CONTACT LENSES TODAY
March 5, 2006
Contact Lenses Today® is edited by Dr. Joseph T. Barr and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum. This week CLToday® reaches more
than 12,000 readers in 74 countries.
Amended CL Legislation Passes in Utah
Utah Senate Bill 176, The Contact Lens Consumer Protection Act (see CLToday, Feb. 12th, 2006), passed by a vote of 21 to 7 on Feb. 20th.
Beginning July 1st, the new legislation requires manufacturers doing business in the state to certify with the attorney general that their lenses are “made available in a
commercially reasonable manner,” to alternative channels of distribution, defined as any mail order company, Internet retailer, pharmacy, buying club, department store or
mass merchandise outlet. Exempt from the law are GPs, bitoric GPs, lenses for keratoconus and custom made lenses. Manufacturers that knowingly and intentionally violate
the law will be guilty of a class-A misdemeanor and may be subject to a civil action or injunction by the attorney general. Earlier versions of the bill had included
penalties for subscribers as well, but these were not included in the final legislation.
Oasis Medical Files Suit Against J&J
Oasis Medical Inc. has commenced litigation against Johnson & Johnson and Johnson and Johnson Vision Care Inc. in the United States District
Court in the Central District of California. The suit alleges that J&J’s use of the name “Oasys,” for its new contact lenses infringes and dilutes Oasis Medical’s
trademark rights.
CIBA Introduces Freshlook One-Day
At last week’s SECO meeting in Atlanta, CIBA Vision introduced its FreshLook One-day color contact lenses. The company says the lenses are
designed for patients who would like to wear colored lenses from time to time. They are available in the four most popular FreshLook ColorBlends colors; pure hazel, blue,
green and gray. FreshLook One-Day lenses are made of nelfilcon A material. They are available with a 13.8mm diameter in powers from plano to -6.00D in 0.25D steps.
Real-world feedback from eye care professionals now supports pre-launch claims of ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ Brand Contact Lenses for
ASTIGMATISM.
When compared to Soflens66® Toric, ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ for ASTIGMATISM clearly provides more predictable orientation and crisper,
more stable vision; the advantage comes from the Accelerated Stabilization Design. Less lid interaction leads to superior performance versus the traditional prism-ballast
design such as found in Soflens66® Toric. Also, because of HYDRACLEAR™ Technology, the lens delivers significantly better comfort both upon insertion and at the
end of the day.
--ADVERTISING
Art Optical Consultants Get NCLE Certification
Nicole Edwards, N.C.L.E., and Bethany Peebles, N.C.L.E., members of Art Optical’s consultation department, successfully passed the advanced
certification exam of the National Contact lens Examiners Association this January. The company’s consultation staff also includes an optometrist and two F.C.L.S.A.
accredited lens fitters.
Call For Hall of Fame Nominations
The National Optometry Hall of Fame selection committee is accepting nominations through March 10th for this year’s induction ceremony,
scheduled to take place at the EastWest Eye Conference in Cleveland this October. Send letters of nomination and all other supporting information for candidates to be
considered this year to Dr. Arol Augsburger, Chair of the National Optometric Hall of Fame Selection Committee, at the following address:
National Optometry Hall of
Fame, P.O. Box 6036, Worthington, Ohio 43085; fax 614-781-6521; e-mail info@ooa.org.
The members of the National Optometry Hall of Fame selection committee represent
the Associations of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD), the National Optometric Association (NOA), the
American Optometric Association (AOA) and the American Academy of Optometry (AAO).
Registration for ASCRT Opens
The American Society of Corneal and Refractive Technologies (ASCRT) announces its 2006 Annual meeting will be held at the Scottsdale Resort
and Conference Center in Scottsdale, Ariz., from June 1st to 4th. The meeting offers over 12 hours of CE with interactive breakout sessions facilitated by CRT experts.
Download registration forms at http://www.CRTSymposium.com.
Abstract:
Contact Lens Detects Diabetes
A recent study sponsored by CIBA Vision aimed to determine the effectiveness of a new holographic contact lens glucose sensor designed to measure blood glucose
non-invasively. Researchers challenged one normal fasting patient with 44g of glucose. They then measured the contact lens hologram signal and finger-stick blood glucose
for a 26-minute period. The contact lens hologram signal appeared to track blood glucose well and was comfortable and well tolerated by the subject. They conclude that
the holographic contact lens glucose sensor shows promise as a non-invasive home glucose monitor.
Domschke A, March WF, Kabilan S, Lowe C. Initial clinical testing
of a holographic non-invasive contact lens glucose sensor. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2006 Feb;8(1):89-93.
Editor's Commentary:
"Alternate Channels of Distribution"
The proposed legislation in Utah defines alternate channels of distribution as mail order, Internet (interesting that they listed are first),
pharmacy (this certainly adds credibility), buying clubs (read: you can get your contact lenses when you pick up your dog food and toilet paper), department
stores (along with your cosmetics and underwear), and mass merchandiser outlets (where you buy your CD or DVD player). I'm sure the buying clubs, department stores,
and mass merchandisers will train their clerks to make sure customers’ contact lens prescriptions are filled properly.
It's fascinating to me that these legislators
can make decisions based on what seems to be strictly “consumer-friendly,” economic reasons, with such a blatant disregard for public safety. I guess contact lenses have
evolved to be safe enough that they can be bought anywhere and we can trust that the product design will overcome any improper dispensing techniques. On second thought,
they didn't list tattoo parlors or truck stops, so that's a step in the right direction.
Please understand, I am for the patient (consumer) being able to choose where
they purchase their medicine or contact lenses, but I also want the seller to have regard for patient safety, like a pharmacist. What’s been proposed doesn’t even come
close to that. If this bill becomes law, I hope that patients who buy contact lenses in Utah are safe and that their eyes remain healthy.
Fitting Tip:
Extra Protection for CL Patients
Never tell contact lens patients that they can't wear their lenses in a windy environment. Instead, suggest they wear a protective
eyewear (such as goggles) over the lenses.
Shyam Panthi, O.D.
Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Best of the Month
Dr. Dianne Anderson, submitted the “Best Fitting Tip of the Month” for February. Her tip, “Fitting Silicone Hydrogels,” can be seen in the,
February 12, 2006 edition of CLToday.
This month at www.siliconehydrogels.org http://www.siliconehydrogels.org, learn how to manage refractive shift in patients
refit from hydrogel to silicone hydrogel lenses; read about an 11-year-old‚s successful, long-term use of a silicone hydrogel piggyback system; learn whether topography can
predict best-fit base curve; and read a synopsis of Academy 2005.
Report adverse contact lens reactions here: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/ or call
(800) FDA-1088.
Access a reporting form for complications you've seen that were a result of contact lenses dispensed without a valid prescription
at the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry's (ARBO's) Web
site: http://www.arbo.org/arbo.asp?dt=R&doc=Complications. Complete and send the form online or print it
out and fax it to (866) 886-6164.
Send your favorite tips to tips@cltoday.com -- if your tip is selected
as 'Best of the Month,' you'll receive a free golf shirt (see http://www.CLToday.com for details). Please include your full name,
degree or title and city/state/country.
Visit Contact Lens Spectrum ( http://www.clspectrum.com ) for interactive clinical posters and issue archives.
Visit Contact Lenses Today for our Best Fitting Tips.
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