Oasis Medical, Inc. recently introduced new viscoadaptive lubricant eye drops, Oasis Tears and Oasis Tears Plus. According to the company, both products are glycerin based lubricant eye drops that coat, lubricate and moisten delicate ocular tissue for instant long lasting relief of dry eye symptoms with fewer applications. The company states that Oasis Tears is for mild to moderate dry eye symptoms and Oasis Tears Plus is designed for those with moderate to severe symptoms. Both products are preservative-free and come in sterile, disposable containers. 
     For more information, please contact Oasis Customer Service at 800-631-7180 or visit www.oasistears.com.

A group of optometrists recently formed the Optometric Nutrition Society (ONS). According the their recent announcement, the founders believe that the demand for vision services is expected to flood the healthcare system by 2015 due to age-related eye disease and the diabetes epidemic. Therefore, according to the society, disease prevention, including lifestyle modification, attention to dietary intake and micronutrient supplementation must become more of a focus of primary vision care.
     The key purpose of the ONS is to promote excellence in the care of optometric patients through nutritional support of eye health and the prevention and control of ocular and systemic disease. The society also plans to sponsor professional symposia as well as a website; to generate materials to educate professionals regarding the role of nutrition in systemic and ocular health; to provide a forum where health care professionals can exchange ideas and concepts regarding nutritional influences on vision; to provide a resource pool of clinically relevant refereed studies that support the role of safe nutritional support for the management of ocular and systemic disease; to monitor and validate claims made by industry regarding the quality and efficacy of nutritional supplements and to encourage the inclusion of nutrition education in the curricula of optometry schools.
     For more information on the ONS contact Dr. Jeffrey Anshel at 760-944-1200 or eyedoc@adnc.com.

Nothing drives referrals like satisfied patients. And nothing satisfies patients like the comfort and minimal corneal staining that can be provided by ACUVUE® OASYS™ Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR™ Plus. In a recent clinical study, new wearers exhibited no significant difference in corneal staining and reported no significant difference in overall comfort between ACUVUE® OASYS™ and no lens. And in an in-market trial, 89% of patients fit with ACUVUE® OASYS™ would recommend their doctors based on their experience. How will you satisfy your patients and build your practice with ACUVUE® OASYS™?
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Aton Pharma, Inc., a global specialty pharmaceutical company, recently announced an expanded, comprehensive distribution program that incorporates sampling, reimbursement assistance and patient education resources, for the dry eye medication Lacrisert (hydroxypropyl cellulose ophthalmic insert) which was unavailable for some years. According to the company, Lacrisert is a unique preservative-free, once-daily, sustained release prescription insert that helps to retain moisture, stabilize the tear film, and lubricate the eye. They do note that some patients may require the flexibility of twice-daily dosing for optimal results.
      The company indicates that Lacrisert is administered into the inferior cul-de-sac of the eye, where it gently dissolves to provide lubrication and protection to the surface of the eye. Further, they state that in some patients, Lacrisert may also help slow, stop or reverse further damage to the corneal surface.
     A new web site, www.lacrisert.com provides physician and patient educational materials.

In an effort to heighten consumer awareness of the importance of healthy sight, Transitions Optical, Inc. is debuting a new print, broadcast and digital integrated advertising campaign. The new campaign will appear on national TV and in print and will be supported by the launch of an enhanced consumer and industry professional interfacing website, www.transitions.com. To further inform consumers, an aggressive consumer public relations effort will serve as a key driver of the overall campaign.
     Transitions VI will be the cornerstone of the campaign. The TV advertising will air over a 22 week span. The print campaign is slated to focus on publications related to general health and well-being and will also saturate top-tier Hispanic media. Additionally, for the first time, Transitions commercials will run in Spanish in the United States.
     The enhanced website will allow consumers to: experience Transitions through a simulation, get their local UV forecast, find an ECP and take an online Personal Eye Quiz to find out more about frame and lens options.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of nonpreserved care solutions on human corneal epithelium in long-term daily wear (DW) compared with overnight extended wear (EW) of hyper-oxygen-permeable silicone hydrogel contact lenses.
     This was a prospective, randomized, double-masked, single-center, parallel treatment group clinical trial. One hundred twenty-one patients completed the 13 month study: (1) Lotrafilcon A (30 night EW, n = 29; DW, n = 32); (2) Galyfilcon A (DW, n = 20); and (3) Lotrafilcon B (6 night EW, n = 20; DW, n = 21). Irrigation chamber collection of corneal surface cells (OD) and confocal microscopy (OS) were performed at baseline, 1 week; and 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of EW. The main outcome measures were: (1) Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) binding to exfoliated corneal surface cells; (2) central epithelial thickness (CET); and (3) epithelial surface cell exfoliation rate (desquamation).
     DW had no significant effect on CET; there was a decrease in CET with EW that recovered (adapted) over 1 year (Lotrafilcon B, P < 0.05). All lens wear (DW, EW) decreased desquamation with adaptive effects over 1 year (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in PA binding between lenses or modality of wear.
     In their conclusion the authors stated that PA binding to corneal epithelial cells is a prerequisite for infection, and no binding indicates no lens-enhanced risk of infection. In contrast to prior studies of preserved lens care products, the absence of a change in the PA binding data results predict that the risk for PA CTL-keratitis should be similar for daily and extended silicone hydrogel lens wear over 1 year when preservative-free care solutions are used.
Robertson DM, Petroll WM, Cavanagh HD. The effect of nonpreserved care solutions on 12 months of daily and extended silicone hydrogel contact lens wear. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Jan;49(1):7-15.

It seems to me that market research has become increasingly important in heightening the practitioner awareness of patient contact lens knowledge and awareness, patient contact lens and care compliance (or lack of compliance), and patient desires. It is easy to understand why the contact lens industry finds this information valuable as it shapes their business strategy and research going forward. We all make too many assumptions. We assume we know more than we do about our staff and our patients. We should all (by all I mean all contact lens fitters and practitioners) be analyzing this market research and survey data and making appropriate office adjustments and restructuring. This could be in the form of more effective communication with patients from the doctor and the staff, additional training for staff, seeking out and using in-office materials (for our staff and for our patients) from our sales representatives, or designing educational brochures for our patients (or beginning to use those from various organizations that already exist). These are a few suggestions out of 100s of ways to use this great information to improve your practice. We can assume and complain all day but nothing produces results like action.
Carla Mack, O.D., F.A.A.O.

This month at http://www.siliconehydrogels.org consider whether silicone hydrogels require one or more unique FDA class(es); review the case of a pediatric patient successfully fit with silicone hydrogels after a diagnosis of unilateral congenital cataract; read about a study designed to determine the quantity and identity of protein deposited on silicone hydrogel lenses; and review the latest silicone hydrogel research in part two of our synopsis of the 2007 BCLA meeting.