscal 2026

By Staff
Thursday, November 7, 2024 10:42 AM DULUTH, Ga.—National Vision Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYE) reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 28, 2024. Net revenue increased 2.9 percent to $451.5 million, compared with the third quarter of 2023 and was primarily driven by growth from new store sales, adjusted comparable store sales growth and the effect of unearned revenue, partially offset by the effect of converted and closed stores and lower e-commerce revenue, the company said. Net loss from continuing operations was $8.4 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared with $0.4 million in the third quarter of 2023. Read More

Review of Myopia Management: A Practical Approach to Combination Therapy

By Staff
Thursday, November 7, 2024 10:33 AM Every year, more children become myopic at younger ages, making myopia management increasingly important. Three treatments are now available in the U.S.: low-dose atropine, orthokeratology, and dual focus and EDOF soft contact lenses (next-generation spectacles are not currently available in the U.S.). But what should clinicians do when a patient needs more than one of them? What are the protocols for combination therapy? And how do we determine not only who should receive combination therapy but also when? I lead myopia management at Arlington Loudoun Pediatric Ophthalmology. This busy practice presents me with a variety of challenging cases. As a result, I’ve sought to determine the best practices for combination therapy. Read More

De-Stress With Your Pet

By Staff
Wednesday, November 6, 2024 1:47 PM Feeling a little stressed out? Head over to WebMD for 10 quick ways to reduce your stress, including spending some time with your fluffy friends. 

SECO International Opens Nominations for 2025 Awards

By Staff
Wednesday, November 6, 2024 11:52 AM ATLANTA—SECO International, an organization that provides optometric continuing education and professional development, has announced a call for nominations for its 2025 awards, to be presented here during the Southern Council of Optometrists (SoCO) House of Delegates on Saturday, March 1, 2025. These awards honor exceptional individuals for their outstanding contributions to the field of optometry, according to the announcement. Nominations must be submitted by November 30, 2024. According to SECO, nominations must include: the nominee’s name, award category, and state of practice; a letter outlining the reasons for the nomination; and the nominee’s biography or curriculum vitae (CV). Read More

Review of Optometry: How to Lose a Patient

By Staff
Wednesday, November 6, 2024 11:41 AM A 69-year-old woman presented as a new patient in June 2024 requesting transfer of her care to our office. Significant in her medical history is bilateral cataract extractions in 2022, followed thereafter with a membrane peel OS. She was discouraged that her vision was suboptimal, she had developed glaucoma and felt the practice she was transferring from did not give her the attention she was looking for. She also felt she was seeing a different doctor each time she was at that office. Eventually, she self-referred to a university eye clinic and apparently was told that she would be able to see somewhat better if her eyeglass prescription was changed, but the last clinic did not agree with that opinion. Read More

Survey of ODs Provides Insights to Students Considering a Career in Optometry

By Staff
Tuesday, November 5, 2024 12:22 PM BOYNTON BEACH, Fla.—Many factors go into choosing a medical specialty such as optometry, including personal history, clinical interests, duration of the training involved, career opportunities, and financial and work-life balance considerations. New research now provides individuals who might be considering becoming an optometrist with information about the profession and how it might fit into their interests, skills, career goals and lifestyle aspirations. Nearly 325 optometrists participated in the “Career Considerations in Optometry” survey conducted by Jobson Research in conjunction with Latinos en Optometry and Transitions Optical Limited. Read More

Review of Optometric Business: The Digital Strategy and Partner Helping My Optometry Practice Beat Online Retailers

By Staff
Tuesday, November 5, 2024 12:13 PM When patients have myriad online retailers to choose from for glasses and contacts, your optometry practice needs a next-level digital marketing strategy. Marketing your practice online is not a one-and-done deal, but, rather an ongoing pursuit. With Google frequently changing its search ranking algorithms, you can’t rest on your laurels because you recently revamped your site and post to social media everyday. For example, we improved our website in recent years to make it possible for patients to purchase at-home dry eye treatment supplies and contact lenses without leaving our site. Here are some details on the digital strategy my practice implemented over the last decade, including how we received just the support we needed from a key industry partner, Ocuco. Read More

A History of State Names

By Staff
Tuesday, November 5, 2024 10:18 AM With election coverage on 24/7, we've all spent a lot of time hearing various state names this week. But have you ever wondered where each state name came from? Head over to Mental Floss for a brief history of 50 names. 

The 'I Voted' Sticker

By Staff
Monday, November 4, 2024 1:03 PM It's Election Day, and you'll probably be seeing lots of people proudly displaying their "I Voted" stickers throughout the day. So, where did the sticker come from, and when did it start becoming the standard? Head over to Mental Floss for a quick look at the history of the "I Voted" sticker.

Industry Veteran Mike Daley Passes Away at 73

By Staff
Monday, November 4, 2024 11:30 AM SAFETY HARBOR, Fla.—Longtime optical industry veteran R. Michael (Mike) Daley passed away on Nov. 1 at the age of 73. Daley began his optical career as an instructor with Ferris State University in 1975, and soon joined Essilor in 1976 as a sales consultant for MultiOptics Corporation, which later became Varilux Corporation. Over the following 13 years, his responsibilities increased to include marketing, technical services, laboratory operations, and sales and ultimately resulted in his promotion to president of Varilux Corporation in 1989. In 1996, Daley was appointed president and COO of Essilor’s United States Lens Division, which became known as Essilor Lenses following the merger of the Varilux and Silor commercial distribution networks. After 32 years with Essilor, he retired in 2008. Read More

Women In Optometry: Doctors Share Myopia Management Practices

By Staff
Monday, November 4, 2024 11:20 AM Jacquie Bowen, OD, FAAO, who will become president of the American Optometric Association at the next Optometry’s Meeting in June 2025 in Minneapolis, and Michele Andrews, OD, VP of marketing and professional affairs at CooperVision, discuss the goals of the Myopia Collective and the Change Agents who are driving change and best strategies in myopia management. Read More

The National Average for Gross Revenue at ECP Locations Remained Flat for the Week of October 21–27, Jobson’s Latest Practice Performance Tracker Shows

By Staff
Friday, November 1, 2024 12:07 PM NEW YORK—The national average for gross revenue at ECP locations remained flat for the week of October 21–27 when compared with the previous week. That places gross revenue at a level 13 index points above where it was at this point in time (Week 43) when compared with last year (2023), 16 points above the same period in 2022, 24 points above 2021, 20 points above 2020 and 32 points above 2019, according to Jobson’s most recent Practice Performance Tracker. Read More

20/20: Road to Sustainability

By Staff
Friday, November 1, 2024 12:00 PM The optical arena has seen a positive upsurge in sustainability initiatives over the past decade, as more manufacturers and designers are opting to source and use eco-friendly materials and practices to create optical and sunwear options for consumers seeking to reduce their ecological footprint. Without sacrificing quality and style, sustainable frames are an easy way to go green. To honor these new strides in the industry, 20/20 has curated a wide selection of eyewear styles that all feature sustainability components. From the use of bio-based and environmentally safe materials, biodegradable demo lenses and even recyclable packaging materials, each one of these frames represents eyewear’s road to sustainability. Read More

Allergies and Holiday Season

By Staff
Friday, November 1, 2024 11:47 AM Holiday season can mean a lot of eating, especially in large groups, which can be difficult for those with food allergies. Visit WebMD for some advice on how to handle food allergies without missing out on the joy this holiday season.