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400th issue

his February 2014 issue of Insight is a milestone that puts it even further ahead of any former or existing ophthalmic publication in Australia published under the one editor and publisher. It is a milestone that we at Insight are proud of and one that can’t be surpassed for decades to come. When I took on the role of editor and publisher in 1975, it was to follow in the footsteps of the now late Ralph Lewis, who five years prior had launched his newspaper, Optical World, publishing without fear or favour, whether it trod on some people’s toes or not being of no consequence, be it professional associations, corporations larges or small, advertisers or non-advertisers, politicians, bureaucrats or anyone else. There was probably a commercial penalty paid because of resentment of some of the editorial coverage and comment, but there was most certainly great respect for it overall. Insight has endeavoured to follow that fine example in all of its 400 issues. There has been some commercial penalty from time to time during the 38 years we have published – that’s a price to be paid for reporting solid, useful news, rather than ‘fluff’ – but the necessity to shrug that off has been uppermost as we have endeavoured to provide accurate reporting and fair comment at all times, without any kowtowing to anyone. The fact that we have survived 400 issues in itself indicates what we are doing (and hope to continue to do for many years to come) is what readers require. It seems clear to us that informed reporting of news, with appropriate comment, is paramount in treaders’ minds for a publication such as Insight. After all, the very great majority of our readers are highly-educated professional people, backed by a well-trained supporting industry. They are certainly not ‘dingalings’ who are only capable at best of flicking through any publication and looking at the coloured pictures. They are busy people who do not have time to wade through pages of trivia; they want properly-written, easily-read news, with comment too where appropriate, rather than word-for-word regurgitation of press releases.

Changes Looking back there have been some amazing changes to the way the ophthalmic professions and industry go about their respective businesses. Major changes have included the introduction of Medicare and the plethora of private health insurance funds, huge changes to ophthalmic surgery, including intraocular lenses to be implanted after cataract extraction, which soon became the procedure of choice, ending the days of unsightly, thick, heavy and often ineffective post-cataract spectacle lenses; advanced materials and designs of contact lenses; and more recently, femtosecond lasers for cataract operations. Also, there have been many changes to the designs, materials and features of lenses, frames and sunglasses. In recent years, two new courses in optometry have commenced – one at Flinders in South Australia, the other at Deakin in Victoria. Melbourne has recently made the move from a five-year course to a seven-year course, while University of New South Wales and Queensland University of Technology have moved from four-year to five-year courses. By now all of the five universities are offering courses in therapeutic drugs, having embarked on the drugs road with diagnostic drugs, commencing in the mid-1970s. Regrettably, many of the federal and state health ministers who have alighted www.insightnews.com.au

on the scene and who have been responsible for spending billions of dollars have been logs. On the industry side, many companies have come and gone, or been taken over, or lost their way or just been hopeless in some instances. Once big names when we started Insight have disappeared, such as Martin Wells, American Optical, Australian Optical Co (the original one), Optyl, Optical Products, Arthur Cocks & Co, British Optical Co, Jemma Optical and AG Thompson, to name but a few. Prescription lenses are more and more being manufactured in overseas laboratories – particularly in Thailand and in Bangkok. Local manufacture continues, but in much reduced total volume. In retailing, OPSM (bought out by Italy’s Luxottica in 2004) has seen its once dominance challenged and surpassed by British group Specsavers, which now claims to provide more eye examination and to sell more glasses than anyone else in the market. Independent optical retailing is still a substantial force, but the ‘Big 2’ are setting the pace. A consequence of that has been the downward pressure on retail prices of glasses. Of late, online optical dispensing has made an appearance, complete with selfmeasurement of PDs, with some claiming to be ready to offer self-refraction too, potentially harmful as that may be. And online purchasing of contact lenses has brought massive change to the way lenses are bought, with bricks-and-mortar retailers feeling the effects of cutprice competition. By now, the ‘reign of terror’ conducted by various optometry registration boards against those they governed has ended after nearly wrecking optometry’s place in the retail market and handing it over to dispensers to manage – particularly OPSM, and later Specsavers following on. Looking ahead, the first major issue to be thrashed out this year is the Optometry Board of Australia’s decision to expand the role of an increasing number of optometrists in the detection and management of glaucoma, with the Supreme Court of Queensland to decide the issue at the volition of the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists and The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists. As that matter stands, co-management of patients between the senior profession involved in diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma (ophthalmology) and the junior profession (optometry) is at some risk, as is the willingness of ophthalmologists to take part in the training (minimal as it may be) of optometrists. It is a delicate and dangerous situation for patients. Finally, may I pay tribute to all of the people who have made Insight possible – the advertisers (who have given us the necessary advertising business for us to continue and who have at times resisted pressure from some to not advertise with us, for which we salute them), the many people who assisted us with our reporting by providing information of all shapes and sizes, our small but enthusiastic staff, our suppliers, and, most importantly of all, our readers, because without you we would have no reason to exist. Producing 400 issues of Insight has been a momentous task for our small group of people, but its been rewarding for us all, for which we’re thankful. Now it’s onward to the 500th issue! Best wishes,

Editor & Publisher

ODMA split with AOA over funding T

HE Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association split with the Australian Optometrical Association in 1977 when it withdrew from a funding arrangement. The decision to withdraw was made unanimously at the 1977 annual meeting of ODMA in March in Sydney, at which the point was raised continually that the agreement was one-sided and favoured the AOA, with little benefit for ODMA members. It was agreed to honour a commitment to contribute an agreed amount of funds until 31 December 1977. Under the original AOA-ODMA agreement, which was signed in 1971 - before the Trade Practices Act 1974 came into law - ODMA membrs included an agreed 1-per-cent levy in their prices for goods and services provided to all optometrists (not just members of the AOA) and optical dispensers. The Trade Practices Act necessitated that agreement being terminated, however a new one was made under which OOMA would raise funds from a 1-per-cent levy imposed on its members’ sales to optometrists and dispensers and would pay an agreed amount to the AOA each year.

The AOA was under no obligation to, nor did it, provide any information to ODMA on the application of the very substantial funds provided. The levy was forwarded to a firm of chartered accountants, who divided the money equally between the AOA and ODMA. “We have tried to buy support from the AOA for six years by providing vast amounts of money, yet organisations who are not in ODMA [and not contributing funds] are doing good business with AOA members,” one member said. The then chairman of ODMA, Mr Harold Bowling, said at the meeting that the original intention of the organisation was to promote eye care and eye wear for the benefit of the industry. However, Mr Bowling said, instead it had become a price-fixing organisation which ensured the survival of weak and inefficient operators within the industry, and a heavensent source of funds for the AOA by means of “the most one-sided arrangement I have ever seen”. “We have continued to raise funds for the AOA because we have not had the courage or unity to stand up to the threats - and I mean threats - of what will happen if we don’t “ODMA members

have received nothing for the massive expenditure - not even a mention in the AOA’s last annual report’ The AOA retaliated by informing ODMA that it regarded the existing funding arrangement as being cancelled and approaching individual companies to sign a new agreement. ODMA was accused of not honouring the agreed arrangement and of proposing new, one-sided and unacceptable arrangements. The executive of ODMA sought details of how it had not honoured the arrangement and recommended to members that they not sign any individual agreements with the AOA. Under the proposed new agreement, individual companies would pay 1 per cent of their sales to the AOA, which would be used for such purposes as the AOA in its absolute discretieon deemed fit. The companies would also have to provide audited copies of their accounts to an accountant nominated by the AOA. In return, the AOA agreed that “it shall promote goodwill to the supplier among its members, and to that end, shall cause to be published in each issue of the ‘Australian Journal of Optometry’ the name of the supplier”.

In the end, ODMA members unanimously rejected the funding arrangement proposed by the AOA, deciding to instead use funds raised by members’ ex-wholesale levies to promote eye care, particularly through the Better Vision Institute. The AOA hit back, its executive director, Dr Damien Smith, alleging at an extraordinary meeting of the Victoria division of the AOA that ODMA had “conned” the AOA, had behaved shabbily, had broken the AOA-ODMA arrangement, did not intend to honour its commitments to the AOA, had misled the AOA over amounts to be provided under the arrangement, was witholding monies owing to the AOA, and that ODMA’s complaint that it had not received thanks or preferential treatment from AOA members for its funding arrangement was untrue. In turn, the federal director of ODMA, Mr Arthur Vicary, denied the AOA’s allegations, describing them as “without foundation” and “completely inaccurate”. However, by then two OOMA members had broken ranks and made nostrings-attached donations to the AOA.

by optometrists, particularly where dispensers advertised a “complete optical service”, which, the board considered, may give the impression that they practise optometry. There were (and still are not) any restrictions on advertising by optical dispensers in Victoria, apart from the requirements of trade-practices and consumer-protection Legislation. At the time there were many ‘optical clinics’ in Victoria, which were probably what the board objected to. The attitude of the board was that dispensing spectacles or contact lenses is historically an integral part of optometry and constituted part of the definition of the ‘practice of optometry’ in the Optometrists Registration Act, and that dispensers were prohibited from advertising in any fashion so as to

give the impression that they practise optometry. In essence, the board was echoing the sentiments of the Victoria division of the Australian Optometrical Association, which had issued a code of ethics a shortly before the board wrote to registered optometrists. In September 1984, the registration board wrote to optometrists saying it wanted to have the regulations under the Act amended to “limit relationships between optometrists and dispensers which threaten the independence of optometrists in the discharge of their professional duty and which bring pressure to bear on optometrists which tend to diminish the quality of optometric care’’. “In particular,” the board wrote, “the intent is that the regulations

should clearly proscribe the practice whereby an optometrist permits an optical dispenser to advertise in a way that has the effect, or tends to have the effect, of soliciting patients when the optometrist shares the premises with or has a beneficial interest in the dispensing business.” The board circulated a draft of proposed regulation 305, which encapsulated the above and included such behaviour in a list of offences which could lead to a penalty of suspension or deregistration for an offending optometrist. That Letter added fuel to the fire. Before long, ‘brass-plate’ and ‘street-front’ optometrists were locked in the long-running series of disputes that have been a feature of ophthalmic life in Victoria ever since.

Victoria optometry’s woes started in 1983

HE optometry profession’s woes in Victoria started in November 1983, when the Optometrists Registration Board wrote to all registered optometrists expressing concern over associations between optometrists and optical dispensers. That action culminated 13 years later in a new Optometrists Registration Act (in 1996) that permits orthoptists to refract and lay persons and corporations to own optometrical practices. During those 13 years, optometry in Victoria went through some tumultuous times, on several occasions almost splitting irreparably. What concerned the board in 1983 was the number of optometrists working in close cooperation with optical dispensers in order to circumvent restrictions on advertising

First auto refractors Launched in 1976 The first commercially-available automatic refractors were launched in

FEBRUARY 2014

Australia in 1976, one from Coherent Radiation, California, one from Acuity

Systems, Virginia, and one Bausch Lomb, New York.

from Prices

ranged from $18,000 1976 dollars!

to $26,000 in

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Large-scale attack on trachoma T

HE Federal Government bankrolled a large-scale attack on trachoma, prevalent among Aboriginal people at the time, in outback areas of Australia. The National Trachoma and Eye Health Program was by conducted by volunteer members of the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists, nurses and other health-care workers. It commenced in 1976. The program was initially funded with $570,000 and was led by the late Associate Professor Fred Hollows, head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of NSW and associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of NSW. The program commenced in NSW, then moved to other States. Professor Hollows took on the political ‘establishment’ on a number of occasions. He first made the headlines when he said that if the present health services for Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory were provided for animals, the RSPCA could prosecute. In April 1977, the Federal Government increased the program funding by a

further $845,000. However in November 1977, the Premier of Queensland, Mr Joe BjelkePetersen, alleged that two members of a six-man team working in northern Queensland were political activists. The team was transferred to northern NSW pending a forthcoming federal election and the two men concerned were sacked by the RACO, in the face of protest by Professor Hollows. Mr Bjelke-Petersen claimed the two men were campaigning for the Labor Party and were encouraging Aboriginal people to enrol. Professor Hollows denied the allegations. By November 1977, 60,000 people had been screened in remote areas of NSW, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territoy and Queensland, with 20,000 being treated. Five hundred operations had been performed and 3,000 spectacles provided. In August 1977, the Federal Government increased funding for the program by an additional $450,000, taking the total provided to $1,865,000. There was another row between Professor Hollows and government in

Early Medibank figures

onsultations provided by optometrists since optometry was embraced by the Medibank national health scheme on 1 July 1975 to 30 June 1976 totalled 782,000 according to the Health Insurance Commission. In the same period, ophthalmologists provided 1,222,000 consultations. The State breakdown for consultations by

optometrists was: NSW 237000, Victoria 207000, Queensland 207000, South Australia 101000, Western Austalia 84000, Tasmania 29000, and ACT 6000. The breakdown for ophthalmologists was: NSW 491000, Victoria 295000, Queensland 136000, SA 154000, WA 84000, Tasmania 32000 and ACT 30000.

September 1980, this time in Western Australia. The WA Government decided to withdraw assistance to the team members, causing Professor Hollows top say trachoma treatment in WA was, at best, only marginally better than it was 25 years beforehand. The minister for health, Mr Ray Young, said Professor Hollows’ remarks were politically motivated and that “the people who yell the loudest about apartheid are the ones who are the keenest to set up separate systems for Aborigines”. Professor Hollows quit the program in May 1981 over the Federal Government’s decision to hand it over to the States, accusing the government of “deception and continuing oppression of Aboriginal society”. After a meeting in early June with the Prime Minister, Mr Malcolm Fraser, Professor Hollows withdrew his resignation, but a few weeks later stormed out of a meeting with the Minister for Health, Dr Peter Baume, saying he would never work with the minister again and would start his own trachoma program.

Professor Hollows objected to Dr Baume’s “defence of the racist mechanisms used to stop blacks getting control over their medical services”. The RACO established a committee which took over management of the program. Dr Geoffrey Harley was appointed secretary of the committee, while Professor Hollows was appointed trachoma consultant. By the end of 1982, teams were working in western areas of NSW, northern areas of Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territoy, with western areas of Victoria to be covered in early 1983. Over 100,000 people had been examined by then, with 27,000 being treated for trachoma and surgery performed on 1,400. The incidence of trachoma among Aboriginal people aged 60 or more was 69 per cent, while for children under nine it was 32 per cent. In September 1982, the Federal Government allocated an additional $1 million to the program, bringing the total allo-cated since the program began in 1976 to close to $3.5 million.

First in-house operating surgery opened in Sydney in 1984 HE first practice-based surgery theatre for eye operations was opened in Sydney in 1984 by Dr John Elder. Each step during its establishment was closely monitored by the NSW Department of Health to make sure it was of a very high standard. The facility was fully equipped for surgical procedures and staffed by a

surgeon, an anaesthesist and three nurses. Cardiac monitors and emergency-power batteries were installed. It was used mostly for cataract operations, and was a first whereby patients underwent surgery on a day-care basis, but the range of operations has broadened over the years. Day-care theatres have mush-roomed throughout Australia since then.

$16 million. The purchase made OPSM Industries the dominant player in the industrial-

safety field in Australia and New Zealand, as well as substantial player in the United Kingdom and Europe.

OPSM bought Protector

he then OPSM Industries Ltd (now OPSM Protector Ltd) bought the 57.67 per cent of

Protector Safety Industries Ltd it did not own in February 1981 for $9.3 million, valuing the whole company at

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IOLs treated cautiously at first

HE announcement in 1977 that an American company had developed a small plastic intraocular lens that would be widely available for implant in the human eye after cataract extraction was greeted with caution by ophthalmologists. By late 1979, 25 per cent of all cataractextraction operations in the United States were followed by 101 implantation, however the majority of Australian eye surgeons remained cautious, particularly in regard to cornea1 haze and lens dislocation. In February 1982, a row broke out over selection of patients for IOL implant when an Adelaide eye surgeon alleged that complications as the result of the procedure were more frequent and more serious than those of “the ordinary oldfashioned type of operation”.

“Surgeons are rushing into IOLs and commercial firms are offering free merchandise to surgeons who buy their lenses in order to sell them to their patients,” the surgeon said on ABC radio. ‘An IOL implant operation should only be performed when further work has been carried out to investigate the results. “Many patients I have seen have suffered as the result of this operation and I believe that had they had the ordinary operation they would not have suffered. “Properly controlled trials at a university department should be carried out on this type of procedure.” Asked about the way patients had suffered, the ophthal-mologist said: “Gone blind”. A spokesman for the Royal

Australian College of Ophthalmologists refuted the allegations, saying studies by the Food & Drug Administration in the United States showed there was very little difference in the complication rate for people who had an IOL implanted and those who had not after removal of cataract. “The college has written to members, denouncing the offers of free merchandise and advising members not to become involved in this sort of financial bribery. The firm concerned will probably not be allowed to exhibit at future scientific congresses of the college. “Over 14 overseas manufacturers sell their lenses in Australia and the FDA has carried out stringent testing on IOLs before permitting their use.” The SA ophthalmologist also said

that attempts had been made to bring his opinions to the attention of colleagues via medical journals, but it was difficult to get letters published that are critical of the medical profession. “All journals worry about libel. If colleagues are criticised, there is always the chance of libel. I feel that the editors of journals are lily-livered. I wish they would have more courage and be stronger.” At that time, an estimated 2,000 IOLs were implanted a year out of 20,000 cataract operations performed in Australia. By the end of 1982, implanting extracapsular posterior-chamber Lenses had become the most widely used procedure in Australia, which remains the case today, with over 60,000 implants a year.

‘Stop bickering’, said Vic health minister

othing appals me more than the bickering that goes on between health groups such as optometrists and ophthalmologists fighting for the same ground,” the Victoria minister for health, Mr Tom Roper, said on 4 October 1982. “I get tired of the bickering,” Mr Roper said when opening the 14th Annual Scientific Congress of the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists, in Melbourne. “They should seek common ground instead of battleground. We must all work in cooperating to maximise services and minimise costs. “The professions must make up their differences. They will do no good coming to me with their whinges.”

The president of the RACO, Dr Ken Howsam, said during the opening of the congress: “Optometrists, who claim to be eye specialists by their foundation of an optometry ‘hospital’ and by their promotion of a speciality of paediatric optometry, are challenging medicine’s preeminent and privileged position in health care. “Optometry is now endeavouring to create a market for its services by proposals to triple the referrals from screenings of school children who are slow achievers. “It is tempting for governments to say that alternative medicine such as that practised by optometrists is cheaper than that of ophthalmologists. But ophthalmologists have a proven record

of service over the years and we say we are cost effective compared with the claims of optometrists.” In reply, the president of the Australian Optometrical Association, Mr Ross Harris, said that while Australian ophthalmologists are world class when it comes to the practise of ophthalmology, their practise of optometry is open to criticism. Speaking at the opening of the 4th Australian/Internationa1 Optometrical Congress in Surfers Paradise on 14 October, Mr Harris said: “Ophthalmologists have less training in; refraction than optometrists. ‘I am not critical of individual ophthalmologists, but the frequency of

surgical procedures is about two a week, which means that most ophthalmologists generate most of their income from prescribing spectalcles. “The major problem is that there are too many ophthalmologists in Australia for the size of the population, and while about 5 per cent of the population has treatable eye disease, 98 per cent over the age of 45 need refraction. “There is need for rationalisation of manpower in the ophthalmic professions in order to provide the most cost-effective system of delivering eye care.” Mr Harris called for a meeting of the AOA and the RACO as a first step towards solving the manpower oversupply problem.

Lederer appointed first professor of optometry

ROFESSOR Josef Lederer became Australia’s first professor of optometry when he took up his appointment as head of the School of Optometry (formerly a department) at the University of NSW in January 1977. At the time, there were 330 students at the school and 20 academic staff. The following year, enrolments reached a record 403 students, 90 in first year of the Bachelor of Optometry course, 145 in second year, 82 in third year and 72 in fourth year, with 14

FEBRUARY 2014

enrolled for post-graduate study. Over 300 students had applied for admission to first year alone. In November 1978, replying to criticism of student numbers, Professor Lederer said that contrary to most opinion, there would be need for more students if optometry was to satisfy demand for its services in the mid1980s. There could be a need for one optometrist per 8,000 population if optometrists were to practise what they

preached and become more involved in industrial and paediatric optometry, orthoptics, regional health centres, hospitals and the armed forces, he said. Also, that at the time there were 950 optometrists in Australia, but there could be need for 2,000 by the mid-1980s. A record 113 optometrists graduated from Australia’s three schools of optometry in 1980, following completion of their final year i n 1979. The University of NSW produced 69 graduates, the University of Melbourne

21 and the Queensland Institute of Technology 23. Professor Lederer retired in December 1991 and was made Emeritus Professor. Professor Barry Collin succeeded Professor Lederer as professor of optometry and head of school in February 1982. Ten years later, Professor Daniel O’Leary was appointed head of school, followed several years later by Associate Professor Stephen Dain. www.insightnews.com.au

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NSW optometrists were pro-windows and advertising, but board banned them

PTOMETRISTS in NSW were in favour of window displays and advertising, but they were banned in 1979 at the wish of the NSW division of the Australian Optometrical Association, which influenced the Board of Optometrical Registration to convince the State Government to do so. The Government, in August 1979, had the Governor in Council amend the regulations to execute the no-windows and no-advertising policy of the AOA, despite three separate surveys of NSW optometrists showing that the majority of optometrists wanted to retain their windows and advertising rights. A survey of 135 NSW optometrists, conducted by McNair Anderson in June 1979 on behalf of an unknown client, showed that 58.5 per cent considered window displays and advertising was in their commercial interest. Questionnaires were sent to 319 practising optometrists. The survey was the third that showed a majority of NSW optometrists were not in favour of proposed regulations under the Optometrists Act banning window displays and restricting advertising. One of the other two surveys was conducted by Insight, the other by a Wollongong optometrist, Mr Ian Hart. Both were conducted in June 1979. The Insight survey showed 68 per cent of respondents were against the proposed regulations, while the Hart survey showed 67 per cent were against them. The NSW division of the Australian Optometrical Association had conducted a poll in December 1977, which showed 64 per cent were in favour of the proposed regulations, however there had been considerable debate on the regulations since then. In any event, the NSW Government, at the volition of the NSW Board of Optometrical Registration, had the regulations under the Optometrists Act amended to bring in the restrictions. The regulations were attacked in Parliament by the Opposition on the grounds that they imposed unnecessary restrictions on optometrists “without their being a demand from either the public or from within the profession or industry” and that it was “control for the sake of control”.

FEBRUARY 2014

Also, that it was “a ridiculous situation that a company or operator that is simply dispensing spectacles may display his wares to the world, but an optometrist, who is performing a dual function in many circumstances, is prevented from doing the same”. The Opposition said the regulations would encourage a ‘closed-shop’situation in an age when consumerism dominated the sale of goods and services. Replying, the health minister referred to an advertisement by an optometrist in a Newcastle newspaper which said: “SPECTACLE WEARERS Focus on this LOWER PRICES Pensioners and schoolchildren Discounts 15 per cent Glass Bifocal Lenses $39.00 Reading Lenses $19.00 Ladies Frames from $12.60 Mens Frames from $16.80 Tinted Lenses or Extra Strong Prescriptions are Extra” An address was given. “The regulations will prevent such advertising,” the minister said. In fact, the advertisement was an optical dispenser’s advertisement! The minister said the regulations were not his initiative, but an initiative of the Board of Optometrical Registration. “The matter has been under discussion in the profession since 1971. Because the optometrical profession came under the auspices of the National Health Act in 1975, it was considered that advertising in that area should be restricted to the same sort of advertising permitted in the other health areas. “Australian optometrists have to abide by the professional standards of advertising that apply to other health professions. They cannot lure people into their premises with attractive window displays in order to have them undergo an eye test. “They are health providers and the health funds and the Australian Government are charged for the cost of such service. “In the future, people will have to initiate their own approach to optometrists, just as they do to dentists, dental technicians, medical practitioners or physiotherapists.” The minister said he wanted to “prevent the takeover of small optometrical firms by big business, as has happened in other

countries where large organisations have come in and taken over the market by the use of advertising techniques and commercial displays”. “Some big firms have used techniques designed only to increase their profits and pay their shareholders bigger dividends,” he said. “They have taken money out of the pockets of people attending for eyesight examinations and the supply of spectacles merely to suit their own ends. “The Government does not intend to see the small businessman, the small business operator optometrist, forced out of business because of the capital investment by big companies and the invasion by large overseas companies into this area.” The minister said the AOA had made a submission in March 1978 and the board had drawn up the regulations. He denied the profession had not demanded the regulations through the board. “Recently the profession held two, regional meetings, one at Canberra, the other at Lismore. The regulations were approved unanimously by the optometrists who attended those meetings.” The minister did not say how many optometrists were present at those meetings, held by the AOA, nor that not all optometrists were members of the AOA. The regulations were similar to those in force in Northern Ireland, Ontario, Canada, New Zealand and Tasmania, the minister said. An Opposition member then asked whether the board spoke for the profession. He said dental technicians “set themselves up through false and misleading advertising and, using the more professional sounding name ‘prosthetist’ intimate to the public that they can do all sorts of wonderful things, employingtheir chairside status”. ‘But what can the humble I optometrist do? If he examines eyes and dispenses glasses, at the worst he can indulge in healthy competition in the sale of glasses with opticians, who only dispense glasses. “The optometrist cannot deceive the public except, perhaps, if he were silly

enough to suggest that he could do some things which only an ophthalmologist should do. “If an optometrist were to suggest that he could do such things he would be indulging in misleading advertising. There is no suggestion of this. All we have is the situation of an optometrist, who examines eyes and dispenses glasses, engaging in healthy competition with those who merely dispense glasses. “The minister has the cart before the horse. The only person who can be disadvantaged in those circumstances would be the small man.” The minister interjected: “One practitioner in a position of authority has requested these regulations.” The Opposition speaker replied: “Yes, he is the chairman of the Board of Optometricat Registration. I do not suggest any improper motive against him.” “He must want to go broke on your arguments,” the minister replied. “That is not so. The Government has not established a case. This matter should have been dealt with by substantive motion.” The legislation was duly enacted. As subsequent events showed, the regulations were bad for optometrists on a number of counts. First, it encouraged optical but board banned them dispensers to fill the commercial vacuum created by the regulations. OPSM and others saw the opportunity and proceeded to exploit it for the next 16 years. (There were no restrictions on how or where optical dispensers could advertise, apart from the usual requirements of trade-practices and consumer-protection legislation.) Under the plan devised up by the health minister and the board (whose chairman had been a campaign manager for the minister), optometrists’ commercial activities would first be restricted and then the same would be done to optical dispensers. However the Government got cold feet once it realised it was going to have a big fight on its hands with dispensers, particularly OPSM, who were going to attack any such legislation on consumerinterest grounds. Second, the legislation caused over 30 optometrists to be brought before inquiries by the registration board into www.insightnews.com.au

advertising offences. Earlier boards adopted a black-letter approach to the regulations, leading to some scandalous attempts to punish optometrists for what were petty offences, including the cases the board brought against Ralph Lewis and Michael Schoenmaker. Mr Lewis beat the board in two courts, but Mr Schoenmaker was struck off by the board, however the District Court overturned that decision. The advent of the boards headed by the present chairman, Mr Keith Masnick, saw a more realistic approach to the regulations, but each of the boards was

still saddled with the requirement to conduct inquiries into alleged breaches of the advertising regulations. None of the four Masnick boards wanted to have to hold such inquiries, but there was no alternative, due to the requirements of the Optometrists Act. Those boards meted out the most lenient penalty they could - a caution. The boards, and particularly Mr Masnick, on a number of occasions sought to have the regulations amended to reflect the current requirements of the community and optometrists for more liberal regulations, finally succeeding

in September 1995, when almost all restrictions were abolished. But the reality was that by then a substantial and increasing number of optometrists were widely and openly disregarding the window-display regulations. They had been circumventing the advertising regulations by forming close alliances with optical dispensers, who would advertise their services and send persons inquiring about eye examinations to the optometrist ally, with a good number of those people having any emanating prescriptions dispensed by the optical dispenser.

The registration board turned a blind eye to what was going on, citing insufficient resources to send out inspectors to police the regulations. As long as nobody complained, the board would not act. If there was a complaint (and they were all from competitor optometrists, none from the public), the board would act, albeit reluctantly. The financial damage that those regulations caused to optometrists over the 16 years that they existed is incalculable, but it would have to be in the order of hundred of millions of dollars.

Largest optometry group formed

he largest optometry group in Australia was formed in July 1987 with the alliance off Adelaide-based Laubman & Pank Holdings

Pty Ltd and Brisbane based Trevor Henderson Pty Ltd. Between the two, there were 51 practices and 66 optometrists. The modus operandi to circumvent re-

strictions on Optometrical practice ownership in Queensland was a buy-out for an undisclosed sum of Trevor Henderson by two optometrists, the managing direc-

tor of Laubman & Pank, Mr Malcolm Miller, and his wife Carlien. Arrangements between Laubman & Pank and Mr and Mrs miller were not made known.

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FEBRUARY 2014

AOA, RACO clashed over territory claims

PTOMETRISTS routinely perform lacrim1 lavage (irrigation at a tear duct using a syringe) and routinely remove foreign bodies from the eye, the Australian Optometrical Association told the Federal Government Committee of Inquiry into Medical Education and Medical Workforce in 1987. In response, the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmolagists wrote to the optometrical registration boards in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, saying that if such procedures were being carried out by optometrists there would appear to be breaches of optometrical legislation. In view af the dangers associated wtth these procedures being performed by non-mdical personnel the boards

should examine the issue, the RACO said. (Lacrimal lavage is regarded by the Health Insurance commision as a medical procedure, with its own Medicare benefits item number.) The NSW registration board asked for details of specific instances, the Victoria board said it was Seeking legal advice and the .Queensland board said it had noted the contents of ttre RACO’s letter. There are more ophthalmologists than are needed in Australia; they spend most of their clinical time in optometrical procedures, which is a waste of resources and a misuse of expensive training; and the underutilisation of their skills is a risk, the AOA said in its submission to the inquiry. Anything less than medically-trained

eye care reduces the standard of eye care to that which would be found in third-world countries and would not be acceptable to the Australian public, the RACO said in its submission. Eleven years earlier, there was a row between the then Australian College of Ophthalmologists and the AOA over territory. The ACO said optometrists needed 1200 hours of training before they could detect eye diseases and that optometrical legislation should be changed to reflect that. The AOA replied that optometrists’ training in Australia includes the study of eye diseases as well as clinical examination methods and techniques used in detecting eye diseases, as well as the referral of patients with diseases to ophthalmologists or GPs.

Lasers changed eye care

ASERS changed methods of delivering eye care to patients, commencing in the late 1970s with lasers to treat: diabetic retinopathy, remove the anterior capsule of the crystalline lens and some of the nucleus before cataract surgery, and cut a hole in the posterior capsule when it has lost transparency some time after cataract surgery. By the mid 1980s, glaucoma was regularly being treated by laser trabeculoplasty as an alternative to surgery.

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‘Doctor’ title eluded optometrists T

HE title ‘Doctor’ eluded optometrists, with several attempts made by some of the optometrical registration boards and some of the state divisions of the Australian Optometrical Association to convince governments that they should be given the right to use the title. I n the early 1970s, the NSW AOA took it onto itself to start addressing its members as ‘Dr’ but that ceased on the demand of members. However some continued to use it for years, including the then chairman of the Board of Optometrical Registration. The then board did nothing about that.

In November 1984, the Tasmania health minister said optometrists would only be permitted to use the title doctor’ if they held a PhD from a university and provided it was made clear in writing that the user was not holding out to be a medical practitioner or practising medicine. A NSW optometrist holding an OD from a university in the United States unsuccessfully endeavoured to obtain permission from the Board of Optometrical Registration to use the title. He appealed to the District Court, but lost on the grounds that the public could

be confused if optometrists used the title during the course of their clinical practise as they could be perceived to be practising medicine. The NSW Optometrists Act prohibits optometrists from using any title or designation that implies they are medical optometrists practitioners or are qualified to practise ophthalmology or ophthalmic medicine or surgery. Despite that, and despite advice from the Crown Solicitor and from the Minister for Health, the board, at the request of the NSW division of the Australian Optometrical Association, in April 1995 decided to grant

permission to two optometrists to use the ‘doctor’ title. However the board said they had to make it clear that they were not medical practitioners. How they were to do so was not specified by the board. Some 200 optometrists then applied to use the title, but the board, having realised that it had clearly acted outside its powers, informed the two optometrists that its permission to use the title had been withdrawn and informed the other 200 that their applications had been rejected. A decision has yet to be made on use of the title by holders of PhDs.

OPSM bought 4 major retail groups

PSM bought four major retail groups between 1983 and 1989. First up, it bought Sydney based optometrical company Gibb & Beeman Ltd and optical dispensing company Gibb & Beeman Spectacle Makers Pty Ltd in 1983 for $1.76 million. Then it bought Victoria’s Coles & Garrard (Vic) Pty Ltd in 1988 for $14.6 million, followed by South Australia’s J. Holland Investments Ltd (known as Hollands) in November 1989 for an undisclosed sum and most of NSW’s Optic Express in 1989 for $5.9 million. The Gibb & Beeman purchase included wholly-owned optometrical and dispensing practices in George Street, Sydney, and in Newcastle as well as 20 licensed [franchised] dispensing outlets in Sydney suburbs and NSW country areas. Gibb & Beeman Ltd was (and continues to be) one of the handful of companies permitted to conduct optometrical businesses in NSW. It can only do so within 5 kilometres of the existing practices in the Sydney and Newcastle central business districts. Prior to the OPSM takeover, Gibb & Beeman Spectacle Makers had Licensing

arrangements under which optometrists, for a 7.5- per-cent licence fee on gross sales, practised optometry in its outlets and provided dispensing services as well. In return for the licence fee, Gibb & Beeman Spectacle Makers advertised and organised supply of consumables and equipment. It also paid for fit-outs of premises. The $1.76 million price was regarded at the time as a steal because the purchase included real estate valued at more than that figure alone, leaving aside the value of other assets of the companies, including goodwill. Commenting on the takeover, OPSM said it would not affect relations between OPSM and ophthalmologists; that OPSM was interested in Gibb & Beeman as an investment; that it wanted the existing management and staff and the licencees to remain; that there would be no obligation on licencees to purchase from OPSM; and that OPSM laboratories would have to compete with others for business from the Gibb & Beeman outlets. At the time, OPSM had 90 dispensing outlets in NSW. In July 1985, OPSM for an undisclosed amount, bought the optical dispensing businesses of

five practices in Victoria owned by an optometrist Mr Harold Barton and a company owned by two optometrists (Messrs Bill O’Bree and Graham Lack) and an optical dispenser (Mr Fred Fueggle) closely associated with OPSM bought the optometrical business. The Victoria AOA claimed the purchase meant non-optometrical interests were attempting to enter optometric practice in Victoria and that prescibing decisions “would be made on the stock exchange floor”. OPSM refuted that claim, pointing to its 50-year record of not attempting to influence the prescribing habits of ophthalmologist or optometrists, including the optometrists employed by its Gibb & Beeman subsidiary in NSW and those with Gibb & Beeman licences. Next up was leading Victoria dispensing company Coles & Garrard (Vic) Pty Ltd, which OPSM bought in August 1988 for $14.6 million, giving it an estimated 35-40 per cent of the Victoria dispensing market through 76 outlets in the State in its own name and those of Coles & Garrard and Gibb & Beeman (which opened outlets in Victoria prior to the takeover of Coles &

Garrard). The C&G takeover was acceptable to the Trade Practices Commission as it was considered that the purchase would not lead to domination of the dispensing market in Victoria by the OPSM group. Coles & Garrard had 14 outlets in Victoria, including its well-known Bourke Street, Melbourne, headquarters. OPSM eventually dropped the Coles & Garrard name in favour of its own. An associated company was Optometric Practitioners (Vic) Pty Ltd, which provided optometrical services to Coles & Garrard outlets. OPV was not sold to OPSM, remaining in the hands of some 40 optometrists. The purchase of the Hollands optometrical firm in South Australia gave OPSM 24 outlets in South Australia, nine in its own name and 15 in the Hollands name. Hollands was estimated to be three-quarters the size of the largest optometrical company in SA, Laubman & Pank. OPSM had been in SA since 1935 and, shared most of the dispensing market with Laubman & Pank and Hollands. It had held takeover discussions with Laubman & Pank, but nothing eventuated.

Budget Specs started the discount wars

udget Specs, a Melbourne-based dispensing firm established by the late john Nock in 1976, started the first major discount wars between optical retailers when it opened in the basement of one of the better known

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building in the ‘Paris end’ of Collins street. It advertised single-vision spectacles for $28 and bifocal spectacles for $55, compared to the usual $60$100 retail prices at optical dispensing and

Optometrical outlets. In mid 1978, Budget opened in Dymock’s building in Stdney’s George Street. OPSM soon joined the fray, offering low-priced spectacle in some of its outlets, and then opening a number of

‘low cost’ outlets. The latter were closed after a short period. Other players in the discount game came to include AOS, Bragain Specs, Cheapa Specs, Optical Discount Company, Fischer Optica, Medi Specs FEBRUARY 2014

Superstores shook optical retailing T

HE advent of optical superstores in late 1988 shook optical retailing from being a sleepy industry to a fiercely competitive one, with traditions such as no price advertising jettisoned and all sorts of deals and incentives starting to be offered. The superstores all had inhouse, on-site prescription laboratories and offered one-hour service for almost all prescriptions. The first ones opened in Chatswood, a northern suburb of Sydney, followed by Parramatta and Canberra. The concept originated in the United States in 1982, when Mr Dean Butler, a former marketing whizz with Proctor & Gamble, opened four superstores in Ohio, selling them four years later to LensCrafters, which is now the largest optical retailer in the world. By the time the first superstores opened in Australia, some 10 per cent of optical dispensing business in the United States was being written by 1.6

per cent of retail outlets - i.e. the 600 superstores there. Mr Butler believed there was huge potential to bring optical retailing into the late eighties and proceeded to demonstrate how to do it. He chose Australia as the next market ripe for superstores and opened Vision Express here in October 1988. The Galore Group opened its Optic Express superstores at the same time, as did OPSM, which had been adopting a supposed wait-and see attitude, while working behind the scenes to make sure it was ready to take on the ‘interlopers’ with its OPSM Vision Centre superstores (Later to become OPSM Express superstores). In June 1988, LensCrafters sent a team of executives from the US to have a look at the Australian market, but nothing further was heard from that company. Sunglass World considered opening some superstores, but decided

EYE surgeons went on strike

YE surgeons and other visiting medical officers in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT went on strike in March 1984 over contracts to work in public hospitals. While emergency treatment was not affected, people waiting for elective eye and other surgery had to wait longer for their operations. The strike saw the establisment of a new association of ophthalmologists, the Society of Ophthalmic Surgeons, a political ginger group.

The surgeons went on strike because the Federal Government wanted them to sign contracts for fixed schedule fees for treatment of private patients in public hospitals. The government threatened that any VMO who resigned their public-hospital appointments would be banned from public hospitals for seven years. Many eye surgeons resigned, about half of the total in NSW, and commenced working in private hospitals, where they stayed after the strike ended.

OPSM bought Protector

he then OPSM Industries Ltd (now OPSM Protector Ltd) bought the 57.67 per cent of Protector Safety Industries Ltd it did not own in February 1981 for $9.3 million, valuing the whole company at

$16 million. The purchase made OPSM Industries the dominant player in the industrialsafety field in Australia and New Zealand, as well as substantial player in the United Kingdom and Europe.

NSW mechanics went on strike

PTICAL mechanics in NSW went on strike for seven days in August 1978 i n support of a log of claims served employers by the Amalgamated Metal Workers and Shipwrights Union.

FEBRUARY 2014

During the strike, production of prescription lenses almost came to a halt, with production only being carried out by apprentice optical mechanics and a few small, privately-owned laboratories.

against doing so. Vision Express was underfunded and ended up being taken over by Japanese firm Paris Miki (which was an original shareholder), with Mr Butler and associates leaving the scene. Vision Express is now Paris Miki in Australia. It has closed a number of superstores in recent years. The Galore Group ran up substantial losses in the few years it operated superstores before deciding to cut its losses and quit. Some of the outlets were sold to OPSM for $5.9 million, some were closed and some were sold to the former general manager of Optic Express and now trade as Kays Optical. OPSM, initially the reluctant superstore operator, opened a total of 80 superstores, all with on-site laboratories, however in 1996 it commenced closing down some of the laboratories and feeding lens-grinding work to others in the company’s branch network. The superstore concept was considered by the Australian

Optometrical Association to be “just new dispensers”. The AOA said: “optometrists will have the same advantage over superstores as they have over other dispensers”. Time soon showed that to be was far from correct, as superstores quickly took substantial slabs of the retail optical market, with several hundred of optometrists commencing practice adjacent to them or, where the legislation permitted it, within them. Discounts and other incentives to attract customers have been substantial, sometimes bordering on the ridiculous. There have been two-for-one offers, buy-one-get-one-free offers, free addons such a: lens coatings, discounts of up to 90 per cent, and others. However, the initial enthusiasm for such offers has now waned, market research showing consumers often regard them with suspicion.

Police unlawfully raided ophthalmologists’ homes

USTRALIAN Federal Police and Health Insurance Commission inspectors unlawfully raided the homes or practices of 13 ophthalmologists as well as 17 OPSM outlets in Queensland on 4-5 March 1987. They also interviewed a number of the ophthalmologists’ patients and OPSM clients when seeking evidence of alleged Medicare offences, in particular making false claims, submitting false documents in relation to such claims, and intent to defraud the Commonwealth. One ophthalmologist was interviewed at 7am in his pyjamas. Documents were seized in the raids, but no charges were ever laid. It was revealed a year later that the police planned to take no action. The Federal Court found that the police had executed unlawful search warrants; had unlawfully seized thousands of documents; and had attempted to enforce a law that did not appear to exist. What was suspected was that customers of OPSM were being

referred to ophthalmologists without the referring optometrists [OPSM employees] having specifically “turned their minds to the question of whether the person might routinely need specialist attention”. Also, that counsel had difficulty in identifying any statutory provision which rendered that unlawful, if it occurred, and that would have made it hard to state the possible offence. The court awarded costs to OPSM against two police officers and the justice of the peace who authorised the warrants. The decision indicated there was nothing to prevent an optometrist from referring a patient to an ophthalmologist without a personal consultation, provided no fee was charged for the referral, and for ophthalmologists to accent such patients. The Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists expressed “absolute outrage and indignation at the action taken against the ophthalmologists” and demanded an apology from the then Prime Minister, Mr Bob Hawke. No apology was made. www.insightnews.com.au

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Unsuccessful bid for OPSM H igh-profile Melbourne businessman Mr Solomon Lew’s Specular Investments Pty Ltd made an unsuccessful $46-million bid for 50 per cent of OPSM Industries Ltd in June 1982, which was immediately rejected by OPSM directors. Specular, outlaying $5.46 million,had built up a 6.75-per-cent shareholding in OPSM in a lightning raid before making his bid for 50 per cent. OPSM directors rejected the $2-pershare bid, saying it significantly undervalued the company which was

trading at $1.88 on the day Mr Lew made his move. Mr Lew said OPSM had an excellent earnings pattern and was “a very well managed company which has excellent potential” and there would be no changes in management. He was not concerned that asset backing was only $1.19 a share. OPSM directors advised shareholders - not to sell their shares, claiming the price offered was below prices at which shares had traded earlier that year and throughout the previous year.

In the past 10 years, the company had declared six bonus issues and every year since it became a public company it had increased profit, they said. The share market gave the thumbs down to the bid, marking up OPSM shares to $2.20. The price offered was a low 10.7 times OPSM’s earnings in the 19901991 year. Directors of OPSM mounted a classic defence, on 23 July announcing an expected record profit of $10.1 million for the financial year just ended and

proposing a one-for-five bonus issue as well as a dividend Lift from 5.5c to 6.0c. I n November 1992, Specular sold its shares to interests regarded as friendly to OPSM, walking away from the bid with a $2-million profit. The ‘white knight’ was automotive industry group LNC Industries Ltd, which had a link with OPSM via its chairman who was (and still is) also the deputy chairman of OPSM, Mr Bill Locke.

RANZCO supported orthoptists in push Qld OAA tried to flex some muscle for refracting and prescribing rights over access to therapeutic drugs

n February 2004, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists supported the push by the Orthoptic Association of Australia Inc (Victoria Branch) for the right to refract and write prescriptions for spectacles without prior referrals by ophthalmologists or optometrists. The Orthoptic Association of Australia was seeking (and continues to seek) an extension of the scope of practice of orthoptists, to allow its members to measure refraction and prescribe spectacles independently. The optometrists Association Australia (Victoria Division) was (and

is) against extension of the scope of orthoptists’ practice and the Victoria Optometrists Registration Board wants referral procedures tightened. The RANZCO outlined its support in a statement to the Victoria Department of Human Services, signed by its then president, New Zealand ophthalmologist Dr Bruce Haddon. (There are no orthoptists in New Zealand.) In its statement, the college said orthoptists are provided with sound training in applied ocular physiology and ophthalmic sciences, with a substantial clinical component extending over a 3.5 -year course.

1.5 million over 55s have untreated cataracts

here are an estimated 1.5 Australians aged over 55 who have untreated cataracts, according to a report issued in September 2005 by the Canberra-based Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. That represents 31 per cent of all Australians in that age group, according to the report, ‘Vision Problems Among Older Australians’. The 1.5 million estimation was confirmed as accurate to “Insight” by the Ringland Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Melbourne, Professor Hugh Taylor. The report defined significant lens opacity as the presence of one or more of the following in either eye: posterior

FEBRUARY 2014

subcapsular cataract of 1mm or more, cortical cataract occupying 25% or more of the lens visible through a dilated pupil, or nuclear cataract equal to or greater than the penultimate grade in the classification system used. The prevalence of cataracts in Australia was estimated from the pooled data from United States, European and Australian population-based clinical studies, including two major studies in Australia. To eliminate the problem, every one of Australia’s 800 ophthalmologists would have to perform an average of 7.5 cataract procedures per day, five days per week for a whole year – at least!

ptometrists Association Australia (Queensland Division) tried to flex some muscle over access to therapeutic drugs by optometrists, which earlier in the year (2005) was delayed by the state government at the eleventh hour, with a multidisciplinary committee appointed to consider the matter, rather than the optometrical registration board. In a letter to ophthalmologists in Queensland dated 7 July, the Queensland OAA claimed: • It is publicly known the reason for the government’s back flip was the resignation of 22 public hospital ophthalmologists; • The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission was involved in the matter; • Freedom-of-information requests had been lodged for the names of 22 ophthalmologists “who threatened to resign from public hospitals”; • The 22 ophthalmologists are “a mob of so-called specialists who would

withdraw patient care altogether”; • Legal advice continued as to publication of the names of the 22; and • Quality eye care in Queensland could only by delivered if close ties exist between optometrists and ophthalmologists. The facts are there was no collusion between Queensland ophthalmologists in regard to resigning from public hospitals (it would be unlawful to collude) and there have been no such resignations. Also, the ACCC is not involved in the matter, and a freedom-ofinformation request would be futile. Relations between health authorities in Queensland and ophthalmologists who provide services in public hospitals, particularly on the Gold Coast, have been strained for some time over fees and working conditions, including unproductive consultation sessions and problems with access to operating theatres.

Over 200 practices sign up for new buying group in first four months

uying Group Optovision, established in 2005, attracted over 200 member practices in four months and appeared to be headed towards becoming the buying group with the largest membership in Australia. Pro Vision, owned by Optometrists Association Australia formed in 1989 as Australia’s Independent

Optometrists had the most members around 350 - while Eyecare Plus had over 100 members and Optipro has close to 50. The Melbourne-based Optovision offers to practices membership and shares, with no up-front or ongoing costs associated with membership www.insightnews.com.au

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Over the past few years we have helped more than 500 optical professionals into business ownership via the Specsavers Partnership in Australia alone, creating more than 5000 jobs in the process across our store, manufacturing and support network. We have opened more than 290 Specsavers stores and many of those have expanded their premises as the growth continues. And now, we have reached another significant milestone – an average annual turnover of more than $2 million per store – something we could only dream about five years ago. Meanwhile, consistent and growing profits – and in some cases super profits – are an established part of the Specsavers Partnership landscape. So, if you are an ambitious optometrist, dispenser or optical retailer and you would like the facts on how a Specsavers Partnership could positively impact your financial future, talk to our Partner Recruitment Team today. Contact Raj Sundarjee, National Recruitment Manager on 0424 135 485 or on au.opportunities@specsavers.com Visit www.spectrum-blog.com for a round-up of all the latest partnership and employment opportunities.

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AOA carved up by OPSM over Victoria Act

lethal document drawn up in 1996 by OPSM in its ongoing fight with the then Australian Optometrical Association (Victoria Division) came to light in early 1997. The document was submitted to the Victoria Minister for Health in response to claims made to the minister by the Victoria AOA, and ended up having considerable influence on the outcome of the State Government’s deliberations on the new Optometrists Act that came into effect on 1 July 1997. From the first sentences, it was obvious the submission was going to be hard on the AOA and optometrists in general. “Optometry is a very pampered profession. Traditionally it has been legislatively protected like no other profession. Whenever optometry’s privileged position has been threatened it has lobbied long and hard - and often successfully - to protect itself. The latest such actions have been to the Victorian and New South Wales governments,” the submission commenced. “Optometry is also a profession with a professional dilemma. Optometrists see - and project themselves - as quasiedicos. They claim to be the frontline of primary eye care in Australia and that their examinations are a major factor in identifying eye disease. However, such claims have been strongly denied by the medical profession, including the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists,” it continued. ‘The fact is that optometrists are not doctors and are not trained as medical practitioners. Optometrists are trained to test eyes and write prescriptions to correct sight abnormalities and to fit spectacles. “The Victoria Optometrists Registration Act ... quite clearly does not give power to optometrists to treat chronic or complicated eye disorders. The core economic activity of optometry is dispensing, and optometrists gain around 80 per cent of their income from this area. It is to almost state the obvious that eye care is a very lucrative area of health care. “The Australian Optometrical Association is opposed to any deregulation of the industry, especially

FEBRUARY 2014

the ownership of optometrical practices. It wants to continue to control the testing of eyes because that, to a large degree, retains for its members the dispensing of their own prescriptions and removes some competition in the dispensing market. “If that protection were to be removed under deregulation, the community would clearly benefit. ‘The AOA also wants to prevent commercial investment in optometric practices because this arguably would bring with it an investment in the latest technology and equipment, better work practices and management systems, and the provision of more streamlined and consumer-driven services. This would add even more competition to the market.” Turning to the AOA’s submissions to governments, the OPSM submission said they are flawed documents which depend on biased, often unsourced and incomplete data, and use half truths and innuendo, wild accusations and suggestions not supported by fact to enhance their case. The OPSM submission was prepared in reply to claims made to the Victoria Government by the Victoria AOA in a document entitled ‘Proposed Reforms to the Optometrists Registration Act’. “That submission follows the stand adopted by the AOA in other public debates on such issues as deregulation and commercial ownership of optometry,” OPSM said. Turning to claims made by the AOA in ‘Proposed Reforms’, OPSM said the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists clearly and quite strongly refuted the AOA’s claim that ocular and systemic disease is frequently detected during what is thought to be a routine eye examination for spectacles and that only qualified and registered practitioners (either optometrists or medical practitioners) have the skills to detect eye disease in a routine examination. The RACO had submitted to the Victoria Health Department that optometrists detect eye disorders in less than 0.9 per cent of the population and that the role of optometry in screening for eye and systemic disease is Limited, OPSM said. Also, that the RACO had said it is probable that optometrists may have

observed an abnormality in some patients from which it was concluded that it represented the presence of a known eye or systemic order, however the final accuracy of the diagnosis is not known, and the fact it is not known is supported by the “steady increase” in claims for malpractice against optometrists over the past decade. ‘Optometry has grossly exaggerated its role in screening for eye disease,” the RACO had submitted, and “eye examinations are carried out by general medical practitioners, paediatricians, endocrinologists, geriatricians, family physicians and neurologists as part of regular health care examinations ... ophthalmologists and GPs provide the majority of eye care services in Australia ... GPs are the main providers of primary eye care.” Turning to the AOA’S claim that there is no economic benefit to the deregulation of ownership, the OPSM submission said: “It is spurious to suggest that there will be no economic benefit from the deregulation of ownership. Control of eye testing services secures control of dispensing and with it, to a large degree, control of the pricing structure and scope of service for eye wear ... deregulation will lead to increased competition. “Following the relaxation of restrictions on optometry advertising in South Australia, there was an immediate and noticeable benefit to the community in price reduction and customer service. ‘What opponents of deregulation really mean when they say there is no economic benefit to deregulation is that they are not prepared to accept either competition or change.” In regard to the AOA’s claim that “it is difficult to understand why a government would knowingly deregulate an industry in such a way that would also lower the quality of eye care provided to consumers”, OPSM said “the AOA has consistently failed to demonstrate that ownership by nonoptometrists has any adverse effect on the quality of eye care. In its submission, OPSM said the RACO has clearly stated that the optometrist plays a “very minor” role in eye health. “In a submission to the Poisons Advisory Committee, the RACO

said: ‘Optometrists claim in their submission that they would manage patients rather than refer them to GPs or ophthalmologists, including patients who a GP would refer to an ophthalmologist. It is either a very naive or arrogant assumption that a few hours spent in a lecture room and no period of supervised clinical training is sufficient qualifiration to treat eye disease. ‘Optometrists are unique the health care delivery area because they examine and dispense. They have a captive market and around 80 per cent of optometrists’ revenue comes from dispensing. Optometrists obviously have a vested interest in examining eyes. The fact that eye tests are “free” to the patient because of the Medicare rebate further supports the optometrist’s interest.’” In response to the AOA’S claim that a major function of’ the optometrist is to detect eye and ocular signs of systemic disease before the disease reaches an advanced stage, OPSM said: “the AOA; again suggests that it plays a leading role in eye health care and referred to the RACO’S; claim that optometrists detect eye disorders in less than 0.9 per cent of the population and that the role of optometry in, screening for eye and systemic disease is limited.” The AOA said restriction of ownership to registered practitioners is essential if those who control optometric practices are to be accountable non-optometrist owners would not be accountable to the registration board ... and, especially in the case of larger; companies, would be able to far exceed the board’s resources to initiate serious disciplinary action. OPSM responded by saying many other health professionals, particularly medical practitioners and pharmnacists, are employed by companies, and “a whole range of health professionals are employed by public and private hospitals owned by comercial concerns.” The AOA has not provided any evidence to demonstrate that medical practitioners and others employed under such conditions are less ethical than their self-employed colleagues or that the number of complaints against them is higher,” OPSM said.

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Drugs row started when prescribing rights withdrawn by QLD government

he row over therapeutic drugs started in June 2005 when the Queensland government at the eleventh hour decided against granting optometrists in that state the right to prescribe and use therapeutic drugs and withdrew enabling regulations that were due to go to parliament that month. Instead of proceeding with the

regulations, the government decided to establish a committee to consider the use of therapeutic drugs by optometrists. The committee consists of four medical practitioners, one optometrists and one pharmacist. It will decide what therapeutic drugs, if any, Queensland optometrists will be permitted to use and under what conditions, as well as

the training they must undertake. Before the eleventh-hour decision to not proceed with the regulations, the government gave every indication that it was content that legislation (but not regulations, which were to follow) permitting optometrists to use restricted Schedule 4 therapeutic drugs had been passed by parliament and that

NSW OAA attacked 30% of its members

NDEPENDENT optometrists provide a greater standard of eye care and have a much stronger interest in ensuring the maintenance of that standard of care by both principal and professional staff, the NSW division of the Optometrists Association Australia claimed in March 1999.

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By contrast, the NSW OAA said, “profit-centred corporations have a legal obligation to maximise returns to their shareholders - which is done by cutting costs (in the case of an optometrist that means time) and increasing revenue (in the case of an optometrist, this means seeing more patients per hour or day)”.

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Around 30 per cent of the NSW OAA’s members are in commercial relationships with optical dispensers. The NSW OAA also claimed OPSM could afford to buy 150 optometrical practices in NSW from one year’s profit and could buy all NSW practices within a few years.

DECEMBER 2013

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The submission said that commercial relationships between optometrists and optical dispensers have the potential to lead to problems and to compromise the quality of eye care provided by the hosted optometrist. Optometry practices should all be owned by optometrists, the OAA said.

the whole question of therapeutic drugs be left in the hands of the Optometrists Board of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology’s School of Optometry. Had the legislation proceeded, there were likely to have been 45 drugs listed for use by authorised optometrists.

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Over 38 years we’ve seen many changes in the ophthalmic professions and industry; ophthalmic professionals’ stars rise and fade, restructuring of the industry, clinical studies that have led to revolutionised eye-care, the struggles and triumphs of eye-care practitioners, new companies emerge as leaders, existing companies merge, established companies fold, and old technologies made redundant by new technologies.

Regulation of optical dispensing is unnecessary: South Australia OAA

egulation of optical dispensing is unnecessary, Optometrists Association Australia (South Australia Division) said in October 2005. In a document headed ‘Optometry in Australia - Fact Sheet’, the SA OAA said continued regulation of optical dispensing

is unnecessary for protection of the public and is contrary to ‘Competition Policy Principles’. “Incorrect spectacles cannot cause eye disease or permanent eye damage,” the document said. “They are little more than an

incovenience that can easily be rectified. “Existing contemporary consumer legislation is more than adequate to cover what is essentially a retail transaction. “Optical dispensing is not regulated in the Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory

and Tasmania and will shortly be repealed in Western Australia. “We believe that ongoing training and developement of all staff in an optometric practice is important for the delivery of excellent patient care, but registration in unnecessary to ensure this.”

Luxottica replaces OPSM directors

ive directors of OPSM Group were replaced by four nominees of Italian frame and sunglass company Luxottica Group in October 2004, following Luxottica winning acceptance of its $550 million bid for OPSM by shareholders holding 82.5

per cent of issued shares. Although Luxottica Group (through Luxottica South Pacific) sought to win acceptance of 90 per cent of shares, which would have enabled it to proceed to compulsorily acquire the remaining shares, the 82.5 per cent acceptance gave

it clear control of the company. OPSM’s directors were unanimous in recommending the bid to shareholders, stating it was in the latter’s interests. Mr Tom Coleman, an American, was appointed chief executive of OPSM Group, in place of Mr Jonathan Pinshaw,

who resigned from the company on 2 October, giving three months’ notice. Mr Coleman came to the position with almost 30 years’ retail experience, including 15 years in senior management positions with US retail optical group.

$1,000 fine plus $4,500 costs for orthoptist ‘practising optometry’

court to have contravened the Act when she failed to have obtained a referral or request from an optometrist or ophthalmologist before performing a refraction and then prescribing a pair of spectacles. The refraction and prescribing were for a private investigator (a former

chief supfirintendent of police) sent by the Optometrists Registration Board 240km by road specifically to ask for a refraction and prescription. The magistrate did not consider there was entrapment by the private investigator. (As from 1 July 1997, orthoptists in

Victoria have been permitted to legally refract and prescribe spectactes provided they have a referral from an optometrist or ophthalmologist that is no more than six months’ old.) Mrs Hughes closed her business after the court case, leaving the town without a permanent on-site service.

Some laser-surgery advertisements ‘unlawful, unethical and unprofessional’: RACO

HE Victoria branch of the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists in August 1997 called for reinstatement of the previous tough regulations governing advertising under the State Medical Practice Act 1994, following some unprecedented advertising and publicity by ophthalmologists, particularly in regard to laser procedures to correct refractive error and cataract operations. The Victoria branch’s call was endorsed by the council of the RACO. Concerns included claims such as “never wearing glasses or contact lenses again” ... “throw away glasses and contact lenses after surgery” ... “people are literally able to throw away their glasses” ... “no pain” ... “painless” ... “freedom you’ve only dreamed about” ... “worldwide no reports of complications” ... “not a single reported case of vision loss due to the operation”, as well as extracts from surgeons’ CVs in advertisements and ‘advertorials’ and offers of gifts to persons attending clinics for evaluation. A statement issued by the RACO said: “With the relaxation of laws regarding advertising in several States, a

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small number of ophthalmologists have advertised their services in a blatant manner both in the press and in the electronic media. ‘As a result of such advertising, the college has received a number of complaints, both from ophthalmologists and from other areas of the medical profession. “It is the view of this college that whilst such advertising may conform with the Law, it is unprofessional, and brings the medical profession into disrepute. “The RACO strongly disapproves of such advertising and publicly disassociates itself from such practices.” An ethics statement by the RACO in November 1995, said: “Advertising and statements to the public must be demonstrably true, must not contain any endorsement of clinical skills, and must not be likely to bring the profession or one’s colleagues into disrepute”. The AMA code of ethics, of February 1996, said: “Ensure that any announcement or advertisement directed towards patients or colleagues is demonstrably true in all respects,

does not contain any testimonial or endorsement of your clinical skills and is not likely to bring the profession into disrepute”. The Victoria RACO said it believed that reversion to the pre-1994 rules for medical advertising “is in the best interests of the public and the profession”. In a submission to the Victoria Government, entitled ‘Medical Advertising in Victoria, A Case for Review of the Regulations’, the Victoria RACO said the 1994 liberalisation of rules governing advertising by medical practitioners in Victoria was unnecessary and unwise and that the regulations in the other Australian States and Territories, except Tasmania, are all more stringent than in Victoria. ‘A flood of unlawful, unethical and unprofessional advertisements is occurring in Victoria, these advertisements being placed by a relatively small number of ophthalmologists who are blatantly and persistently disregarding the existing liberal rules,” the submission said. “The differing regulations between States of Australia leads to an anti-

competitive position for the doctors in some States. “Doctors who have a moral and ethical objection to advertising are disadvantaged compared to those with no such compunction. “Liberal advertising rules are against the public interest. Advertising direct to the public renders the normal referral systen? from GP to specialist obsolete, distorts patterns of medical practice and allows unethical practitioners to falsely and deceptively inform the public. “Advertising increases costs to patients. “The liberalisation of advertising rules in Victoria has set medical practitioners against each other and their colleges against the members. “The level and types of advertising which is now occurring reduces the overall sense of medical professionalism in the eyes of many doctors and of the public. “The Medical Board should act more quickly and vigorously to enforce the rules of advertising, and must provide better feedback to complainants. “The RACO Victoria Branch believes that reversion to the pre-1994 rules for medical advertising is in the best interests of the public and the profession.” FEBRUARY 2014

NSW considers ‘lay’ supervised refraction and prescribing T

HE State of New South Wales is considering permitting refraction and writing of prescriptions for optical appliances by laypersons under the supervision of optometrists and/or ophthalmologists, as part of a review of the NSW Optometrists Act, it was revealed in July 1998. In early 2000, the NSW Department of Health recommended that any person should be able to prescribe spectacles and fit contact lenses provided they do so under the supervision or control of registered medical practitioners or optometrists. Further, the department recommended that non-optometrists, whether they be persons, firms or companies, should be permitted to own optometrical practices and to employ optometrists in NSW, however they should be prevented from interfering in the conduct of the business of the practice of optometry by the introduction of a new offence under the Optometrists Act - improperly influencing the practice of optometry. The department also recommended that orthoptists be permitted to refract and prescribe lenses and fit contact lenses, under referral to them by a medical practitioner. However the referral requirement should be reviewed and perhaps dropped. Other recommendations by the department were: • Optical dispensers to have the right to call themselves ‘opticians’;

• Mandatory release of prescriptions; • Different registration categories for optometrists; • No requirement for continuing education for re-registration; • Registration board to have optometrists as majority of members, and medical practitioner seat on board abolished; • Board members to serve maximum of three terms of three years; • Two levels of disciplinary procedures; • Code of professional conduct included in legislation. The proposed new Optometrists Act, including the above, is still being considered by the State Government. Still under consideration are Health Department recommendations on the use of therapeutic drugs by optometrists, the scope of optometrical practice and its effect on other professions, six different ways to control optometrists and the practice of optometry, ownership and control of optometrical practices, registration requirements, continuing education, disciplinary procedures, composition of the Board of Optometrical Registration, professional indemnity insurance, mandatory disclosure of fees, record keeping, advertising by optometrists and mandatory release of prescriptions. The ‘Review of the Optometrists Act 1930 Issues Paper’, released by

Luxottica bought OPSM Group for $550 million, but name left unchanged

n September 2003, Italy’s Luxottica Group won control of OPSM Group, but it failed to win acceptance for 90 per cent of OPSM’s issued shares, thereby being denied the right to compulsorily acquire the remaining shares and gain access to OPSM’s cash flows. However in 2004, Luxottica made a fresh bid for outstanding shares, which was accepted by the hold-out shareholders. At the close of the takeover bid on 2 September, Luxottica had received acceptances for 82.15 per cent of OPSM shares, 7.85 per cent short of the

FEBRUARY 2014

compulsory-acquisition level. Four institutions refused to accept the $550 million takeover bid, which ended on 2 September, claiming the offer of $3.90 cash per share (including a 10c dividend) was not high enough. They accounted for just over 10 per cent of OPSM shares. One institution claimed OPSM was worth around $4.50 a share. Luxottica extended its bid five times from when it was first announced, in attempts to sway the four institutions (and smaller shareholders) who had not accepted the bid.

the NSW Department of Health on 10 July, takes into account a February 1998 report to the NSW Minister for Health by the Clinical Issues Working Party, established to consider a range of clinical issues that have arisen during the review of the Optometrists Act - access to therapeutic drugs by optometrists, contact Lenses, the use of Lasers and the scope of the practice of optometry. In its report to the minister, the working party recommended that there be no definition of the ‘practice of optometry’ included in legislation regulating the optometrical profession. It also recommended that the Optometrists Act include specific offences prohibiting persons other than medical practitioners arid optometrists, or a person acting under their supervision , from engaging in the fitting of contact lenses and the writing of prescriptions for optical appliances. However there was no detailed discussion on the issue of what constitutes supervision. Members of the working party also agreed that the restriction on fitting of contact lenses ought not prevent optical dispensers from placing a lens in a person’s eye and that that was not the intent of the Optometrists Act in that regard. Further, the Department of Health advised the working party that, on review, it had become apparent that the supply of contact lenses is primarily

regulated by the Optical Dispensers Act 1963 and that, therefore, further consideration of whether there should be additional, or reduced, controls on the supply of contact lenses will be more appropriately dealt with in a review of that Act rather than the current review process. The issues paper noted that the Optometrists Registration Act 1996 in Victoria provides that an orthoptist who is registered with the Orthoptists Association of Australia or the orthoptists sub-committee of the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists may prescribe spectacles provided that the patient has a referral from an ophthalmologist or optometrist which is less that six months old. The benefits in this approach are in increased competition in the marketplace and a broader choice for consumers. Prior to the introduction of the Act, the Victoria Department of Health was unable to identify any public health risk associated with the extension of orthoptists practice rights, the paper notes. The issues paper has been drafted by the department based on its consideration of new legislation that has been introduced in other jurisdictions governing health-care professions, including changes to definitions of professional misconduct, disciplinary structures, registration criteria and the level of consumer representation on boards in the relevant Acts.

Essilor bought Perkins, Vision Line and AGT

N 1999, French firm Essilor International bought the Perkins Optical prescription- Laboratory group from Hancock & Gore Ltd for $ 7 million. Perkins consisted of five laboratories and had annual sales of about $20 million. Essilor Australia, through its Perkins Optical subsidiary, also bought Sydney

prescription laboratory Vision Line Optical for an undisclosed amount. Later in the year, Essilor Australia bought Adelaide prescription Laboratory AG Thompson & CO for an undisclosed price. The purchases made Essilor’s Laboratories operations the second largest in Australia (after OPSM) www.insightnews.com.au

No more ‘contact lens practitioners’ in NSW

ROM 1 January 1998, there have been no ‘contact Lens practitioners’ in NSW, following the decision of the State’s Board of Optometrical Registration that the title was no longer to be used. Optometrists could continue to call themselves ‘optometrists’ and/ or ‘opticians’ or, if they have written approval from the board, may use up to two of the following ‘specialist’ titles: contact lens specialist, behavioural optometry specialist, low vision specialist and sports vision specialist. The board said the words ‘contact lens practitioner’ must be removed

from all premises, window displays, stationery, telephone directories and other directories, advertisements and publicity material, otherwise the optometrist concerned could face a board inquiry into whether he or she is in breach of the Optometrists Act. In order to obtain approval from the board to use a ‘specialist’ title, which can only be used while in clinical practice in NSW, an optometrist must satisfy a number of requirements: • The applicant must be registered as an optometrist. • Not Less than five years full-time, or the equivalent part-time, in optometrical

practice must have been completed at a level and under conditions acceptable to the board. • The applicant must be able to demonstrate that a period of not less than two years fulltime, or the equivalent parttime, clinical practice has been accumulated in the relevant specialty area during the five years preceding the date of application. • A formal qualification must be held from a recognised professional or academic organisation, that specifically indicates postgraduate training in the relevant specialty area. The qualification must be awarded on the basis of a

structured clinical and theoretical program No more ‘contact lens practitioners’ in NSW whose content is based primarily in the relevant area. Refresher courses, precept ships or visiting clinical appointments alone are not equivalent to a structured program of training. Evidence must be provided of having undertaken a substantial amount postgraduate scholarly activity in a field related to the relevant specialty area. A form degree or diploma, awarded the basis of a structural clinical or theoretical program of study, is appropriate evidence of substantial scho activity.

Australian researchers discovered Australian researchers developed first flexible artificial cornea why nuclear cataracts form

team of researchers at the University of Wollongong, NSW, in March 2000 announced it had discovered why nuclear cataracts form - a world-first finding that could eventually lead to drugs being developed to either slow down the progression of this condition or prevent it. “I’ve always been intrigued by the colouration of the human lens when it becomes a nuclear cataract. You get these colours ranging from oranges through to browns, and even black,” the director of the Australian Cataract Research Foundation, Associate Professor Roger Truscott, who is heading the research team, told “Insight”.

“I’ve always been puzzled as to what could be causing the colouration so I proposed for a number of years that the UV filter compounds that are present in primate lenses could be implicated in this process and they may be involved in the cataract itself. “What we have found is that tjis is true. Even in human lenses that are normal as opposed to cataract ones, they progressively become more yellow and that has an effect on our colour perception. What we demonstrated recently is that that colour is due to the binding of one of the UV filters to the lens protein as we age. That’s been a puzzle for a very long time and we’ve solved it.”

USTRALIAN researchers in mid 1998 announced the developed the world’s first flexible artificial cornea, which is suitable for implanting into humans. Polymer chemist Professor Traian Chirila and a team of researchers at the Lions Eye Institute in Perth spent more than seven years developing the artificial cornea, known as the Chirila KPro. “The artificial cornea is an extraordinary scientific breakthrough,” the director of the institute, Professor Ian Constable, said. “It is the world’s first ‘true’ artificial cornea in that it closely

Optometrists are ‘refractionists’: survey

PTOMETRISTS are regarded solely as refractionists, according to a survey of consumers carried out in 1998 by the Optometrists Association Australia. Nearly 100 per cent of those surveyed, with the exception of respondents over

65 years of age, said they did not believe that the role of an optometrist extends beyond refraction. The younger the consumer, the more that held true and the less knowledge and more confusion about optometry and the role it plays in the delivery of

eye care. The survey found that seeking eye examinations was based more on the perceived need (because of vision problems) by consumers rather than a desire to have general eye health checked or monitored.

INSIGHT. Because News is always relevant. www.insightnews.com.au

resembles a human cornea, it is easyto-implant and it is flexible. “It is an extremely significant development in the endeavour to overcome corneal blindness in the world. “More than 10 million people suffer corneal scarring and blindness. This extraordinary development has the potential to relieve great human suffering.” The Chirila KPro is a soft plastic lens with a high water content. Although it looks similar to a soft contact lens, it has a porous bio-compatible skirt around its edge, allowing the eye’s own tissue to grow into it.

Varilux: 40th birthday

ssilor Australia celebrated the 40th birthday of the Varilux progressive-power spectacle lens design in 1999.

$500 rebate offered for laser surgery

regional Victoria private health insurance fund, Yallourn Medical and Hospital Society, in September 1998 announced it would pay a benefit of $500 per eye to members undergoing excimer-laser surgery to correct refractive error. FEBRUARY 2014

43% of primary-eye-care services provided by GPs, says RACO G

eneral medical practitioners provide 43 per cent of primaryeye-care services, according to the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists’ then president in 1995, Dr Justin O’Day. The 43-per-cent claim contradicted the claim by the Australian Optometrical Association that optometrists provide over 70 per cent of all initial eye examinations. In a letter to the NSW Optical Dispensers Licensing Board in June 1995, the then RACO president, Dr O’Day said primay eye care is defined as “that provided by a health professional with whom a patient has initial contact and by whom the patient may be referred to a specialist for further treatment”. GPs made 680,000 referrals to ophthalmologists, physicians (including paediatricians, endocrinologists, geriatricians and neurologists, as part of regular health-care examinations) made 303,000 referrals and optometrists made 100,500 referrals, Dr O’Day said. “There are approximately 653 ophthalmologists, 12,697 medical specialists, 25,450 general practitioners and 1,820 optornetrists, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics,’’he said.

“Ophthalmologists provided 2,374,383 eye sevices in 1990- 91, GPs 1,953,914 and optometrists 2,633,950, according to the Health Insurance Commission. “The ‘Better Health Commission’ reported in 1986 that 75% of the population visits a GP during any 12month period. Since GPs detect disease in patients who subsequently develop ocular manifestations such as diabetes mellitus, GPs are the main providers of primay eye care. “Additional support for this assumption is the low patient referral rate of optometry to ophthalmologists (3.8%), indicating that the majority of patients attending optometrists have no eye disease. Further support is the age group distribution of patients attending optometrists, which shows that optometrists mainly provide sevices to the age groupings with little or no eye disease. “Since optometrists’patients are biased to the teenage to middle-age groups in which eye disease is uncommon, and optometrists detect eye disorders in less than 0.9% of the population, the role of optometry in screening for eye and systemic disease is limited.”

Dr O’Day said that in 1993 the AOA claimed in a letter to the Federal Labor caucus that optometrists refer 135,000 patients each year (0.8% of the population) to medical practioners, 15,000 (11%) being for glaucoma, 15,000 for cataract and 11,000 (8%) for previously undiagnosed diabetes mellitus. Other diseases referred were ocular and brain tumours and multiple sclerosis. However, the rate of occurrence of new cases of chronic glaucoma per annum is about 0.2%, Dr O’Day said. “Since optometrists provide initial consultations to 2.06 million people aged over 16 years annually, the maximum number of new patients with glaucoma diagnosed by optometrists would not exceed 4,137 annually,” he said. “Similarly, the annual incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in children aged 0-14 years is 12.3 per 100,000 children. Since ll.6% of optometry patients are children aged 0-15 years, less than 34 children with undiagnosed diabetes mellitus are likely to present to optometry in one year.” Dr O’Day said the annual incidence of diabetes mellitus in Australia is 61 persons per 100,000 (Proust and Smithurst) and

that given that optornetrists provide initial consultations to 13% of the population and that this group is representative of the total population, the total number of previously undiagnosed diabetics presenting to optometrists in one year is likely to be 1,428. Uveal melanoma is the most common ocular tumour in persons 20 years and over with an annual incidence of 6 cases per l million persons. Since optometrists provide initial consu~tations to ll.5% of the population older than 15 years, and given the rarity of the tumour, the probability of optometrists detecting 12.5 patients with uveal melanoma in one year would be coincidental, he said. The reason for such “a disparity in the facts and optometry’s claims’’ is probably that optometrists may have observed an abnormality in some of those patients from which it was concluded that it represented the presence of a known eye or systemic disorder, Dr O’Day said. “The final accuracy of the diagnosis is unknown, however the fact that it may have been wrong is supported by the steady increase in claims for malpractice against optom-etrists over the last decade (Breadon).”

GST imposed on frames and sunglasses

HE Federal Government imposed the goods and services tax on spectacle frames and sunglasses from 1 July 2000, but not on spectacle lenses and contact lenses. The government also decided that other optical goods would attract the tax, including spectacle cases, contact lens solutions, lens cleaning cloths, instruments and equipment. At one stage it looked as though

the GST would be payable on cutting, edging and fitting of spectacle lenses to frames, however an early decision to that effect was reversed. It was decided that GST would not be payable on consultations by ophthalmologists and optometrists, as well as ophthalmic (and other) prescription drugs and health insurance premiums, Braille publications and electronic reading aids for sight-

impaired persons. OPSM and Sola were the loudest protesters against imposition of the tax on frames, ‘on the grounds that it would increase the price of complete spectacles to the consumer. The Optical Distributors and Manufactures Association also protested. OPSM appeared before a senate committee in March 1999, the main

thrust of its submission being that GST should not be charged on complete spectacles, as they consist of three components – frame, lenses and ‘manufacturing’ costs. Frames and lenses on their own do not assist people needing sight correction; lenses have to be fitted to a frame if they are to be effective, OPSM submitted.

University of NSW continued investigation of $8.3m write-off

he University of New South Wales said in September 2005 it was continuing its internal investigation of matters surrounding the need for it to write off $8.3 million in connection with the Cooperative Research Centre for Eye Research and Technology.

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According to the NSW AuditorGeneral’s report to Parliament in May 2005, during 2004 the University reached a settlement with CRECRT, resulting in the University writing off $8.3 million, “A University disciplinary hearing

has yet to be finalised and referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption”. The report said. However a spokesman for the University said the above is “misleading” in as much as once the disciplinary hearing has been completed it does not

mean it will automatically be referred to the ICAC. “The matter is still under investigation and no decision has yet been made” the spokesman told Insight on 29 September. www.insightnews.com.au

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RANZCO supported Vic orthoptists’ push for refracting and dispensing rights

he Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists in 2004 supported the push by the Orthoptic Association of Australia Inc (Victoria branch) for the right to refract and write prescriptions for spectacles without prior referrals by ophthalmologists or optometrists. The Orthoptic Association of Australia was seeking (and continues to see) and extension of the scope of practice of orthoptists, to allow its members to measure refraction and prescribe spectacles independently. The Optometrists Association Australia (Victoria Division) is against extension of the scope of orthoptists’ practice and the Victoria Optometrists Registration Board wants referral procedures tightened. The RANZCO outlined its support in a statement to the Victoria Department of Human Services, signed by its then president, New Zealand ophthalmologist Dr Bruce Haddon. In its statements, the college said that orthoptists are provided with sound training in applied ocular physiology and ophthalmic sciences, with a substantial

clinical component extending over a 3.5 year course. The Training program equips orthoptists to assess and treat disorders of ocular motility and amblyopia, and is carrying out extensive training of visual functions including refraction, visual field and intraocular pressure measurement, management of patients with contact lenses and screening for the presence of eye disease, the college says. “Orthoptists are well trained in screening to detect glaucoma, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, neurological and other visual field defects, and are competent to carry out refraction and prescribe glasses when necessary and combine this with screening for eye disease, and to refer patients to ophthalmologists for further investigation. “They should not require referral from and ophthalmologist or optometrist in providing services for their patients.” The statement said the college is in support of the orthoptists’ submission as it is of the view that orthoptists are well trained in clinical refraction and

prescription of glasses, screening and the early detection of eye disease. “There is no evidence that the prescription of incorrect glasses can cause harm to a patient or constitutes a public health risk. “Further, the college has not opposed the introduction of ready-to-wear glasses, but supported the deregulation of refraction for glasses prescription.” Concluding its statement, the college said the Optometrists Registration Board and the Optometrists Registration Act are designed to control the practice of optometrists but indirectly control the ability of orthoptists to refract and prescribe glasses, therefore it appears that the optometrists’ regulatory body has direct control over competitors to optometrists, namely orthoptists. “The view of the college on this is that it is unjustifiable and not in the overall interests of the public.” The Optometrists Association Australia (Victoria Division) is against extension of the scope of orthoptists’ practice and does not want Victoria to be the first State or Territory to agree to it, and points out that the National

Competition Commission reviews of ophthalmic legislation across Australia has found a cost-benefit case for such extension. A number of studies have been commissioned by the OAA over the years which found that while orthoptists’ training was satisfactory in order to become an orthoptists, it was not adequate to practice optometry, of which refraction and prescribing is but one part, according to optometry sources. The Victoria Optometrists Registration Board, which in 1998 successfully prosecuted a country orthoptists for breach of the Optometrists Registration Act because she did not have a written referral from an ophthalmologist or optometrist for a ‘patient’ who entrapped her in a set-up by the board, wants the Act changed so that such referrals must be in writing. The Victoria Department of Human Services has published a 171-page discussion paper to foster debate about the health professions, with a view to determining the need, if any, for reform of registration-board powers and any further regulation of the professions.

Long battle over use of therapeutic ocular drugs by optometrists

HE late nineties saw the continuation of the drawn-out battle between optometrists and ophthalmologists over the use of therapeutic drugs by optometrists. Victoria set the pace by passing legislation effective from 1 July 1997 permitting this, with the Optometrists Registration Board of Victoria given power to decide which drugs optometrists should be permitted to use and what form of training would be acceptable. Tasmania was next, passing enabling legislation in April 2000, with the Optometrists Registration Board of Tasmania given power to decide the training to be undertaken by optometrists in order to qualify for use of such drugs. A consultative panel, with representatives of optometry in the

FEBRUARY 2014

minority and representative of Medicine and pharmacy in the majority was established to develop a list of drugs that optometrists will be able to use, with the Tasmania Minister for Health having the final say in that regard. New South Wales continued to consider such legislation, but the State Government continued to baulk at bringing in a new Optometrists Act including giving optometrists the right to use schedule-4 drugs, even though the NSW Department of Health recommended that optometrists be permitted to use schedule 2, 3 and 4 therapeutic drugs, provided they had undergone appropriate training. It is the view of the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists that such training would be of 12 months’ fulltime duration or equivalent.

In Victoria, a make-do training course was agreed to by the registration board, but ophthalmologists in the main were reluctant to train optometrists to use S4 drugs. It was a similar state of affairs in Tasmania at the time of going to press. The then Victoria Minister for Health, Mr Rob Knowles, said supply of schedule 4 therapeutic ocular drugs by optometrists should not be for profit, in order to avoid potential conflict of interest. Supply is to be limited to providing trial samples and for emergencies, with supply in general being from pharmacies through prescriptions written by optometrists who have completed appropriate training, Mr Knowles said. Optometrists and other nonmedical personnel should not prescribe or sell drugs because it is an “encroachment into medical standards,” the then president

of the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists, Dr Brian Lockhart Gibson, said in, October 1998. “Legislation enabling nonmedical personnel to treat medical conditions, prescribe and sell drugs, when they are not adequately qualified is a very retrograde step,” Dr Gibson said. “This has recently occurred in Victoria, where the qovernment legislated for non-medical people, that is optometrists, to prescribe drugs for the treatment of eye disease. These drugs include steroids, and the legislation also allows optometrists to sell these drugs. The commercial profit of selling drugs by the treating practitioner is quite unacceptable to the medical profession.”

www.insightnews.com.au

Sales of lenses and frames worth $1 billion a year

otal retail sales of spectacle frames and lenses were worth $1 billion a year, according to consumer and practitioner market research commissioned by the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association. The total value of sales in 2004 was $966 million, consisting of $655 million for lenses and $311 million for frames. The research showed: Complete prescription spectacles are by far the largest segment in the optical retailing industry, with a value in 2004 of around $690 million. In addition, there were sales of around $260 million for lenses (without frames) and $16 million for frames (without lenses) Within the lens market, sales were almost equal between single-vision and progressive-power lenses at $280 million and $290 million respectively. Bifocal sales were $77 million. Average prices of progressive-power lenses were $265 per pair, single vision $113 and bifocals $116, for an average of $153. A total of 4.3 million pairs of lenses were sold, consisting of 1.1

million pairs of progressive power lenses, 2.5 million single vision lenses and 0.6 million bifocals. 24% of lens sales were for distance correction, 32% for near and 43% for both. Use of treated lenses has increased significantly in two years (the previous research showed that while the vast majority of retailers consider it important to educate their clientele about the range of options, particularly lenses, available to them, many do not do so to any great extent. Only 55% of consumers were happy with the explanations they received in regard to the range of lenses available to them, the research showed. Product function and practitioner advice were regarded by purchasers as the most important influences on lens purchasing decisions. Price was a factor in purchasing decisions, particularly with low-income earners, however it is rarely the deciding factoring choice of either lenses or frames. Forty-three percent of consumers

used only one pair of spectacles. The most common reason for a second pair was for driving. The great majority of spectacle purchases were made in response to a new prescription. Fifty-four percent of consumers using prescription spectacles had noticeably-impaired vision prior to receiving their first prescription, with more than 30 percent living with a noticeable impairment for more than 12 months before having an eye examination. Seventy-seven percent of spectacle users claimed to have their eyes examined at least every two years. Ready-made spectacles accounted for 20% of the over 40’s markets, with a higher penetration among lower-come groups. They were frequently used as a back-up for ‘custom’ spectacles. The report states that the market for prescription eyewear would continue to increase because of Australia’s ageing population trend, which was driving growth through the age-related

eye disorders. There is also considerable potential to increase volume sales and the average unit values of products sold to current spectacle and contact lens wearers, the report said. The advice of practitioners was the key to influencing consumers in the purchase of quality products such as multifocals and high-end lens treatments. In 2004, it was estimated that the total contact lens market was worth 70 million, with indications that it is growing strongly relative to the rest of the prescription eyewear market. Value growth was being driven by the increasing popularity of disposable lenses. A large proportion of contact lens wearers do not use them as their primary form of prescription eyewear, the report said. With the development of new and improved products, it is likely that this segment of the eyewear market would continue to grow.

Ophthalmology-practice company reported $16.7m net profit on revenue of $53.4m

phthalmology-practice publicly-listed company Vision Group Holdings Limited reported a maiden net profit of $16.7 million after-tax profit on revenue of $53.4 million for the year ended 30 June 2005.

The revenue figure was 36% higher than was recorded in the 2003-2004 year, while the after tax pre-goodwill figure was 56% higher. The Melbournebased company, which was established in 2001, was privately owned until it listed on 17 December 2004.

Earnings before interest, income tax and amortisation were $19.4 million, up 50%, while profit before income tax was $11.1 million, up 61%, and profit from ordinary activities after tax attributable to members was 46.7 million, up 81%.

Operating cash flows after tax were $13.3 million, up 46% on the previous year. The Eye Institute in Sydney, acquired in may 2005, contributed underlying earnings of $6.7 million.

58 new ophthalmologists by the end of 2006: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report

ustralia will have 58 new ophthalmologists by the end of 2006, taking the total to 819 (assuming there are no losses) according to a report released in August 2005 by the Canberra-based Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Of the 58 new ophthalmologists, there

will be 35 by the end of 2005 and 23 next year, the report said, with another 15 due in 2007. By the end of 2005, there will be a total of 796 ophthalmologists, including clinicians, non-clinicians and new ones. It is likely the number of non-clinicians will be in the mid-to-high teens. As at 2003, there were 726 specialist

ophthalmologists, 715 of whom were specialist clinician ophthalmologists, 11 non-clinician and 12 in training. As at 2000, there were 653 specialist ophthalmologists, 645 of whom were specialist clinicians and 8 non-clinicians. The mean age of all ophthalmologists in 2003 was 51.7 years, wit 65% working

OPSM share price reached $4.15 The price of shares in OPSM Protector reached $4.15 in September 1997 www.insightnews.com.au

before dropping to around $3.40 six months later. Late last year, the price

dropped to a record low of $1.75, before rising to around $2.15.

more than 50 hours per week. In 2000, the mean age was 52 years. Females constituted 12.6% of all ophthalmologists in 2003, while female clinician ophthalmologists constituted 12.3%. In 200, females constituted 10.3% of all ophthalmologists.

www.insightnews.com.au

FEBRUARY 2014

$5m SA Lions Eye Care Centre went broke

controversial $5-million Lions Eye Centre in Grote Street, Adelaide, went into liquidation and was eventually sold off at a loss. In addition to the cost of the centre itself, some $1.7 million worth of instruments and equipment were needed. The centre was officially opened in September 1997, but a year later an administrator had been appointed by directors of the centre. The two top floors of the centre were never completed. The controversy was whether the purpose-built private centre was

necessary given that there was a fullyequipped and functional eye unit two kilometres away at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. and that specialists who were to work at the centre were to come from another eye unit - at Flinders Medical Centre, 11 km away. Proponents of the new centre estimated 5,000 patients would visit it every year, generating about $600,000 in fees. In November 1998, the centre’s doors were closed, leaving creditors owed $2.5 million, consisting of $2.3 million owed to the centre’s bank (Commonwealth Bank) and $200,000

to unsecured creditors. Staff wages were paid. In early 1999, it was revealed that the widow of a Lions Club member who ‘donated’ around $1.5 million to the centre would lose her money. The widow was going to donate some money to the Lions Club in her will, but she was approached to make the donation earlier. However, rather than make the donation, she bought half of the building. The property was sold in March 1999 for $1.3 million after being passed in at auction with the highest bid being $1.2

million. As the widow had a half interest in the property, which had a mortgage over it, and the mortgagee had a shortfall, she did not receive anything back. Most of the plant and equipment at the centre was leased. That and other plant and equipment was auctioned for around $340,000. Other equipment which belonged to the centre, as opposed to that leased, was sold at auction for $27,000. The Lions Eye Care Centre at Mt Gambler, which was cashflow positive, was sold separately to an ophthalmologist.

Victoria agreed to lay ownership of optometry practices

ICTORIA’S new Optometrists Act came into effect on 1 July 1997, permitting full ownership and control of optometrical practices by nonoptometrist persons, firms or companies, as well as permitting optometrists to continue to practice in any premises they liked, including inside optical dispensers’ premises. Passing of the new Act brought to an end a 13-year battle between the

Australian Optometrical Association and OPSM, resulting in a clear commercial win for OPSM, with the AOA having to be content with optometrists gaining access to ocular therapeutic drugs. The new Act also permitted refracting and prescribing of spectacles by orthoptists, but not contact lenses, which have to be prescribed by optometrists or medical practitioners.

Refraction and prescribing by orthoptists was opposed by the AOA but endorsed by the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists. It also gave power to the Minister for Health to decide which therapeutic drugs were to be used by optometrists, and gave the newly-constituted Victoria Optometrists Registration Board power to approve the course of study that would qualify optometrists

to use the approved drugs. There was a last-minute attempt to provide for the minister rather than the board to approve the course of study, but it was defeated on party lines. The Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists and the Australian Medical Association both opposed use of therapeutic drugs by optometrists. The minister later agreed to use of 41 drugs.

Registration Acts, professions faced anti-competitive scrutiny

ll Acts of Parliment governing optometrists, medical practitioners and optical dispensers were scrutinised during 1997-2000 to ensure they did not contain any unnecessarily restrictive legislation. Under an agreement between the Federal, States and Territories Govcernments, any legislation restricting competition was to be abolished, unless there would be a demonstrable risk to the community in doing so. Turning his sights on anti-competitive behaviour by the professions, the chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Professor Allan Fels, asked at a conference in April 1997: “What is it about the fiduciary relationship between a professional (doctor or lawyer) and his or her patient or client that requires the profession to engage in: price fixing with his or her competitors; misuse of market

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power; exclusive dealing or resale price maintenance; or other conduct prohibited by Part IV of the Trade Practices Act? Probably nothing.” At the same meeting, the Joint Conference on Competition Law and the Professions, the Federal AttorneyGeneral and Ministar for Justice, Mr Daryl Williams, said governments become tired of resistance by the professions to reforms and tend to think “here we go again”, even when some of the reform is well founded. Speaker after speaker in the all-star line-up at the meeting made it clear anticompetitive conduct by the professions would soon have to be a thing of the past, otherwise members of the professions and their various organisations would face dire consequences. Nevertheless, they agreed the professions would survive under a national competition policy, provided

they mend their remaining anticompetitive ways. The anti-competitive targets include regulation of entry into professional markets, restrictions on ownership and conduct of professional practices, prohibitions on advertising of fees, and certain professional association rules and disciplinary standards. In July 1997, Part IV of the Trade Practices Act was changed to introduce massive fines (up to $10 million for corporations and $500,000 for individuals) for anti-competitive behaviour by the professions, their professional associations, individual members of professions and individual officers of associations. Prior to June 1996, the professions were exempt from Part IV of the Act unless they were incorporated.

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ACCC investigated excimer advertisements

n March 1998, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it was investigating whether certain advertisements for excimer laser surgery to correct refractive error could be in breach of the Trade Practices Act by being misleading or deceptive. “We haven’t made a definitive decision yet, but we think there is certainly room for improvement in the standard of accuracy,” the chairman of the ACCC, Professor Allan Fels, told “Insight”. “The fact that we’re investigating doesn’t mean that we’re necessarily headed for court,” Professor Fels said, adding that the ACCC resolved most issues without litigation. “Ophthalmologists Australia- wide have complained to the ACCC about other ophthalmologists’ advertisements. ‘There are quite a few ophthalmologists drawing our attention to advertisements and what they claim is wrong with them.” Commissioner Sitefh Bhojani” from the ACCC met with the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists in May 1998 about the Trade Practices Act, particularly regarding advertising requirements. In other developments:

• A laser centre in Melbourne has slashed the fee for excimer surgery to as low as $595 per eye, compared to the $2,000-2,500 being charged by most surgeons, while another centre has slashed its fee to $995 per eye. • A number of laser centres are now paying referring optometrists up to $300 per eye ($600 for two eyes) for each person they refer as excimer-laser candidates and who undergoes surgery. The payments are purportedly for postoperative consultations with the referring optometrists and not for the referrals, but a case can be made out that the payments, unless the referred persons are made fully aware of the arrangements, are commissions or kickbacks, particularly with the increasing propensity towards bilateral procedures on the same or next day. • There is an unconfirmed report that one centre is offering $400 per eye to optometrists for referrals for excimer surgery. • At least one centre, even though a majority of patients undergoing a laser procedure prefer to return to the centre for post-operative care by an ophthalmologist rather than an optometrist, is paying referring optometrists the full amount for post-

operative work, even though they do not have to do it in a majority of instances. • Eighteen out of 20 ophthalmologists who participated in a straw poll conducted recently in Sydney said that they consider $600 is more than they would normally charge for four postoperative Lasik visits (two did not answer that question). • Nineteen said they consider $600 is a fee to induce referral from an optometrist. • Sixteen said that no money should be paid by an ophthalmologist to an ophthalmologist, optometrist or other person who refers them a patient. • All 20 ophthalmologists said they do not charge a different fee to review a patient with a unilateral condition versus a bilateral condition. • The Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists says it is totally opposed to any form of co-management which could be construed as payment for referral of patients or inducement to refer patients and says that the surgeon must be responsible for all aspects of the patient’s care, from the pre-operative period through the intra-operative period and the post-operative period. • The RACO has issued guidelines on advertising, which continue to be

ignored by some of its members in regard to excimer-laser surgery. • The Victoria branch of the RACO says it is concerned that some of the advertising by laser centres is interfering with the achievement of informed consent. • The Health Services Commissioner in Victoria has received complaints from ophthalmologists about some ‘seductive” advertisements and publicity and complaints from patients because their expectations were not met. • Complaints have been made to various medical boards, but there appears to have been little, if any, action by them. • An orthoptist at one centre instills eye drops in the eyes of persons presenting as candidates for excimer surgery and “examines” their eyes, with the ophthalmologist conducting a “check-up” on the patients’ eyes before commencing surgery. • An ophthalmologist in Melbourne is being sued by a patient who claims his sight has been so severely affected as a result of excimer-laser surgery that he cannot work in his vocation. • The number of excimer lasers in Australia is near 40.

Allegations fly over future of optometry in New South Wales; claims skills lacking

wnership of optometrical practices should be deregulated, OPSM said in its second submission to the NSW Department of Health’s ‘Review of the NSW Optometrists Act 1930’. “Orthoptists do not have the skill, knowledge, practical experience or training to practise in their own right and cannot easily upgrade their education to optain this skill,” the NSW division of the Optometrist Association Australia claimed in its second submission on the ‘Review of the Optometrists Act 1930’. “The Orthoptic Association’s submission was superficial and lacking in substantive arguments – it contains many unsupported generalisations, relies heavily on rhetoric and offers very few factual references in support of its claims. www.insightnews.com.au

“The orthoptists’ arguments are without substance or credibility.” The NSW OAA appears to have “greatly overstated its case” for the use of theraputic drugs, The Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists said in its second submission. “It is hypocritical for the OAA to be critical of the links between optical dispensers and clinical optometrists when most optometrists are the living embodiment of being clinical optometrists and optical dispensers,” OPSM says in its second submission. “In not one instance was the OAA able to show that commercial optometry was against the public interest or benefit, dispite the multitude of case studies and supposed evidence it presented. “Its opposition was based entirely on outdated and questionable information,

which in not one instance, was relevant to the Australian situation. “The OAA would seek to have the government believe that ‘noncommercial’ optometrists are public benefactors in business for little more that the well-being of the people who consult them and do not seek anything other than basic rewards. “They also seek to suggest that catastrophes will occur if someone other than an optometrist owns an optometric practice... and appear to simply drawn up a ‘hit list’ of everything that could be claimed to be disadvantageous, against the public interest or legal and suggested it is all the fault of commercial optometry and OPSM in particular. “Given the OAA’s strong distaste for commercial optometry, the organisation appears to have cast a slur

on its own membership. “The OAA’s response to the issues paper is a self-serving document that seeks to retain for its members a monopoly that cannot be justified.” The NSW OAA has made “misleading statements” in its first submission, the NSW Optical Dispensers Licensing Board says in its second submission. The OAA’s claim about the work of optical dispensers is “a totally inaccurate and misleading” statement, the board says. The board’s allegations are largely mirrored by staff at the Sydney Institute of Technology, who also claim the OAA’s first submission includes statements that are “inaccurate and offensive... untrue... and absurd”.

FEBRUARY 2014

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Eyecare Information Service was short lived

HE Eyecare Information Service, an associate organisation of the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association signed up 500 corporate and practice members during an eight-month membership drive from December 1996 to July 1997. However, the EIS was disbanded in July 1997 when its financial future appeared uncertain and after consultation with interested

parties - the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association, OPSM, the Australian Optometrical Association (NSW Division), the Australasian Dispensing Opticians Association and the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists - which had given support to the EIS in varying degrees. ODMA donated $100,000 for its consumer-education activities, OPSM donated $25,000 on behalf of its 240plus Australian branches, the NSW

New premises for UNSW School of Optometry

ONG-awaited new premises for the University of NSW’s School of Optometry, the Cornea and Contact Lens Research Unit and the Cooperative Research Centre for Eye Research and Technology were officially dedicated in July 1999 and opened in February 2000. Major donors to the University of NSW’s Optometry Building Appeal were: CIBA Vision $530,000; Transitions Optical $3000,000; OPSM $250,000; Rodenstock Australia $260,000 in cash and equipment; Sola Optical $129,000; Essilor Australia $125,000 in equipment; Hoya Lens Australia $90,000 in equipment; Australasian College of Behavioural Optometrists $50,000; BOC Ophthalmic Instruments $50,000; Wesley Jessen $50,000; Hydron $50,000; Eycon Lens Laboratories $50,000; Bausch & Lomb $30,000; Allergan Australia $30,000; Anthony Lord Optometrists $30,000;

and Rainell $30,000. The appeal, chaired by graduate and former Test cricketer Mr Geoff Lawson, was awarded an excellence in Fund-raising Institute of Australia. It raised $3.4 million towards the state-of-the-art teaching and research facility in the Rupert Myer Building on the UNSW’s Kensington campus. The university provided $2.5 million towards the cost of the facility, which was officially opened in June 2000 as part of the university’s 50th Anniversary clebrations. The School of Optometry’s purposebuilt facility cost nearly $7 million and houses tutorial rooms, an optometry clinic with 24 hour consulting rooms. The new building which houses the three optometry entities cost an estimated $22 million. It will house several faculties, as well as the University Press.

Refraction can be deregulated: RACO President

efraction can be deregulated so that optical dispensers can perform it as long as clients are advised to have regular medical check-ups, the then president of the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists, Dr Michael Steiner, said in March 2000. However such deregulation would need to be associated with mandatory referral if the patient was unable to reach a visual acuity of 6/9 or if there were significant symptoms according to an agreed-upon mandatory referral

www.insightnews.com.au

schedule, Dr Steiner said. “The sky did not fall in when patients started buying ready-mades and I doubt the sky would fall in if optical dispensers were allowed to refract and fit contact lenses, as long as the clients were aware that they were not being screened for eye disease at the same time. “In patients over the age of ten when amblyopia is no longer a treatable problem, refraction can do no harm. At worst a pair of glasses can cause severe eye strain, but can do no organic damage.”

AOA donated $20,000 on behalf of its 600-plus members, and the ADOA encouraged optical dispensers to join individually. The RACO did not make any commitment to the EIS, however it nominated a representative to sit on its executive council. By late 1997 it was evident that total donations from the professions and industry were lower than expected and were not sufficient for

it to go on with EIS’s full consumermarketing program. ODMA took over responsibility for the program and the EIS was wound up. A major change to the program, compared to that of the predecessor of the EIS, the Better Vision Institute, was referral of persons who might benefit from an eye examination to practices contributing to the EIS, rather to nearby member or non-member optometrists and ophthalmologists.

Row over veterans contract

HERE was a major row in June 1998 between the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and OPSM on one side and other optometrists and optical dispensers on the other side over a planned contract for spectacles for veterans. At issue was at least 110,000 prescription jobs a year plus possibly another 20,000 jobs. Had the contract gone ahead, OPSM would have received a substantial boost for its new central laboratory at Revesby, Sydney, which produces some 800,000-plus jobs a year. Losing out would have been 30 smaller, independent laboratories across Australia and some 2,800 optometrical and optical dispensing outlets, whose dispensing fees would

have been halved and who would have had to provide commercial information to OPSM. After protests by the independents, the Federal Government decided to shelve the planned contract, leaving in place the existing one involving about 2,400-plus non-OPSM optometrists and optical dispensers, OPSM’s 250plus optometrical and dispensing outlets, and numerous frame manufacturers and wholesalers and prescription-lens laboratories. The reason for the cancellation was that it had become apparent that insufficient non-OPSM optometrists and dispensers were willing to participate in the proposed new scheme.

Biocompatibles bought Hydron for $99m BIOCOMPATIBLES International bought fellow contact lens manufacturer Hydron for £38 million ($A99 million) in March 2000. The buyout was primarily to expand Biocompatibles’ contact lens sales

force, increase its manufacturing and distribution capability, and benefit from Hydron’s toric lens experience, and to give Hydron access to Biocompatibles’ flagship ProClear Compatibles lenses.

US State OK’d excimer surgery by optometrists

KLAHOMA, in the United States, passed legislation to permit ‘optometric physicians’ to use excimer laser for certain procedures.

The procedures are capsulotomy, trabeculoplasty, iridotomy, PTK and PRK. They are specifically prohibited from performing retinal procedures, lasik and cosmetic lid surgery.

Glaucoma gene identified

ustralian and American researchers in April 1997 identified a gene responsible for a severe type of glaucoma. Researchers at the universities of

Tasmania and Melbourne and the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital pinpointed the gene that blocks removal of fluid from the eye, causing open-angle glaucoma. FEBRUARY 2014

RACO issued guidelines on refractive-surgery advertising T

HE Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists in 1998 issued a document entitled ‘Guidelines for Refractive Surgery Advertising’. The purpose of the guide-lines is “to assist ophthalmologists in providing truthful, informative advertising of refractive surgery”. The guidelines state: “In addition to their ethical obligations, ophthalmologists must be mindful of the legal obligations they have in connection with the promotion of their services.

‘These guidelines are not intended to address every possible advertising claim that could be made in support of refractive surgery. The guidelines address specific types of claims that could confuse consumers. Examples of permissible claims, as well as claims that might be considered to confuse or mislead consumers are provided.” The guidelines say that much of the moral objection to advertising by surgeons is not so much concerned with the advertising itself, but rather with the content, colour and texture of the advertising.

“The following guidelines are aimed at providing a balance, giving due weight to both societal and professional forces and values in action at the present time in Australia and New Zealand: 1. Advertising should provide information about services available. It should contain statements of fact, be truthful and honest and not be misleading nor Likely to deceived in any way. 2. Where a particular service is advertised, a personal audit of the service should be available for the prospective patient to inspect upon

request. This audit should contain a statement of complications and outcomes for the particular surgeon as well as an explanation of the procedure. It should not contain any testimonials. 3. Advertising should not be sensational nor in poor taste. 4. Advertising should not contain superiority over like colleague in any way, nor should it demean nor denigrate another person or group. 5. Advertising should not create expectations in a prospective patient which are unjustifiable or unachievable.”

Feds did deal with AOA over Medicare payouts

HE Federal Government and the Australian Optometrical Association did a deal in April 1997 to try to reduce by $50 million over four years Medicare payouts for services provided by optometrists. The saving would represent about 9 per cent of the annual payout under Medicare for optometrical services. The Government told the AOA that the growth in claims for optometrical services would have to be reduced to

that for services provided by medical practitioners. If that did occur, fees payable under Medicare would be increased as a reward, but if it did not, further restrictions would be introduced, the Government said. Faced with the alternatives, the AOA decided to cooperate with the Government. Back in 1991, the Commonwealth Auditor-General said in a report to Parliament that the rate of growth in optometrical consultations,

together with the substantial increase in benefits outlays, warranted giving further attention to measures designed to limit such services. Growth of 46 per cent in the number of optometrical consultations between 1985-86 and 1989-90 was significantly higher than in any other area of the schedule and compares with a population increase of only 11 per cent during the same period. In November 1997, restrictions

on claims on Medicare for certain optometrical services came into effect, the main one being that only a half benefit would be .paid for an item 10900 initial consultation by an optometrist where another optometrist had provided a prior initial consultation within the previous 12 months. A Medicare hotline was established so that optometrists could check if there had been a previous service provided to a patient within the 12-month period.

NSW bans all kickbacks for medical-service referrals

LL kickbacks for medical services became prohibited in New South Wales under amendments to the NSW Medical Practice 1992 which were passed by the NSW Parliament in 2000. The same prohibition applies to all other health care professions, with fines of up to $88,000 for corporations and $44,000 for individuals.

Under the NSW Medical Practice Act 2000, it is unsatisfactory professional conduct for registered medical practitioner to: (a) accept a benefit from healthservice provider as inducement, consideration or reward for a referral to or recommendation of that provider; (b) accept a benifit from a healthproduct supplier as inducement,

consideration or reward for a recommendation of a health product; (c) offer a benefit to any person as inducement, consideration or reward for a referral to or recommendation of the registered medical practitioner. It is also an offence for any person to offer a benefit to or accept a benefit from a registered practitioner, or the employer of a registered

medical practitioner, as inducement, consideration or reward for a referral or recommendation. It is also unsatisfactory professional conduct for a practitioner to refer or recommend a person to a health service, health provider or health product without disclosing any pecuniary interest the practitioner has in making the referral or recommendation.

Martin Wells factory closed down

rame manufacturer Martin Wells closed down its St Marys, Sydney, factory in late 1998, after operating for 45 years.

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Once the pride of the optical industry, it joined the many Australian companies who could not complete against overseas manufactures.

At its peak, Martin Wells had over 600 employees at the factory, but by the time the factory was closed there were less that 20.

Martin Wells branded products continue to be distributed by OPs Optical Products. www.insightnews.com.au

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Qld prepared to free up practice ownership

HE present restrictions on ownership of optometrical practices in Queensland should be removed, a report prepared for the Queensland Government said. However the report, released in early 2000, said a new statutory offence should be introduced - prohibiting a practice owner from placing undue influence on an optometrist to operate in an unprofessional manner. The report also recommended that the present restrictions on optical dispensing be removed, pointing out that the legislation imposing the restrictions are not enforced. The Queensland report closely followed release of a paper prepared by the NSW Department of Health, whose main recommendations included permitting any person to prescribe spectacles and fit contact lenses under the supervision of optometrists or medical practitioners; permitting

persons, firms or companies to own optometrical practices and employ optometrists, provided they do not interfere in the conduct of the business of the practice of optometry; permitting orthoptists to refract and prescribe spectacles and fit contact lenses on referral; and permitting optometrists to use therapeutic drugs, provided they have undergone appropriate training. The report presented the results of the Public Benefit Test ‘Review of the Business Ownership & Associated Restrictions Under the Optometrists Act 1974’, which was conducted for the Queensland Government by SKM Economics. The review was conducted to meet the government’s obligations under the National Competition Policy. The Competition Principles Agreement (between the Federal, States and Territories government) states that legislation should not

restrict competition unless it can be demonstrated that the benefits of the restriction to the community as a whole outweigh the costs, and that the objectives of the legislation can only be achieved by restricting competition. The Queensland Optometrists Act 1974 imposes various business restrictions relating to optometry practices, the most significant being that optometry practices may only be owned by optometrists or bodies comprised of optometrists, the report said. “The scope of the review also included the restrictions on the fitting of optical appliances although in practice these restrictions are not enforced. “Stakeholder feedback on this issue strongly suggested there would be no impact on the level of protection or quality of service provided to the public if the restriction on the selling and fitting of optical appliances were

Paris Miki accumulated $16.8 million losses

etail optical company Paris Miki Australia Pty Ltd had accumulated losses of $16.8 million as at 31 December 1996, compared to $15.3 million the previous year and $12.8 million the year before that. The losses had been accumulated since the company commenced operations in October 1988. An operating loss before income tax of $1,551,255 was recorded in the year ended 31 December 1996, compared to a loss of $2,490,216 for the previous year. Sales revenue for the year ended 31 December 1997 was $12,294,583, down from $13,415,772 the previous year. Other revenue included ‘doctors

rebates’ $194,211 ($205,806 previous year), unrealised foreign exchange gain $287,115 ($45,406) and interest received or due and receivable from other persons $45,179 ($41,240). Lease rental expense was $2,159,397 ($2,618,988) and depreciation of property, plant and equipment was $743,394 ($914,154). As at 31 December 1996, the company had cash at bank of $395,640 (compared to $647,840 previous year), trade debtors of $343,322 ($341,464 previous), inventories of finished goods $1,985,975 (less $93,109 provision for obsolescence), and had made prepayments and paid security deposits of $335,745 ($354,098).

The company had trade creditors of $1,080,170 ($1,553,934), a current related parties loan of $1,556,708 ($1,392,930) and a non-current related parties loan of $4,067,519 ($1,301,834). According to the company’s balance sheet as at 31 December 1996, it had current assets of $3,003,806 ($3,186,840 previous year), non-current asset: of $1,884,797 ($2,719,306 previous) and total assets 01 $4,888,603 ($5,906,146). Current liabilities were $3,037,439 ($4,801.089), noncurrent liabilities were $4,220,142 ($1,922,782) anc total liabilities were $7,257,581 ($6,723,871). There was a deficiency of net assets of $2,368,978 ($817,723).

Brooms swept through MOOAs

NEW group swept into power at the annual meeting of the Optometrists Association of NSW (formerly known as the MOOAs due to members being members of the Optometrists and Opticians Association of NSW) in 1988.

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Mr Paul Sheehan was elected president and Messrs Jeff Cambridge and Jim Kokkinakis vicepresidents. Mr Ken Bell was the only former councillor re-elected. The important issue at stake was the seat of the tiny association on the

seven-person Board of Optometrical Registration. Three years later, another group swept into power, leading to Professor Brien Holden (not a member of the OAS NSW) being nominated for appointment to the board.

removed. ‘’Moreover, it is expected that the removal of the existing restrictions will provide some positive impacts on the industry, notably through the simplification of the existing legislation and removal of anti-competitive barriers. ‘Given that there would be some benefits from the removal of the optical appliance restrictions and no negative impacts on the Queensland public were identified, it is possible to recommend that the restrictions on selling and fitting be repealed.” The report said the key objectives of the proposed legislation are to protect the public and ensure that health care is delivered in a safe, competent and upto-date manner, and that it is against those objectives that the business ownership and associated restrictions were assessed.

RAC0 bought $2.35m premises

he Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists in 1999 bought an office building in Sydney’s Chalmers Street, on the fringe of the CBD for $2.35 million. The college relocated from its long-owned office in Commonwealth Street with a sale price expectation of $1.7 million.

Glaucoma gene identified

n April 1997, Australian and American researchers identified a gene responsible for a sever type of glaucoma. Researchers at the universities in Tasmania and Victoria, as well as the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital pinpointed the gene that blocks removal of fluid from the eye, causing openangle glaucoma. www.insightnews.com.au

Look of Australia foundered O

PTOMETRICAL and optical dispensing group look of Australia Pty Ltd went into liquidation in 1996, just over 12 months after it commenced trading (in September 1995). It had rapidly established outlets in central business districts in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart and Canberra, having signed an

agreement to be a preferred (but nonexclusive) provider of optometrical and dispensing services to members of the Medibank Private health insurance fund, with a $100 entitlement for every purchase of spectacles and on-the-spot benefits for ‘extras-covered members of up to $220 for frames and lenses. Application to the NSW Supreme

Court to have the company wound up was made in Late 1996. Some months prior, three frame and sunglass suppliers - Safilo Australia, Miralink (now Luxottica Australia) and OPs Optical Products seized stock from Look of Australia’s seven retail outlets in early-morning swoops. In September 1997, the official

liquidator of Look of Australia recommended legal action pursuant to the insolvent provisions of the Corporations Law be initiated against the company’s officers. Look of Australia is a different company to Look of Australia NSW Pty Ltd, which operates in Sydney.

$1,000 fine plus $4,500 costs for Optometrists need 12 months orthoptist ‘practising optometry’ training to use S4 drugs: RACO

N orthoptist in a small country town in Victoria on 6 August 1998 was fined $1,000 and ordered to pay $4,500 costs for ‘practising optometry’ in contravention of the Victoria Optometrists Registration Act. The orthoptist, Mrs Anne Hughes, of St Arnaud, was found by a magistrates court to have contravened the Act when she failed to have obtained a referral or request from an optometrist or ophthalmologist before performing a refraction and then prescribing a pair of spectacles. The refraction and prescribing were for a private investigator (a former

chief superintendent of police) sent by the Optometrists Registration Board 240km by road specifically to ask for a refraction and prescription. The magistrate did not consider there was entrapment by the private investigator. (As from 1 July 1997, orthoptists in Victoria have been permitted to legally refract and prescribe spectacles provided they have a referral from an optometrist or ophthalmologist that is no more than six months’ old.) Mrs Hughes closed her business after the court case, leaving the town without a permanent on-site service.

New venture tried for Odmafair exhibition

s an experiment, the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association moved changed venue for Odmafair ’99 to the Sydney Showground and Exhibition Centre at Homebush Bay, adjacent to the 2000

Olympics venue Attendance was down on that for previous fairs, so the Association decided to return to the Sydney Convention and Exhibition centre at Darling Harbour for Odmafair ’01.

OPSM endowed research foundation

PSM Industries Ltd endowed the OPSM Research and Charitable Foundation Ltd with $500,000 in 1978. The foundation was established for investments to generate income to finance “research on the human eye and like fields including vision,

blindness and causes of blindness, within universities and teaching hospitals in Australia”. The first grants were made in 1979 on the advice of a committee of six - four members not connected with OPSM and two OPSM staff members.

PTOMETRISTS should undertake a structured postgraduate course equivalent to at least one year’s full time study, including clinical experience in accredited posts, in order to use Schedule 4 therapeutic drugs, the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists said in February 1999. In its submission to the Review of the NSW Optometrists Act, the college said it has long argued against giving optometrists the right to use drugs for treatment purposes. “While the college’s opposition has sometimes been presented by our opponents as self-protection, it rests upon a simple premise. Whereas optometrists are trained to recognise the normal and hence can recognise variations from the normal, medical practitioners are trained to identify and treat the abnormal. This gives them a much greater capacity to respond to unusual situations in a treatment mode, as well as recognising the dangers associated with particular treatments. “Most optometrists recognise this distinction and do not want to become involved in activities extending beyond their core competencies. The college’s problem lies with those who want to adopt an aggressive role in prescription and treatment, pushing the treatment envelope beyond the level that can be supported by current training.

‘The college would prefer to retain its current position. However, we accept that this may no longer be tenable in a practical sense. “Deregulatory moves in certain States have already given optometrists limited prescribing rights. Given the college’s core mission, we have no choice but to become involved in those States in discussions about the extent of prescribing rights and the training and treatment protocols to be associated with those rights. This then creates a presentational problem for the college in opposing prescribing rights in another jurisdiction.” A two-tier system of training should be considered, the submission says. Tier one would be associated with the use of S2 and S3 drugs, together with the use of drugs for diagnostic purposes. Training would be developed based on an analysis of the existing training of optometrists, taking into account the changes that have taken place in the undergraduate course over recent years. Tier two would cover tier one plus a limited range of S4 drugs. There would be a structured course equivalent to at one year’s full-time study including clinical experience in accredited posts. In thy event of the transfer of an current S4 drugs to the S2 or S3 lists, the training regime should continue to apply. There should be a strong focus on proper use of the drug regardless of their formal list status.

$12m damages against US optometrist A record $US9.2 million ($A11.96 million) damages award was made against an optometrist in the United www.insightnews.com.au

States after a 13-year-old girl lost vision in both eyes following an operation to remove a brain tumour.

The optometrist misdiagnosed the condition as amblyopia, despite the absence of strabismus or significant

anisometropia. A year later, the girl’s blurred vision worsened and she was found to have a brain tumour. FEBRUARY 2014

They left us ... S

TEWART Duke-Elder, author of the two classics ‘Textbook of Ophthalmology’ and ‘System of Ophthalmology’ died in June 1978, aged 80. Felix Aston, a former senior executive at Australian Optical Company and B&B Optical, died in August 1978, aged 60. Bill O’Donnell, chief executive of OPSM Industries Ltd, died in November 1978, aged 60. Noel Verney, founder and head of the Department of Optometry at the Queensland Institute of Technology, died in April 1980. Ray Steel, former managing director of Optical Products, died in June 1980, aged 76. Jim Lang, one of the founders of the

Australian Association of Dispensing Opticians, died in July 1980, aged 54. Keith Woodland, former president of the NSW division of the Australian Optometrical Association, died in October 1980, aged 55. Alf Parker, deputy chairman of OPSM, died in August 1981. George Bell, a former president of the national AOA and a former chairman of the NSW Board of Optometrical Registration, died in June 1982. Darcy Williams, one of the cofounders of OPSM, the founder of the Medical Eye Service in Sydney, the first secretary of the Ophthalmology Society of Australia and the founder and substantial benefactor of the Ophthalmic Research Institute of

Scandals aplenty! T HERE have been scandals aplenty in the 35 years of Insight being published, including: Ralph Lewis, an optometrist in private practice in Maroubra, NSW, and the founder and editor of “Optical World” newspaper, was charged in the Magistrate’s Court, Sydney, with breach of the Optometrists Act over an advertisement he placed in a local newspaper. The complainant was the Board of Optometrical Registration, which in turn had had a complaint from an optometrist also in practice in Maroubra. Mr Lewis beat the board twice - in the Magistrate’s Court on the grounds that there was no case to answer and in the Supreme Court, to which the board had appealed and which found the magistrate had not erred at law in finding against the board. Michael Schoenmaker, an optometrist practising in Liverpool, NSW, was brought before an inquiry by the Board of Optometrical Registration for allegedly permitting an optical dispenser in adjacent premises to solicit for business for him. His counsel sought to have one of the board members step down from the inquiry on apprehension of bias because that member also practised in Liverpool, but the board, after in-private consideration, decided to permit the member to sit on the

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inquiry. The board found against Mr Schoenmaker and struck him off the register for 12 months. It took several visits to the Supreme Court to have execution of the strikingoff order held over until an appeal could be heard by the District Court. The District Court upheld the appeal, the judge saying the board had no evidence on which to find against Mr Schoenmaker, the matter had nothing to do with the health and well-being of the public, the board’s inspector had initiated solicitation by asking to have his eyes tested, two people who sat on the board were competitors of Mr Schoenmaker, and there is nothing at law to stop dispensers referring to optometrists. Maurice Brumer, a Victoria optometrist, was expelled from the Victoria division of the Australian Optometrical Association over his behaviour at two annual meetings of the AOA in 1993. The council of the Victoria AOA held an inquiry that lasted eight hours Harold Barton, a Victoria optometrist, was expelled from the Victorian College of Optometry because he sold the dispensing part of his five practices to OPSM and the optometrical part to another company owned by two optometrists and an optical dispenser closely connected

Australia, died in August 1982, aged 85. Peter Bath, managing director of Neostyle Australia, died in September 1983, aged 48. Dame Ida Mann, a world-famous pioneer of eye-disease research and a leader in the fight against trachoma in outback Australia, died in November 1983, aged 90. Hiroshi Hirano, president of Hoya Lens Corporation, died in December 1983, aged 67. David Cotterill, an optometrist who had practised in Goulburn, NSW, for 26 years before retiring, died in January 1984, aged 63. Ralph Lewis, founder of “Optical World” newspaper, predecessor of “Insight”, died in February 1984.

Ivor Lewis, a long-serving member of the Victoria AOA council and since 1941 an honorary clinican and Lecturer at the Australian College of Optometry which became the Victorian College of Optometry, died in September 1984, aged 67. John Nock, founder and major shareholder of Budget Specs, died in May 1986, aged 54. Frank Rodd, principal of optometrical company Alex Hale Pty Ltd, died in May 1986 at the Sydney practice where he had worked for 65 years, aged 86. Don Schultz, a former cogoverning director of Laubman & Pank and a co-founder and technical director of Sola Optical, died in August 1987, aged 76.

with OPSM in July 1985. Mr Barton was overseas when the decision to expel him was made. He was unaware that the meeting was to be held, nor that the proposal to expel him was on the meeting agenda. Rick Ross, a Victoria optometrist, was forced to go the Supreme Court of Victoria to stop the Optometrists Registration Board from proceeding with an inquiry into allegations against him concerning clinical practice. The judge castigated the board for not providing Mr Ross with details of what he was alleged to have done. The chairman of the board agreed that he would not sit on any board inquiry into Mr Ross’s conduct. Spencer Zifcak, the barrister who conducted the ‘Inquiry into Issues Affecting the Optometrical Profession, was attacked by the Victoria AOA because it did not agree with his findings. Mr Zifcak demanded, and received, a withdrawal and an apology from the AOA. Bill O’Bree and Graham Lack, NSW and Victoria optometrists respectively and OPSM senior executives, were accused by the Victoria Optometrists Registration Board of contravening the Optometrists Act in regard to practice ownership and control when a company they owned purchased five optometry practices from a Melbourne optometrist.

The AOA, claimed in a fanciful report in its house magazine ‘Australian Optometry” that the publication had been present at a board inquiry into the matter held in public, however that was untrue. In fact there had been no inquiry, simply a meeting between the parties concerned to ratify terms of settlement of the matter without the board making a finding. Suzanne Hurley, a NSW optometrist, in August 1985 was found by a Local Court to have no case to answer on charges by the Board of Optometrical Registration that she had breached regulations under the Optometrists Act after it was established that she had been charged for breach of the wrong regulation. The court found she had been charged under the wrong regulation under the Optometrists Act. The matter concerned use of her business cards by a nearby optical dispenser who was often asked where an optometrist could be found. Costs of $500 were awarded to MS Hurley. However, the board appealed to the NSW Supreme Court, but that court also found against the board. The court established that if a dispenser approaches an optometrist and requests quantities of his or her business cards so that they can be given to persons inquiring about an www.insightnews.com.au

eye examination, the optometrist is not guilty of soliciting. However, the court said, if an optometrist approaches a dispenser and requests that he or she use the optometrist’s cards to provide optometrical business, the optometrist would be soliciting, and, therefore, be in breach of the Optometrists Act. 13 ophthalmologists and 17 OPSM branches were unlawfully raided by

Australian Federal Police and Health Insurance Commission investigators in March 1987. They were seeking evidence regarding alleged Medicare offences. One ophthalmologist was interviewed at 7am in his pyjamas. Ophthalmologists’ Medicare earnings leaked THE gross earnings from Medicare of five NSW ophthalmologists were

leaked to “The Sydney Morning Herald” in April 1985 in what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to embarrass the medical profession. Their gross earnings ranged from $100,000 to $170,000 in the December 1984 quarter, it was reported. Earnings of number of well known medico-political figures were also published, including one GP who grossed $600,000 in the December

quarter. The then minister for health, Dr Neal Blewett, ordered an inquiry into the leaked information, saying he viewed the matter with “the utmost seriousness”. He refused to rule out further investigation by the Federal Police. The Health Insurance Commission denied responsibility for the leak.

OMEN with spectacles will not be able to become hostesses at the 1976 Munich Olympic Games as glasses do not look well with the hats that are part of the uniform - Olympics official, December 1975. Optometrists should attract patients by professional service they provide rather than a bigger window - national president of the Australian Optometrical Association, Brian Layland, following confirmation that the AOA’s original decision to bar window displays would stand, December 1975. We made the mistake of taking the ODMA people at face value and trusting them ... it was a con ... ODMA was very shabby, and they’ve been shabbier ever since - Damien Smith, executive director of the AOA, commenting on the demise of the agreement between the AOA and the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association, June 1977. ODMA did not break any agreement with the AOA - Arthur Vicary, federal director of ODMA, June 1977. It is regrettable that your paper has seen fit to publish articles which do not carry either the approval or authority of any executive member of this division [the Victoria division of the AOA] president of the Victoria AOA, Geoff Morris in a letter to Insight concerning

our reports on disputes within the Victoria AOA over proposed bans on window displays, July 1977. I want to prevent the takeover of small optometrical firms by big business, as has happened in other countries where large organisations have come in and taken over the market by the use of advertising techniques and commercial displays. Some big firms have used techniques designed only to increase their profits and pay their shareholders bigger dividends - NSW Health Minister Kevin Stewart during debate in the NSW Parliament on the no windows and restricted-advertising regulations, September 1978. Does the Board of Optometrical Registration speak for the profession? Opposition speaker in the same debate. The optometrist cannot deceive the public except, perhaps, if he were silly enough to suggest that he could do some things which only an ophthalmologist should do - Opposition speaker in the debate. Thanks to your excellent efforts to restrict advertising, you have given half your business to ophthalmologists and to people you don’t wish to be associated with, i.e. optical dispensers - Josh Owen, director of the Institute of Administration attached to the University of NSW, in an address to the NSW AOA annual

congress in 1981. The Optometrists Act and Regulations are there to protect the profession of optometry and the livelihood of optometrists - president of the NSW AOA, Bruce Matheson, in May 1985. Optometrists’ prescribing habits could be dictated from the stock exchange floor - the then national president of the Victoria AOA, Ian Breadon, commenting on OPSM’s purchase of five dispensing outlets from Melbourne optometrist Harold Barton in July 1985. There is a difference between window glass and optical glass, and they [lenses in ready-mades] are made from window glass - Joe Chakman, executive director of the national AOA, before the select committee examining the South Australia Opticians Act in 1987. You have done your case and credibility enormous harm with the committee in telling us that it is impossible to produce wholesale price lists - John Cornwall, SA Minister for Health and chairman of the select committee, to the SA division of the AOA. An interstate industry magazine that champions deregulation of optical dispensing made a statement earlier this year which indicated that in reality the average price of spectacles from such outlets was much more in line with the $100 mark - SA AOA president, Tim

Thurn, before the select committee. The standard of eye care that is received by people in Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia is much higher than the average quality of care that is received by people in NSW and Victoria - Joe Chakman. I find that an amazing proposition John Cornwall. The skills of an optometrist are not required to dispense glasses. Indeed many of them use other people to do the work for them - Maxwell Moore, ophthalmologist, before the select committee. We have evidence from the board that in NSW that it acts on at least five complaints a month - Joe Chakman. That the proposal to deregulate dispensing would Lead to reduced prices and that the market would become more competitive is fallacious - Eugene Dupen, consultant economist to the AOA, before the select committee. Competition does increase costs - Joe Chakman. I guess people in some cases get a false sense of security when there is a person wearing a white coat who has a slit lamp, darkened room ... eye chart and superficially all of the paraphernaha that one would associate with a visit to the ophthalmologist - John Cornwall.

They said it! W

TPC intervened in blackball attempt by dispensers

N attempt by the Australian Association of Dispensing Opticians to blackball companies who were supplying discount dispensers caused intervention by the Trade Practices Commission. In July 1984, the AADO wrote to 33 suppliers saying that its council proposed that members of the association only trade with ‘ethical’ www.insightnews.com.au

dispensing outlets and not with discount outlets. The letter said that “during these economic times, great stress is being placed on wholesale suppliers and retail outlets, and this problem is being further exacerbated by ‘cutprice’ retail optical shops”. “This association has been inundated with complaints from members regarding this aspect of

trading,” the letter said. “Therefore, after much deliberation, we, the council, have decided to issue a list of all supply houses to our member ship who trade with ethical outlets only. “To compile this list accurately, we ask you to respond to this letter as soon as possible if you wish to be included. ‘Upon finalisation of this list, all our members will be circulated accordingly

and requested to support only those supply houses. In return, some will lose business, others will gain noticeably.” The Trade Practices Commission advised the AADO that such action was contrary to the Trade Practices Act and the letter had to be withdrawn. The AADO withdrew the Letter.

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Optometry defined itself out of the medical team: Fred Hollows

PTOMETRISTS cannot work in a medical team because they do not acknowledge the primacy of the medical profession nor do they define themselves properly, Associate Professor Fred Hollows, head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of NSW, said at the 1984 Annual Congress of the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists. “Decisions and opinions regarding health or disease, abnormality or damage of the human body and its

parts are medical,” Professor Hollows said. “Decisions about parts of the human body cannot be made in isolation from other parts, and comprehensive medical training is the basis from which specialist medical practitioners emerge. “Persons who wish to give opinions and make decisions in this area have simply to undergo medical training. That is the minimum requirement that our society expects. “Non-medical people may be part of

a medical team and contribute in these matters, but when that occurs such members work with and are ancillary to the medical component. “Such persons must have a clearly acknowledged relationship with medical practitioners. “Organised optometry in Australia defined itself ten years ago as: ‘The optometric profession is a unique clinical science, neither ancillary to medicine nor paramedical in which the individual optometrist operates independently with full responsibility

for his clinical decisions concerning diagnosis, treatment and management of his patient’. “That definition was in the ‘Position Statement of the Australian Optometrical Association in Submission to the Welfare Committee, Federal Parliamentary Labor Party, October 18, 1973. “Clearly, such a group cannot work in a medical team because they do not acknowledge the primacy of the medical practitioner, nor do they define themselves appropriately.”

Qld Governor attacked optometrists Luxottica

HE Governor of Queensland, Sir James Ramsay, made an unprecedented attack on optometrists for what he considered to be inroads by them into ophthalmologists’ work. Speaking at the official opening of the 1981 Annual Congress of the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists, Sir James said Australia’s health standards would inevitably deteriorate unless the problems of optometrists making inroads was solved. “I am conscious of complaints about inroads into the dental profession by dental technicians,” he said. “In your case it is by optometrists. “I am aware that in the United

States ophthalmologists have taken a strong stand against the involvement of optometrists in fields for which they have little or no real training or understanding. “This matter places great responsibilities on the officer bearers of the RACO, for failure to a chieve, by whatever means are available, a correct balance, a correct solution, will inevitably mean a deterioration in the health care available to the people of Australia.” The president of the Queensland division of the Australian Optometrical Association, Mr Peter Swann, rejected the Governor’s comments, saying

“optometrists are being threatened by ophthalmologists, not the other way around”. “Ophthalmologists, for the majority of patients, do the same work as optometrists and charge a medical specialist’s fee,” Mr Swann said. “Optometrists do not treat eye disease. They have been the major providers of vision care to the Australian public since the 1900s. “They complete a four year degree course and are recognised as primary eye-care professionals by the Federal Government.” Mr Swann said it would be ‘unfortunate” if the office of Governor had been used for political comment.

NSW board’s long-held belief incorrect: District Court

HE NSW Board of Optometrical Registration was incorrect in its belief that registered optometrists could not carry on the practice of optometry in conjunction with and/ or within the same premises as another business, including optical dispensing and/or retailing of eyewear, District Court found in April 1998.

The court also found that the board was incorrect in its belief that an optometrist must carry on the business of the practice of optometry in his or her own name, however it found that an optometrist can on1y practise optometry in his or he name. The finding cleared the way for optometrists to, for example, share

stationery with optical dispensers or dispensing firms provided it is clear the optometrical practice is a separate entity. It removed any doubt that optometrists could have their premises inside dispensers’ premises and that they could work alongside dispensers.

First Odmafair in 1979

HE first Odmafair exhibition was held at the Sebel Town House, Sydney, on 10-11 March 1979. There were 26 exhibitors and 600 visitors. An estimated $500,000 worth of merchandise and equipment

FEBRUARY 2014

was exhibited. The next Odmafair was held in Melbourne in 1980, attracting 483 visitors. It was the only time the exhibition has been held outside Sydney.

The exhibition was moved from the Sebel to Centrepoint for several years, before being moved to its present location - Sydney’s Darling Harbour. It is now held every two years and attracts 3,000-4,000 visitors.

bought Cole National

n February 2004, Italian firm Luxottica Group was set to buy Cole National Corporation, one of the biggest retail optical groups in the United States with 2100 stores there and an additional 97 stores in Canada, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The purchase followed Luxottica’s $A500-million purchase of an 82 per cent controlling interest in Australia’s 600-store OPSM Group last September, which gave it an estimated 35-40 per cent of the retail-optical market here, 20-plus per cent of the market in New Zealand, market leadership in Hong Kong and a share of the market in Malaysia. In March 2001, Luxottica Group acquired Sunglass Hut International, a leading sunglass retailer with approxiametly 1,900 stores worldwide. That followed the acquisitions of Bausch & Lomb sunglass business, which includes the Ray-Ban, Revo, Arnette and Killer Loop brands, in June 1999, and LensCrafters, the largest optical retail chain in North America, in May 1995. LensCrafters pioneered optical superstores in the United States and accounted for around 9 per cent of the US market when bought by Luxottica. www.insightnews.com.au

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Optometry ‘hospital’ was a fizzer T

HE NSW division of the AOA opened the ‘Optometry Hospital of NSW at its premises in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, in May 1981. The hospital, which was staffed on a part-time basis by one optometrist, consisted of a large room containing two chairs and stands and equipment (donated by suppliers) on opposite sides of the room. It had wheelchair access. According to the AOA, the purpose of the hospital was “to provide optometric eye care for that section of the public not generally seen by optometrists in private practice”.

“That will include pensioners, disadvantaged persons and others, who up till now, have attended the Sydney Eye Hospital or the Medical Eye Service for consultation and examination,” the AOA said. The Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists described the ‘hospital’ title as misleading and claimed that it would inconvenience many people. The college said it was not a hospital in the true meaning of the word as no medical services would be offered because there would be no medical practitioners or nurses.

OAA (NSW) celebrated centenary

ptometrists Association Australia (NSW Division) celebrated its Centenary Conference in May 2004. The association was known as the Institute of Optometrists of NSW when

it was established under the presidency of Mr HA Barraclough in 1904, later becoming the Australian Optometrical Association (NSW Division) and then the OAA (NSW Division).

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FEBRUARY 2014

‘The only service people would receive would be the prescription and possibly the sale of spectacles and other optical appliances,” the college said. “The only specialist eye hospital in Sydney is the Sydney Eye Hospital in Woolloomooloo. There are also eye clinics, staffed by medical practitioners at most major hospitals. These are the only hospitals where people can receive medical treatment for eye problems.” AOA members who practised within five kilometres of the hospital were invited to join a board established to manage its affairs. Seven of the nine directors were such members.

By 1983, the hospital was staffed by an optometrist only half day per fortnight. Eight persons were being seen per session. Pressure from the members in nearby practices, as well as disquiet by the membership in general, caused the closure of the hospital in September 1983 - after the membership of the NSW ADA voted four to one for that to happen. It transpired that the majority of the council of the NSW AOA had wanted to use the word ‘clinic’ instead of ‘hospital’, but their wishes were ignored.

Govt lifted ban on parallel importing

he Federal Government lifted the ban on parellel importing of branded goods, including optical goods such as spectacle frames, sunglasses, spectacle lenses, contact lenses and solutions, instruments and equipment, and surgical goods, effective from January 2000. Importers had previously been protected from parallel imports by copyright legislation concerning packaging and labelling of brandname products, but that was removed

by the Federal Copy-right Amendment Act, which was passed by Federal Parliament in July 1998, giving importers an 18-month reprieve. Under the legislation, any person, firm or company can import branded products in parallel with official agents appointed by principles, provided they can obtain products from other area agents. Parallel-imported products must be genuine branded copies. Pirate copies continue to be banned

Double-blind trial vindicates optometrist’s work on kids’ vision

double-blind trial has vindicated the work of a Victorian optometrist, Mr Trevor Sandy, on the effects of small vertical misalignment of the eyes on children’s vision and consequent reading disability that has been rejected by his peers for 20 years. The trial was carried out under the auspices of the Faculty of Education at Monash University on the 20 primary and secondary school children with

obvious to profound specific learning disability. The result of the trial challenge the long-held public position of the Optometrist Association Australia and the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists, as well as the various teaching institutions throughout Australia. Vertical misalignment is ordinary overlooked, with only horizontal misalignment being assessed.

OPSM sales reach $482 million

PSM group reported a 16.2% increase in sales revenue to $482.6 million and a 12.1% increase in net profit before tax and significant items to $32.8 million for the 12 months ended 30 June 2003. However net profit after tax and significant items was $20.3 million,

down from $25.7 million the previous year. Significant items ($5.2 million before tax) were a response to the Luxottica Group offer ($2.2 million) and supplementary contribution to the defined benefit superannuation fund ($3 million). www.insightnews.com.au

13/01/2014 12:01:01 PM

Professions brawl over use of therapeutics by optometrists

he ophthalmological and optometrical professions brawled during the latter part of 2005 over the use of therapeutic drugs by optometrists, particularly in Queensland. The brawl began in earnest when the president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, Dr Allan Rosenberg, said in a letter to all federal, state and territory health ministers on 4 July that optometric courses in therapeutic drugs are “manifestly inadequate” and “do not allow for adequate clinical experience. “A short course in medical therapeutics for optometrists cannot be regarded as satisfactory and equivalent

to an education process that takes some years for ophthalmologists. “To believe so is a sad reflection upon the competency parameters that have been set for such an arrangement. “The optometric courses are manifestly inadequate and lack external medical oversight, in particular, the courses do not allow for adequate clinical experience gained over a number of years in dealing with the conditions and their response to treatment. “The College remains of the opinion that optometrists are qualified to examine for prescribed spectacles and contact lenses, and screens for eye conditions. They are not medical

practitioners and to make them pseudo-medical practitioners by legislation rather than by education is fraught with danger and may result in disastrous outcomes for members of the community.” Responding to Dr Rosenberg’s claims, the president of Optometrists Association Australia (Queensland Division), Mr Simon Hurwood, said much of the lecture time in the optometry courses provided by the University of NSW, the University of Melbourne and the Queensland University of Technology “is delivered by ophthalmologists”. He said: “On the one hand the good doctor accuses my profession

Early warning on UV danger

n early warning on possible danger of high exposure to ultra-violet light was given by a professor of ophthalmology in the United States in an address to the 15th Annual Scientific Congress of the Royal Australian College of Ophthal-

mology in 1983. High exposure may hasten the development of early cataracts, Professor Franz Frauenfelder, of Oregon University, said in a paper he delivered to the congress. In countries such as Australia, with

long hours of strong sunlight, UV light must be considered the leading factor in cataract development, he said. There was evidence that people having yellow pigment in the crystalline lens have less degeneration of the macula.

NSW registration board and OPSM go to court

HE NSW Board of Optometrists Registration and OPSM went to the District Court in Sydney over OPSM’s challenge to the boards advice to the NSW Minister for Health. OPSM said it should be able to open additional optometrical outlets (in

Chatswood and Parramatta) to those it owns as a result of its 1980s purchase of optometrical firm Gibb & Beeman. The board said there was adequate availability of optometrical services in the two areas concerned. The NSW division of the

Optometrists Association Australia sought leave to entre the proceedings as a ‘friend of the court’, but the attempt was not successful. The matter appears to have been put on hold.

Luxottica buys additional 24.5% of local subsidiary

uxottica Group S.p.a bought 24.5 per cent of Luxottica Australia from Hancock & Gore in January 2000. According to Hancock & Gore’s 1999 annual accounts, 24.5 per cent

shareholding had a carrying amount of $1.02 million. For some years, Hancock & Gore held a 50-per-cent interest in Luxottica Australia, with Mr Sol Caganoff’s interest holding the other 50 per cent.

Luxottica Group bought a 51-percent controlling interest in Luxottica Australia, leaving Hancock & Gore and Mr Caganoff’s interests with 24.5 per cent each.

of misdiagnosis, inappropriate advice and poor clinical judgement and then concedes that he is unable to, and never will be able to, provide evidence. In September, the Victorian minister for health, Ms Bronwyn Pike, wrote to Dr Rosenberg, saying there is no evidence of patient risk from the use of therapeutic drugs by optometrists. “In the five years since the first optometrists were endorsed with prescribing rights in Victoria, there have been no complaints of prescribing errors and no evidence that patients are at risk or that endorsed optometrists are operating beyond their prescribing authority”.

Ownership of NSW Optometrical practices deregulated

wnership of Optometrical practices in New South Wales were deregulated in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Government’s watchdog, the National Competition Council. Had the Optometrical dental and pharmacy practices not been deregulated, along with the deregulation of the sale of alcohol and taxi licenses, the NSW government would have been stripped of $51.4 million in funding. In regard to optometry in NSW, the actual performance of the work remained the right of registered practitioners, with no lay persons permitted to undertake such work. However the NCCC deemed that ownership of practices could be opened up to non-optometrists, either individuals or corporations, without harm to the public.

RANZCO pushes for training posts; projected shortfall of 120 by 2015

he Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists is pushing for more training posts because of a projected shortfall of 120 ophthalmologists in Australia by 2015. A workforce study earlier this year, commissioned by the college

www.insightnews.com.au

and conducted by Access Economics, projected the shortfall. More trainings posts will be part of the solution, but other measures will be needed to rectify it. The college, which provides the actual training of ophthalmologists in

Australia and New Zealand, since 2003 has been asking all state governments to provide funding in order to increase the number of ophthalmology training posts in public hospitals. Some new training posts have been funded in NSW, Queensland and

Western Australia, but there are potential training posts in other states that remain unfunded, despite meeting the college’s training criteria. The numbers are not large, but the college says any increase in the average graduation of 30 specialist ophthalmologists would be welcome. FEBRUARY 2014

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Congratulations to Insight on their 400th Issue!

Safilo bought 51% of Australian distributor Three-way split for eye examinations

n March 1977, The Safilo Group from Italy bought 51 per cent in Safilo Australia from Hancock & Gore Ltd and Chick Investments Pty Ltd, leaving

the latter two companies with 24.5-percent shareholdings each, compared to the 50-per-cent shareholdings each had before the Safilo Group purchase.

Contact lens pioneer honoured by CLS

ontact lens pioneer Penrhyn Thomas was presented with the inaugural Distinguished Service

Award by the Contact Lens Society of Australia in February 1997.

Most complaints about optometrists concern advertising

ost complaints to the NSW Board of Optometrical Registration in the six years from 1990-91 to 1996-97 concerned advertising.

Of the 135 complaints made, only 58 were for non-advertising matters, with only six deemed serious enough to warrant a board enquiry.

here was almost a three-way split between the percentage of eye examinations performed by optometrists, ophthalmologists and ‘others’ in the five years ended 28 February 1979. If the 8,019,700 examinations performed, optometrists did 35.1 per

cent, ophthalmologists 31.8 per cent and others, including GP’s and nurses did 31.4 per cent. By the end of 1983 (shortly before Medicare commenced) Optometrists were providing60 per cent of eye examinations performed by ophthalmic practitioners.

the mid 1970’s) followed by Victoria in 1982, then Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.

Optometrists won right to use diagnostic drugs ptometrists throughout Australia gained the right to use diagnostic drugs. New South Wales was the first to gain the right (in

B&L sunglass business goes to Luxottica

n May 1999, Italian manufacturer Luxottica Group bought Bausch & Lomb’s sunglass business, in-

cluding Ray-Ban’s, Revo, Arnette and Killer loop brands, for $US640 million ($A1 billion at the time).

First disposable AOA reaffirmed Mandatory sunglass standard contact lenses decision to for sunglass introduced in 1988 abolish window mandatory standard for sun- optical characteristics, robustness glasses came into effect in 1984, and lens retention, lens curvature with manufacturers, wholesal- and thermal stability, mechanical displays he first disposable contact lensers and retailers given 12 months to strength to frames, resistance to flame

es were launched in the United states in 1988 by Johnson & Johnson and Bausch & Lomb.

OP’s form venture with Charmant

p’s Optical Products established a joint venture company in 1997 with one of the world’s top five frame manufacturers, Charmant Group of Japan, to distribute Charmant products to Australia, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

Gerber bought Coburn for $98m

erber Optical Inc bought fellow American company Coburn Optical Industries Inc for US$63 million ($A98 million), which included payment of US$21.5 million ($A32 million) of Coburn’s outstanding debt. The company changed its name to Gerber Coburn. www.insightnews.com.au

n late 1975, the national body of the Australia Optometrical Association reaffirmed its decision that members should not have window displays at their premises if they wished to continue their membership. The original decision was made at a national AOA meeting in Hobart in 1972.

clear non-compliant stock. The standards split sunglasses into general purpose, special-purpose and fashion glasses, with labeling having to specify which of these three categories each sunglass complied with. It covered limits on UV radiation,

Cataract fees slashed

hirty-eight per cent of Budget Eyewear Australia was sold in April 1999 to Hancock & Gore by Rivman, owned by Mr William Downies and Mr Edwin Grist.

The price was not disclosed. Rivman had bought the share holding from the Hinde family the previous day and then onsold it to Hancock & Gore.

penser in NSW under amendments to the regulation under the state Optical Dispensers Act in February 1984.

n June 1987, The Federal Government cut schedule fees and Medicare benefits for combined cataract extraction and intra-ocular lens implant operations from $822 to $575. The Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists mounted an unprecedented campaign featuring white canes and dark glasses to coerce the government into reversing its decision. The governments accused RACO of blackmail and scare tactics.

propagation, and colouration limits. Fines of up to $100,000 for corporations and $20,000 for individuals were introduced for selling sunglasses that don’t comply with the standard.

38% of Budget went to H&G then to L&P

800 hours practical training for NSW dispensers minimum of 800 hours training has become a prerequisite for licensing as an optical dis-

Medicare commenced in 1984

he Medicare National Health Scheme devised by the Hawke Labor government commenced on 1 February 1984, following on from Medibank, which has been substantially changed by the Fraser Liberal-

National government in 1973. Optometry was taken into Medibank on 1 July 1975, ending 20 years of discrimination in favour of ophthalmologists by successive Liberal-National governments. FEBRUARY 2014

100,000 have poor sight when wearing glasses

n estimated 100,000 people in NSW and the ACT have poor sight, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics quoted in a report in 1997. The report, ‘When even glasses don’t help’ was based on a telephone survey of 737 visually impaired and blind people.

Ninety-two per cent of respondents had some residual vision even though their daily functioning was affected by vision loss. Sixty-four per cent said they could not read ordinary print and an additional 20 per cent said they experience difficulty with ordinary print.

OPSM dropped bulk billing- for a while

PSM dropped bulk billing for all optometrical consultations in a trial in Tasmania and the ACT in early 2005, however it returned to bulk billing at the end of the trail. During the trial, full Medicare schedule fees were charged to patients for most consultations by optometrists in 11 stores. After examining the results

of the trial, OPSM has decided to not proceed at this stage. The full schedule fees for consultations by optometrists were charged to all patients except pensioners, people receiving social security benefits, veterans and people under the age of 18, all of whom continued to be bulk billed.

Optometrists under attack over child prescribing rates

“

A third of primary-school children who wear glasses do not have significant vision problems, according to a world-first Sydney study whose leader says it suggests possible overservicing by optometrists,” it was claimed in a report on page one of “The Sydney Morning Herald” on 23 January. -The report concerned the results of a study of 1740 predominantly six-yearold children in Sydney, “the first to compare children’s use of glasses with actual measures of their sight”. Of the 4.4 per cent (77 children) who wore glasses, 34 per cent (26 children) did not need them according to the criteria used in the study, however an additional 1.5 per cent were identified as perhaps benefiting from glasses but did not have them, the newspaper report said.

Feb 2006

All the unnecessary glasses had been prescribed by optometrists, not ophthalmologists, according to Professor Paul Mitchell, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Sydney, the “Herald” continued. According to the report in the “Herald”, a spokesman for Optometrists Association Australia, its marketing manager, Mr Robert Hilkes, said Professor Mitchell’s criteria for deciding who needed vision correction “were flawed” and Professor Mitchell was “looking at vision in isolation, not quality of life and nearly half the children whose glasses were deemed unnecessary had complained of symptoms such as sore eyes or blurred vision” Mr Hilkes was also quoted as saying: “From our perspective, it’s a clear attack on optometry.”

Sola entered Rx laboratory race

ontrary to its long-held policy of not owning prescriptionlens laboratories, Sola Optical Australia bought 30 per cent of the Adelaide based Optical Eyewear laboratory group in early 1999 for an undisclosed price.

The purchase was in part due to a co-funding arrangement on a new lens-coating facility installed by Sola at Optical Eyewear’s Adelaide laboratory. In 2000, Sola bought the remaining shareholding in Optical Eyewear.

Sola and Zeiss in $US1 billion merger

phthalmic lens manufacturers Sola international and Carl Zeiss merged in May 2005, in a $US1billion deal. The merger, approved by Sola shareholders at the end of February and by regulatory companies around the world, created Carl Zeiss Vision, a new global industry leader with

increased market presence and scale. However, both compaies continue to trade under their respective names in Australia- Carl Zeiss and Sola Optical. Adelaide will be the Asia-Pacific regional headquarters and a key global product research centre for the newly merged businesses of the two companies.

Largest ever assessment of child eye health

he head of the department of ophthalmology at Westmead Hospital, Dr Frank Martin, was quoted in the “Herald ” report as praising Professor Mitchell’s research which he said “suggested it might be better to review children with more minor defects after a short interval before prescribing glasses – because children’s vision could change rapidly as they grew, and they sometimes performed inconsistently in eye tests.” However, Dr Martin told “Insight” the quote was incomplete and that what he had told the “Herald” was: “The study suggested that a small number of children were possibly prescribed glasses that were not necessary as they had low-grade refractive errors. The study did not however, show that at the time when these glasses were prescribed there may have been symptoms to warrant the prescription of these glasses. “There were a similar number of children in the study who were not wearing glasses yet objective findings suggested that glasses may have been necessary. “There is obviously a need for a prospective study to see whether the

Feb 2006

correction of low-grade refractive errors makes any significant difference to symptoms, visual function etc. An important finding of our study, confirming anecdotal experience by some ophthalmologists, is the significant proportion of children (38.8% of all spectacle wearers; 26 children) who had been prescribed spectacles in absence of a significant refractive error, visual impairment, or an amblyogenic risk factor such as anisometropia or strabismus at the time of our examination. The observed findings point in this study point to a disparity in prescribing patterns for children who possibly need spectacles and those who wear them. Although an amount of variability is inherently present in visual acuity testing of young children. The higher frequency of reported general symptoms such as “headaches”, “blurred vision”, or “sore eyes”, together with “learning difficulty at school” prior to the prescription of spectacles in wearers than nonwearers, suggests that some eye-care practitioners may be more influenced by these symptoms than examination findings. www.insightnews.com.au

Luxottica Retail’s OPSM unveils new fit-out for its flagship stores

uxottica Retail has unveiled the sleek new fit-out for its flagship OPSM stores to showcase the expanded range of luxury branded eyewear to be offered under the iconic brand. The new fit-out is in line with the desire of Luxottica Retail’s owner, Milan-based Luxottica Group, to introduce a stronger fashion focus to its OPSM outlets to complement its established positioning as an

Feb 2006

eyecare provider The world’s largest eyewear company, Luxottica is licensed to manufacture and sell sunglasses and frames from fashion houses including Chanel, Prada, Bulgari, Gianni Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Donna Karan New York. OPSM stores in George Street, Macquarie Street, Mosman and Warringah Mall in Sydney, and Bourke Street and Melbourne Central

in Melbourne, are the first to feature the new fit-out. Luxottica Retail chief operating officer, Mr Chris Beer, said the new fit-out marked another step in the evolution of OPSM’s brand, and was closely attuned to consumer trends. “OPSM will always value its heritage as a trusted provider of eyecare services, but it is clear there are new consumer dynamics at play in the

sector,” Mr Beer said. “Australians increasingly see eyewear as a fashion statement and are prepared to pay more for highquality, stylish product. Indeed, many see eyewear as an affordable entry point to the world of luxury brands,” he said. OPSM expects to have implemented the new OPSM store design across the bulk of its stores in Australia by late this year.

‘Some may be more influenced by general symptoms than exam findings’

n important issue to consider when prescribing spectacles is the visual demands of the child as well as the likelihood of compliance with spectacle use. The report points out that what constitutes a “significant” reduction

in vision remains undefined and will likely depend on individual circumstances. It ends by saying a surprisingly large proportion of children wore spectacles in the absence of visual impairment, amblyonic risk factors,

or significant refractive error, and that the prescription of spectacles in that context represents a significant economic burden both for the child’s family and for the wider community. The report says its findings highlight the need for further research into

factors that could motivate eye-care practitioners to prescribe spectacles. The study was conducted at 34 primary schools across Sydney, with a proportional mix of public and private/ religious schools included.

Value of optometrist’s job is almost $1million: UK court decision

he value of an optometrist’s job has been assessed by three of the country’s top judges – who upheld an award of £372,909 ($A969,956) to a 33-year-old practitioner injured in a car crash. Rebecca Watt sustained whiplash injuries when her stationary car in

which she was sitting was hit from behind in January 2001. Lord Justice Waller told the hearing that the key issue on assessment of damages was the extent to which Watt’s injury prevented her from practising in the way she had prior to the accident. ‘Her case was that she had to give up her private practice of

practising optometry,’ he said, ‘in what may be termed the conventional way, well known to those who have had their eyes tested by high street optometrists.’ He said she claimed that she was only able to work ‘using laser treatment’ and work for three days rather than four days of the week. Of the damages

Apr 2006

she was awarded, £358,251, which included interest, was in respect of past and future loss of earnings. He continued : ‘It was, in my view, open to the judge on all the evidence to find as he did, that the claimant had her working practices forced upon her by the accident.’

SA OAA wants dispensing deregulated ‘to comply with competition principles’

Mar 2006

ptometrists Association Australia (South Australia Division) says it wants deregulation of optical dispensing as the result of introduction of federal Competition Policy Principles. It said so in response to an inquiry from an optical dispenser in South Australia, Mr Rod Smith, who wrote to the association last October seeking clarification of three aspects of its stand against continuing to keep in the statutes regulation of optical dispensing and the

requirement for adequate training in order to gain registration. The association replied to Mr Smith on 7 February, saying: “In response to your questions, our association is responding to trends in other states (only New South Wales maintains regulation of optical dispensing) resulting from the recent introduction of federal competition policy principles. “Representing 98% of SA optometrists, our association has a

variety of mechanisms for consulting with our members regularly both formally and informally, collating views and keeping them informed of eventual policy decisions.” The SA OAA maintains that incorrect spectacles cannot cause eye disease or permanent eye damage and they are little more than an inconvenience that can easy be rectified, with existing contemporary consumer legislation more than adequate to cover what is

essentially a retail transaction. It points out that optical dispensing is not regulated in the Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria, Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania and will shortly be repealed in Western Australia. “We believe that ongoing training and development of all staff in an optometric practice is important for the delivery of excellent patient care, but registration is unnecessary to ensure this,” the association says.

OPSM’s shares delisted after 49 years as a public company

PSM Group Limited was delisted from the Australia Stock Exchange on 18 February 2005 after 49 years as a public company. The company was delisted after Luxottica’s second offer to buy it took acceptance past 90 per cent of issued www.insightnews.com.au

shares The 90-per-cent-plus acceptance mean that the remainder of issued shares could be compulsorily acquired. Bu the close of business on 7 February 2005, Luxottica had received acceptances for 98.5 per

cent of issued shares, up from 82.56 per cent acceptance for the first bid in September 2003 of $3.90. The increased bid was $4.35 per share, valuing OPSM Group at $587 million. He delisting form the Stock Exchange came 72 years after OPSM

Mar 2006

was founded. OPSM Group has been renamed Luxottica, however the OPSM name continues to be used for retail trading, along with the names of subsidiaries Laubman & Pank and Budget Eyewear. FEBRUARY 2014

Insight to publish ‘20/20 Australia/New Zealand’!

‘

Insight’ and Jobson Corporation, of New York, have agreed that ‘Insight’ will publish ‘20/20 Australia/New Zealand’, which will be a standalone, high-quality magazine concentrating on the growing importance of frames and sunglasses fashion in optical retailing and its role in the fashion world in general. Jobson publishes ‘20/20’ and

‘20/20 Europe’, both of which are the largest optical publications in the United States and Europe respectively. Under a licence agreement, ‘Insight’ will have access to the content of both magazines, which is generated by well-connected top fashion writers, photographers and producers in the US and Europe, who attend all of the major optical trade fairs there

to provide extensive and detailed coverage of the fashion scene. The ‘20/20 Australia/New Zealand’ edition will combine content from various ‘20/20’ editions with locallycreated content specific to the local markets. The end result will be a unique fashion magazine tailored to those markets, drawing from the knowledge and skill of a leading

international specialty health-care publishing, education and marketing company – Jobson Publishing – and its skilled staff. Plenty of creative, editorial and production resources will be gathered together, to ensure we produce a highquality, informative magazine on a regular basis.

Ophthalmologist struck off by Victoria Medical Board panel

panel of the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria has cancelled the registration of an ophthalmologist, Geoffrey Trevor Hunter, of Warrnambool, and disqualified him from applying for registration for a period of 12 months from 23 December 2005. The panel has recommended that should he apply for registration, careful consideration be given by any future board to the extent and variety of his unprofessional conduct prior to deciding on the conditions to be imposed on his registration if he is to

be registered. Established by the board to hear the matter, the panel found that he, pursuant to the Victoria Medical Practice Act 1994, engaged in unprofessional conduct of a serious nature in regard to 11 allegations out of 20 made against him by 15 patients, but did not engage in unprofessional conduct of a notserious nature in respect of two of them; and did not engaged in professional misconduct in respect of two of them in accord with the Medical Practitioners Act 1970. Five of the allegations

were not proven on the grounds of insufficient evidence or the panel not being satisfied to the requisite degree of satisfaction that the allegation had been proved. Three allegations were withdrawn during the hearing by counsel assisting the panel. The panel was provided with considerable evidence that despite apparently proper training as an ophthalmologist Dr Hunter appeared to have made little effort to remain abreast of recent developments in his field; that he had no procedures for auditing his practice as recommended

Mar 2006

Apr 2006

by the RANZCO; and that he seemed reluctant to acknowledge when a problem was outside his expertise and required a second opinion. Finally, the panel said it took into account the number of patients affected by Dr Hunter’s unprofessional conduct and the harm they suffered as a result. “The panel acknowledges that its function is not to punish Dr Hunter. The panel principal task is to protect the public, but it does not end there, for there is the need to express the panel’s disapprobation of Dr Hunter’s conduct and provide a general deterrence.”

Luxottica Retail and Salvation Army launch national eye-health program Apr 2006

uxottica Retail, owner of OPSM, Laubman & Pank and Budget Eyewear groups, and The Salvation Army are partnering in a major national program to provide eye-care to people in need. The program will be conducted under the umbrella of Community-I-Care, Luxottica’s Australian flagship corporate social responsibility initiative. Under the program, The Salvation Army will refer individuals and families who display signs of potential eye problems to local OPSM, Laubman & Pank or Budget Eyewear stores, where eye examinations

will be conducted examinations and prescription-eyewear donated if necessary. The Community-I-Care/Salvation Army program is intended to operate alongside, rather than replicate, existing government programs to assist with optical care, including those targeted at pensioners. Speaking at the program’s New South Wales launch, Luxottica Retail’s chief financial and administrative officer, Mr Peter McClelland, said the partnership with The Salvation Army was an important step toward addressing poor

eye health and sight among vulnerable groups in the community. “It is hard to overstate the importance of good eyesight – it has an immeasurable impact on quality of life, and particularly the ability of young people to achieve their learning potential,” Mr McClelland said. “Yet, experience suggests eye health is often neglected among economically vulnerable groups, in which strained financial circumstances mean there are other priorities for the household budget,” he said. “The Salvation Army is well placed to

identify these people through the course of their work in the community, and as such is an ideal partner for CommunityICare in its goal of extending eye care to people in acute need. The program was launched in NSW in late February, with launches in other states over following weeks. Since that program, and other overseas initiatives commenced in 2002, Luxottica – formerly OPSM Group – has tested the eyesight of over 53,000 disadvantaged people and dispensed more than 4,400 free pairs of spectacles.

Melbourne hospital trial gives hope to 1000s of keratoconus sufferers May 2006

he sight of thousands of Australians could be saved by a new treatment being trialled at The Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital in Melbourne. The treatment, which involves Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) eye drops and UVA light, could help sufferers of keratoconus, the degenerative eye condition that causes the cornea to become thin and bulge out of shape,

FEBRUARY 2014

avoid the need for corneal transplants. About one in 2000 people have the inherited condition of keratoconus and, until now, the only treatment option, when the condition has advanced to the stage where it cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses, has been a corneal transplant. The Eye & Ear Hospital has brought German ophthalmologist Dr Christine Wittig to Melbourne to trial

the treatment, which was developed in Germany. Dr Wittig is an ophthalmology registar at the University of Dresden Hospital. She participated in two years of the five-year trial of 250 people in Germany, where the procedure had a 100-per-cent success rate. She said the benefits of the new treatment over a transplant included it being cheaper, faster, less invasive and

portable, meaning it could be easily transported to regional areas. Dr Wittig also said the treatment had not shown any serious side effects during its five-year trial phase. The treatment involves scraping the surface of the eye before applying the Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) drops. The cornea is then exposed to a controlled dose of UVA light which activates the Riboflavin to produce oxygen www.insightnews.com.au

radicals that trigger a chemical reaction to bind the cornea’s collagen fibres together. The treatment is most effective in the early stages of the condition as it does not restore sight but instead, stop the patient’s eyesight from deteriorating further. The Victoria minister for health, Ms Bronwyn Pike, said on 19 April:

“Keratoconus is a debilitating eye condition affecting about 40,000 Australians every year, eventually leading to blindness. Until now, the only way to overcome it was through a corneal transplant. “Doctor Wittig and her Eye & Ear Hospital colleagues are confident that this technique could be performed in a clinical setting as early as Easter

next year, giving patients a quicker, less costly cure for their eyesight with fewer side effects. “While transplants are highly successful, they might be rejected by the body, need constant eye-care and face possible wear-out, meaning another transplant. “Dr Wittig’s revolutionary treatment could save patients significant time,

money and further eyesight problems. “This new technique will also take pressure off the hospital’s corneal bank and allow donated corneas to be used for treating other conditions or eye injuries.” Dr Christine Wittig, who is heading the keratoconus trial at the Eye & Ear Hospital, examines a patient using a confocal microscope.

Western Australia deregulates optical dispensing; ends control

estern Australia has deregulated optical dispensing, repealing legislation that limited dispensing of optical prescriptions to optical dispensers who registered with the WA Department of Health and to registered optometrists. The deregulation means that any person or corporation may dispense prescriptions, as is the case in Victoria,

the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. Optical dispensing is regulated in New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania. Legislation to deregulate dispensing was finally agreed to by the WA Parliament on 11 May, and is in line with National Competition Policy. It has been assented to by the Governor of WA. Optical dispensers became licensed in

WA under the Optical Dispensers Act 1966, three years after New South Wales brought in its Optical Dispensers Act 1963. Unlike in, for example, NSW, where there is the Optical Dispensers Licensing Board, which polices training requirements and in general controls optical dispensers, under the WA Act all that was necessary for

Jun 2006

registration as an optical dispenser was to show to an official from the WA Department of Health evidence of acceptable training and pay an annual registration fee of $5. Provided the $5 fee was paid, optical dispensers remained registered for ever. That was the case until the WA Parliament repealed the Optical Dispensers Act 1966 last month.

99.6 score to enter optometry is highest cut-off at University of Melbourne May 2006

he average cut-off year-12 high school score necessary to be selected to enter the undergraduate course conducted by the Department of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Melbourne has risen to 99.6 for 2005 year-12 high school students (the top 0.4 per cent), the highest at the university, according to a newsletter published by the Victorian College of Optometry. The university has introduced a five year Bachelor of Optom-

etry course (which includes therapeutic management of eye disease) in place of its four-year course, taking in the first students this year. Before 2001, 95 per cent of students gained entry to the course based solely on their year-12 results. The same applied to students entering courses such as dentistry and veterinary science. That meant they had to achieve a very high score – usually above 98.5 – to secure a place. However, it was considered that

such a system denied a place to prospective students who were strongly interested in becoming optometrists but only achieved a score of, say, 97, while students who missed their first choice of studying, say, medicine but achieved a score of, say, 99 would secure a place even though they may have been less interested in becoming an optometrist. The five-year course has provided an opportunity for the optometry department to offer students whose

school mark was 98 entry to the undergraduate course by first completing a prescribed pre-optometry course which includes the same subjects as those for students entering the first year of the optometry course. Selection at the end of the preoptometry year was based on the first year university performance, regarded as a more reliable indicator of [likely] success in the optometry course than solely the school marks.

Contact-lens solution linked to eye infection; withdrawn worldwide Jun 2006

nvestigation of the unusually-high level of ‘Fusarium keratitis’ infection in the United States “indicate an association with Bausch & Lomb’s ‘ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution”, according to a report issued on 19 May by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The product was permanently withdrawn from the worldwide market by Bausch & Lomb on 15 May. The withdrawal does not apply to any other B&L product. In a statement issued on 19 May, B&L said the CDCP report “affirms the company’s decision to recall its MoistureLoc solution and should give consumers and eye-care professionals confidence in ReNu MultiPlus and ReNu MultiPurpose lens-care products.” FDA’s ‘failure to notify’ finding challenged Bausch & Lomb is challenging a claim by the United States

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Food and Drug Administration that the company failed to notify the FDA about 35 cases of the rare fungal infection in Singapore related to its ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution, which the company permanently withdrew from the worldwide market on 15 May. The report noted that preliminary observations from the FDA inspection “do not necessarily support a connection between the formulation of the ReNu with MoistureLoc product and the Fusarium keratitis infections.” The FDA said, however, that it “supports” B&L’s decision to remove ReNu with MoistureLoc from the market as “to date, data available do not indicate a problem with ReNu MultiPlus or ReNu Multi-Purpose or generic brands of this CL cleaning solution.” Meanwhile, B&L took its message directly to consumers once the permanent recall was announced. Chairman and chief executive officer

Ron Zarrella appeared in a 30-second TV spot announcing the recall and citing

the company’s 153-year history of providing eye-care products.

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Non-invasive eye-scan can ‘predict’ likely future cardiovascular diseases Jul 2006

redicting the risk of heart disease through a non-invasive eye-scan has won a Melbourne researcher the federal ‘Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research’ for 2006. Associate Professor Tien Wong, 38, from the Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, led a team that has developed a method of predicting cardiovascular disease by scanning the eyes for blood-vessel damage. The team’s research has shown that subtle but measurable changes to the tiny blood vessels in the retina reveals current and past blood pressure levels, and can predict a range of cardiovascular

diseases and related events from stroke to diabetes, cognitive decline and kidney disease. The scans can be used independently of other tests to diagnose people who may be at risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and hypertension. At present up to 50 per cent of those diseases cannot be picked up by standard diagnostics. Each year, 50,000 Australians die from cardiovascular disease. The $50,000 award was presented to Associate Professor Wong at the Australian Society for Medical Research annual dinner. “It is an ambitious goal but our

ultimate aim is to develop a web-based imaging system from which optometrists and ophthalmologists can upload images which will then be assessed for retinal markers of future cardiovascular disease,” Professor Wong said. Development of the retinal imaging system follows on from Professor Wong’s research which is the first in the world to categorically demonstrate that subtle damage to blood vessels in the retina can predict cardiovascular disease. The Retinal Vascular Imaging Centre (RetVIC) is a collaboration between the University of Melbourne,

Centre for Eye Research Australia, Baker Medical Research Institute, Diabetes Australia, the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, St Vincent’s Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Centre for Vision Research at the University of Sydney, International Diabetes Institute, Pfizer Australia, National Stroke Research Institute and Monash University. The Retinal Imaging Centre is one of five units within the Centre for Eye Research Australia which the preeminent centre for eye research in Australia focusing on the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of eye disease, vision loss and blindness.

Obituary Betty Lasse 7 June 1935 – 15 May 2006 B

etty Brunhilda Brash was born in Warsaw, Poland, In 1938 when Betty was only three, the family immigrated to Australia. After matriculating at Sydney Girls’ High Betty went on to complete a degree in pharmacy at Sydney University and then travelled Europe before settling in London for several years. On her return to Sydney she chanced upon an unprofitable pharmacy practice on Ramsgate Ave in Bondi. With her business sense and determination Betty built the North Bondi Pharmacy up to become one of the most successful pharmacies in the region. During the third trimester of Betty’s pregnancy, Betty became bedridden due to back problems involved with the pregnancy. While in bed Betty was offered a large quantity of generic sunglasses by a cousin who worked for a firm that wanted to quit sunglasses. Betty was very hesitant about buying such a large quantity of sunglasses, but decided to buy a smaller quantity and made a deal with some sales representatives from a vitamin firm that if they sold the sunglasses she would split the profits with them. After one week the reps had sold all the sunglasses, so Betty bought

a second then a third lot; and so, Sunshades was born. While the reps were out selling, Betty and her friends worked from under Betty’s house sorting the sunglasses into dozens and writing the invoices. On September 29, 1969 Betty gave birth to Rodney Jonathan Grunseit – named in honour of her gynaecologist. Three months later, Betty was back at work. The sunglasses had been selling so well that Betty decided it was time to split her pharmacy and sunglass business. She rented a small shop space in Curlewis St Bondi and registered the business name ‘747’s Sunglasses by Sunshades’. In 1975 Betty ran out of remaindered stock purchased from other wholesale companies, and decided to head to Taiwan & source her own sunglasses. Once there she booked into a cheap hotel and began to call factories that were listed in the yellow pages – only three came to visit her. One particular supplier that Betty met during her first visit to Taiwan was Gordon Tseng. During the meeting Betty told him that she was the largest sunglass importer in Australia, while he told her that his sunglass factory was the largest in Asia – that was the first order

that Betty had ever placed, and the first order that Gordon had received. Today he owns the largest sunglass factory in Asia, and Betty built the largest privately-owned sunglass company in Australia. Disaster struck in 1996, with a sequence of crippling events for the company. Betty’s largest customer, Sunglass World, was suddenly sold out to international retailer Sunglass Hut America, who did not want to deal with local Australian suppliers, and stock was returned from each of their 160 stores Australia-wide. One month later wholesale and retailchain Repco returned over a million dollars worth of stock. Then wholesalers began to import direct, and Betty essentially lost her whole customer list. Throughout this devastating period, Betty’s suppliers stood by her. Betty’s husband Sam rang all the vendors and local suppliers, and asked for extended terms. During this period, Rodney called Betty to tell her he was coming back home and work for her after backpacking for two years in Europe and Asia. He showed a great initiative and began demonstrating strong management qualities which Betty believed would be

Jul 2006

a great asset to her company, and after a few months he was appointed as general manager. With the combined energy of Betty, Rodney and the Sunshades team, they decided it was time to take advantage of the changing market-place, and began developing private-label sunglass ranges for boutique retailers including Sportsgirl, Sussans and Kookai. From this Sunshades very quickly became the largest privatelabel eyewear company in Australia. In 2003, Sunshades won the prestigious OPSM award for ‘Sunglass Company of the Year’. Today Sunshades is the largest Australian privately-owned eyewear company, with a turnover of two million frames per year. Located in its new state-of-the-art premises in Alexandria, all at Sunshades work with the energy, passion and positivity that Betty created. Betty passed away painlessly in her sleep whilst doing what she loved the most, travelling and celebrating life. Her family and friends all carry with them the energy and happiness that Betty blessed them with. Betty Lasse will live on forever in the hearts and souls of all who were lucky enough to meet her.

www.insightnews.com.au 48

FEBRUARY 2014

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Vision maintained or improved in 96% of AMD patients: new drug Aug 2006

ision was maintained or improved in up to 96 per cent of patients treated for ‘wet’ agerelated macula degeneration in two Phase III studies for the United States Food and Drug Administration, using a new drug, Lucentis. The results of the studies have been announced by the manufacturer of the Lucentis (ranibizumab 0.5mg injection) drug, Novartis, of Switzerland, Lucentis works by inhibiting the growth of abnormal new blood vesels as well as leakages under the macula which lead to AMD disease progression and subsequent vision loss. The drug is a humanised monoclonal

antibody fragment designed to bind and inhibit VEGF-A, a protein that is believed to play a critical role in the formation of and leakage from new blood vessels. Consquently, it blocks abnormal new blood vessel growth and leakiness which leads to wet AMD disease progression and vision loss. Up to 40 per cent of subjects demonstrated an improvement in vision of at least 3 lines. Vision maintenance and loss were defined as a loss of less than 15 letters and a gain of 15 or more letters in visual acuity, respectively, as measured using the ‘Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy’ eye chart.

C@: co-founders resign; trading suspended by ASX, later reinstated after $500,000 injection Aug 2006

he co-founders of Perth-based buying and marketing group C@ Limited have resigned as directors of the company; the company was suspended from trading by the Australian Stock Exchange for several days; and a $500,000 injection of funds has been made by a company associated with a substantial shareholder and now chairman of the company. Put simply, the company was spending more than it was taking in, and the $2.5 million cash raised in a public float last December was likely to soon run out. The cash-burn rate was $1,198,000 in the 12 months to 30 June, with the June-quarter cash flow being $543,000 in the red. As at the end of June, there was just $636,000 left. The pre-open suspension was in force until the commencement of trading on 8 August or when the announcement about capital raising was made. The company announced on 8 August that it had secured a loan facility of $500,000 for working capital and was working on a full review of all of its activities. The loan is from the Deuterium Fund, a subsidiary of substantial shareholder Marketech, and is subject to a 24-month term, a 9-per-cent interest rate and is convertible into fully-paid ordinary shares. Suspension by the ASX followed only a matter of weeks after the company announced it had opened a prescription laboratory in East Perth, funded from part of the $2.5-million capital-raising float in December. C@ shares on the ASX closed at 6.5c when Insight went to press (down to www.insightnews.com.au

half of the 20c issue price), with seller wanting 12c and buyer offering 6.5c. Directors are considering how to reduce operating expenses, with the $500,000 loan helping to fortify current working capital reserves. They said on 8 August that they recognise that recent events may have “negatively impacted” on the company, but believe that the additional funding, along with a planned substantial reduction in operating expenses, “will fortify the current working capital reserves”. On 31 July, directors reported to the ASX that revenue uptake has been slower than anticipated and that due to the delay in revenue growth the company was reviewing its alternative sources of working capital. On 3 August, it requested suspension by the ASX.

Sola changes name to Carl Zeiss Vision Aug 2006

rom 17 July, Sola Optical and Sola Technologies (Sola’s prescription-laboratory business) assumed the name of Carl Zeiss Vision. The company will offer two key product brands: Sola, the well established name behind lens options that are tailored for different lifestyles; and Zeiss, the leader in precision optics and innovation, according to Mr David Cross, Carl Zeiss Vision managing director, Asia Pacific, “The name change is a significant milestone in our path to developing the business as the most complete solution provider in the optical industry,” Pg 52>

Obituary

John Merrington 1917–2006 Aug 2006

ydney optometrist John Merrington died on 18 July, aged 88 years. John Cossar Merrington was born in Sydney in 1917. He attended Fort Street Boys’ High School, leaving during the Depression after his Intermediate Certificate to start work at Australian Optical Company, where he served his apprenticeship as an optical mechanic, followed by Optical Products and later Arthur Cocks & Co. He worked from 7.30am to 5.30pm for ten years whilst simultaneously completing the optometry course at Sydney Technical College. When he graduated in 1944, he began work with his father at 231 Broadway, near the University of Sydney, and practised there until he retired at the age of 72. He and his brother Ernest, also an optometrist, had practices at Broadway and in Pitt Street in the Sydney CBD. The third brother, Bill, was an engineer by training, but took over responsibility

for the jewellery side of the combined optometry/jewellery business at Broadway. In 1962, he stood for election to the Hunters Hill Council, becoming deputy mayor in 1964 and mayor in 1966-67. He and his wife, Norma, to whom he was married for almost 60 years, helped start Meals on Wheels for Gladesville Community Aid while he was mayor, as well as being coordinators for Neighbourhood Watch since its inception, and each was elected president and later life member of Hunters Hill Historical Society. In 1981, he was awarded an MBE for service to local government and the community, and on his retirement from local government in 1983 he was awarded ‘Honorary Freedom of the Municipality of Hunters Hill’. Later he was honoured by having ‘Merrington Place’ named after him.

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Mr Cross said when announcing the change. Mr Tony Gray, Carl Zeiss Vision general manager for Australia/New Zealand, said that offering eye-care professionals mutually-rewarding business partnerships and ‘ease of doing business’ were top priorities. “We have structured the business to make it very easy for our customers to deal with us. Our Carl Zeiss Vision sales team is fully trained across both the Sola and Zeiss product ranges. They will act as a single point of contact for our total product range, complete with the excellent training and business building skills they provide.

NZ retail/wholesale group buys 50% of Engelhardt Aug 2006

New Zealand’s biggest optometrical retail and wholesale company, Optical Holdings, which owns the Visique network, has bought a 50-per-cent share of Adelaide-based frame wholesaler Engelhardt for an undisclosed price. The purchase was announced in early July, with sections of the New Zealand press describing it as “a challenge to Australian heavyweight retailer OPSM”, which has around 20 per cent of the NZ retail optical market (35 stores) and, along with Laubman & Pank and Budget Eyewear, up to 40 per cent of the Australian market. Visique is 60-per-cent owned by NZ optometrists and is leader in a retail market worth an estimated $NZ65-70 million. It has 100 practices around the country. As well as operating the Visique chain, Optical Holdings has subsidiaries offering IT solutions, optical service financing, and an optical equipment company. It has three frame and sunglasses distribution companies. Its annual revenues have grown in the past seven years from $5 million to just under $30 million through acquisitions and expanding products and services within the eye-care market. The group employs around 70 people, while the Visique business employs another 240, and its retail sales are not included in the $30 million revenues. The managing director of Visique, Mr Graeme Edmond is reported as saying the company had moved across the Tasman despite having much still to do in New Zealand to expand the Visique group, improve its supply chain and create value for shareholders.

FEBRUARY 2014

Warning on novelty contact lenses

warning has been sounded of potential danger from wearing novelty contact lenses, in a paper published in the Medical Journal of Australia. The paper, by two ophthalmologists, two registrars and one medical officer includes a report on the case of a 13year-old girl who was referred to the Department of Ophthalmology at the

Children’s Hospital, at Westmead, Sydney, after a corneal abscess developed in her left eye a day after she had worn novelty coloured contact lenses borrowed from a friend. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated 48 hours after admission, with the therapy changed to gentamicin and tobramycin. The patients was discharged after three weeks with marked corneal thinning and

dense residual scarring, limiting visual acuity to count fingers at 30cm. The paper says novelty contact lenses are becoming increasingly popular and can be purchased from outlets such as beauty shops, markets, surf shops and auction websites, leading to unsafe practices such as wearing lenses overnight, sharing of lenses, and poor lens hygiene.

$1.57m loss for C@ Limited

erth-based optical buying, marketing and prescription-lens group C@ Limited has reported an audited consolidated net loss after income tax of $1,577,193 for the year ended 30 June 2006. Directors reported to the ASX and shareholders on 29 September that the net loss after tax has been adjusted for provision against slow-moving and obsolete inventories $(150,000), provision for impairment of property, plant and equipment $(75,000) and

Additional accruals of sundry costs $(63,132). The annual report to shareholders includes a comment by the company’s auditor that there is inherent uncertainty regarding continuation of the business as a going concern, however since the audit there has been an injection of $500,000 into the company to fortify working capital reserves and a rigorous review of costs. The $500,000 injection was necessary because the company was spending

Oct 2006

more than it was taking in, and the $2.5 million cash raised in the public float last December was likely to soon run out. The company’s directors are undertaking a review of operating expenditure and other options for deriving revenue from current stock holdings. It is understood the stock consists largely of low-cost, obscurebranded frames manufactured in China, a considerable amount of which has been placed on consignment at retail, as well as stock lenses.

Axe for 90 state registration boards; new ‘super’ board

inety state and territory registration boards throughout Australia, including those that control medical practitioners and optometrists, will be axed and replaced with a ‘super’ national body covering nine health-care groups in all states and territories by July 2008, the Council of Australian Governments has decided. A national accreditation and registration scheme will be introduced for the nine health-care-practitioner groups that are currently subject to statutory registration in all states and territories in Australia. The nine groups affected by the national scheme are chiropractors, dentists, medical practitioners, nurses, optometrists, osteopaths, pharmacists, physiotherapists and psychologists. In addition to the 90 registration boards, 20 bodies involved in accrediting health-workforce education and training will be replaced by the new body. According to COAG, the main aim of the scheme is to simplify and

Sep 2006

improve the consistency of accreditation arrangements for education and training of the health care professions. All governments (state, territory and commonwealth) will be involved in governance arrangements, with a primary policy setting, governance and implementation role for the ministerial

would be self-funding, with estimated established costs of up to $12.3 million over four years to be jointly funded by the commonwealth and the states and territories. The national scheme will challenge the power of the medical colleges, such as the Royal Australian and New

Legislation will have to be changed

State and territory legislation governing the nine health-care professions concerned will have to be changed in order for the national scheme to be introduced. At present, each state and territory has its own legislation governing each of the nine health-care professions, such as the Medical Practice Act, the Optometrists Act etc. The would all have to be amended, perhaps repealed, to accommodate the proposed changes. council comprising commonwealth, state and territory health ministers, to be detailed in the intergovernmental agreement. Under the preferred model, the scheme will be implemented in parallel with proposed reforms to establish a national accreditation scheme, and

Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, in regard to the number of specialist trainees they admit to their training course and graduate. A national process for assessing overseas-trained medical practitioners will also be established by COAG, due to be in place by this December. www.insightnews.com.au

NSW ophthalmologist’s 30-year tunnel-vision campaign stumbles A New South Wales ophthalmologist, Dr Frank Gorman, of Marrickville, appears to have run into a brick wall in his long-running campaign to have recognised by his peers a procedure whereby spinal manipulation for appropriate patients with tunnel vision brings fields of vision back to normal. Dr Gorman wants the procedure to be subjected to rigorous scientific scrutiny by his colleagues, but the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists won’t sanction that, and its membership at large has not shown any interest in doing so, even though in the early 1990s four examined a cohort of 12

patients before and after the procedure was carried out, finding recovery of visual fields in every case. The college will not credential Dr Gorman to perform the procedure. The RANZCO training program in regard to tunnel vision is inadequate and the college is inflexible in regard to “the phenomenon of recovery of vision”, he says. What appears to herald the end of his battle is the decision of the NSW Supreme Court of Appeal that it will not intervene in the matter, saying it must be left to the medical profession to resolve its internal differences. The key to resolution appears to be a properly-supervised and

administered trail, with the appropriate checks and balances in the interest of patient safety, including, for example, PET scans. However in order to produce acceptable results, that would require substantial funding, with the necessary funding - from the oftenproviding pharmaceutical industry - most unlikely to be forthcoming. Ophthalmology sources estimate that it would cost around $250,000 for such a trial. Yet if the trial produced convincing results, the procedure could perhaps bring enormous relief to those who suffer from the condition, including those who suffer from migraine. In 1986, he demonstrated the

Readers Rely on INSIGHT Published for 38 years, readers rely on INSIGHT for hard-hitting news supplying the facts that are reliable, accurate, independent and unbiased. Ophthalmic professionals respect INSIGHT because we identify the issues that need to be covered and challenge our readers through intelligent reporting and analysis.

Sep 2006

procedure on the ‘60 Minutes’ television program, with recovery of vision confirmed by a staff member of the School of Optometry at the University of NSW, which led to him being brought before the NSW Medical Board and then its newly-established professional standards committee. He was found guilty of professional misconduct by that committee over the ‘60 Minutes’ program on the grounds that his peers of good standing disapproved of his actions. Conditions were placed on his licence to practice in NSW in that he was not permitted to do spinal manipulation under anaesthesia on any patient. That was followed by a similar finding in Victoria.

20,000 readers 8.300 circulation

88%

74%

78%

85%

INSIGHT is the most-read ophthalmic publication with 88% of practitioners regularly reading it.

If ophthalmic practitioners were to read only one publication, 74% would choose to read INSIGHT only.

78% of ophthalmic practitioners rely on INSIGHT to keep up-to-date with the ophthalmic professions.

85% of practitioners believe INSIGHT provides balanced and independent reporting.

Research conducted at ODMA2013 in Brisbane.

FEBRUARY 2014

Luxottica Retail bought or opened 81 stores in past 12 months; more likely

Feb 2007

uxottica Retail bought or opened a total of 81 stores in Australia over the past 12 months. And it is likely more will be bought or opened during this year, as the company sees a serious new competitor, Specsavers, enter the market, as well as the likelihood of major suppliers buying into retail businesses becoming a more distinct possibility almost by the day. Furthermore, there is the question of the future direction of several buying groups, which have the potential to take on major chains at their own games, although to date they have not shown

that they have the heart to do so. Luxottica’s chief operating officer, Mr Chris Beer, said on 8 January the company is delivering on its strategy of acquiring complementary businesses to strengthen and grow its operations in Australia, taking the number of new stores and acquisitions for the year to 81. “We are receiving an increased number of inquiries from independent optometrists evaluating new superannuation laws and the timing for the sale of their businesses,” Mr Beer said.

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Vision CRC earned $15 million in royalties from CL’s last year

total of $15.12 million in royalties was earned last year by the Vision Cooperative Research Centre through sales of two high oxygen permeable soft contact lenses developed for CIBA Vision – ‘Focus Night and Day’ and ‘O2OPTIX’. A total of $24.483 million has been earned in royalties and distributed over the life of the Vision CRC and its predecessor, the Cooperative Research Centre for Eye Research and Technology, to researchers, collaborators and project participants. It is likely that in five years, royalties will reach at least $20 million per year. To date royalties have been channeled back to project participants and to the centre, supporting ongoing research by those participants, including Australian organisations such as CSIRO and the Institute for Eye Research. Launched in 1999, the Focus

Feb 2007

Night and Day silicone hydrogel lens was a major advance in contact lens convenience and safety. It was the fastest product launched to reach US$1 million in sales in the history of the contact lens industry. Then in 2004, O2OPTIX contact lenses were launched, again developed by a collaboration of the Vision CRC and CIBA Vision. Based on the Focus Night and Day technology, they are marketed as the first highly oxygen transmissible silicone hydrogels specifically designed for daily wear. The new lens was the first product to be developed under the Vision CRC collaboration as against the CRCERT collaboration. The CRC programs were provided with the equity necessary to enable them to retain ownership of intellectual property, ensuring that the rewards for developments are returned to Australia.

Transitions Optical to close its Adelaide manufacturing plant

hotochromic lens producer Transitions Optical announced on 17 January that it will close its Adelaide manufacturing facility at the end of June. The company will continue to operate its Australia and New Zealand commercial and distribution base in Adelaide. There will be no effect on the market, with business as usual. According to Transitions Optical’s plant manager, Mr Mark Donovan, the decision to close the manufacturing plant at Lonsdale, south of Adelaide,

Feb 2007

was “inevitable and responsible, yet regrettable”. Mr Donovan said the Lonsdale plant had been made redundant by the product mix and economy of scale of new state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Asia. “This is a business decision and in no way reflects on the productivity or contribution of our manufacturing team. It is a strategic decision to ensure Transitions Optical remains globally competitive for the long term.”

Specsavers opens for business; Melbourne headquarters

pecsavers, the United Kingdom market leader and largest privately-owned, optometrist-led group in the world, has opened for business in the Australian market, as predicted in the December issue of Insight. According to Specsavers, the company plans to provide low-cost, high-quality products to a network of independent

FEBRUARY 2014

Feb 2007

practices across the country. “Australian practices and their clients will be able to benefit from “the most advanced internal retail supply chain in the global optical market, which supplied 7.5 million frames and 15 million Specsavers- and Pentax-branded lenses during 2006,” the company said last month. www.insightnews.com.au

Institute for Eye Research reports $20 million revenue, $16m expenditure and $4m net assets Sep 2006

growth and better eye-care for Australia and other countries “by developing breakthrough technology and products for the correction of myopia and presbyopia, delivering innovative education programs at all levels of the eye-care industry; and developing models which provide effective, affordable and sustainable eye-care delivery to communities in need. The IER has sponsored the ICEE, since June 1999 contributing $2.9m for use in Africa and Asia programs, as well as providing in-kind support in a range of staff services, including design and production of educational and publicity material. Directors of the IER are Brian Layland (chairman), Charles McMonnies, Brian Holden, Deborah Sweeney and Frank Back.

he Institute for Eye Research has reported revenue of $20.6 million, expenditure of $16.9m on ordinary activities and net assets of $3.8m for the year ended 30 June 2005, according to its annual report for the year. Revenue was $12.0m the previous year. Revenue cam from grants and donations of $3.7m, project income and support fess of $7.9m, royalties of $4.0m and ‘miscellaneous’ $4.9m. Expenditure consisted of $6.7m employee benefits expenses, $5.8m cash contribution of the Vision Cooperative Research Centre, $.7m cash contribution to the International Centre for Eyecare Education and $3.5m ‘other expenses’. The IER is a core partner in the Vision CRC, aiming to deliver business

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Ophthalmic professions and industry at the crossroads

Jan 2007

he ophthalmic professions and industry are at the crossroads, with unprecedented changes likely for both groups. There are two main issues: corporatisation of practice and comanagement of patients. Corporatisation is a hot issue within ophthalmology and optometry, as various companies, groups of practitioners and individual practitioners come to grips with what is undeniably now part of the life of most professions, certainly in the health-care area. Co-management (or integrated care) is being put forward as a way to help overcome the looming shortage of ophthalmologists in Australia, but there are a number of important issues to be resolved. Recent purchases of optometrical/dispensing practices by Luxottica has again thrown the spotlight on that company’s

plans for the Australian market, at present appearing to be to expand its retail presence and consequent increase in market share, with greater involvement in optometry in a variety of ways, including the establishment of its Institute of Learning. There are over 600 optometrists associated with Luxottica, as employees in its variously-branded groups subsidiaries or as associates in nearby locations. This month, the United Kingdom based retail giant Specsavers opens for business in Australia, initially as a wholesale supplier, most likely later as a retailer in one form or other. It has around 33 per cent share of the UK retail optical market, with its joint-venture optometrists providing over six million eye examinations each year and dispensing five million pairs of spectacles. Average sales per retail store is over £1 million ($A2.6 million).

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FEBRUARY 2014

Air travellers limited to 100ml of contact lens solutions in hand luggage Feb 2007

assengers travelling to or from Australia by air from 31 March onwards will be limited to 100ml of any contact-lens solution in their hand luggage. The same applies to any other liquid, aerosol or gel.

Passengers must carry contactlens solutions and other liquids in a resealable transparent plastic bag, no larger than one litre and have them inspected separately at the airport screening point.

Lucentis cleared for registration as a treatment for ‘wet’ AMD

Mar 2007

he Australian Drug Evaluation Committee has cleared the way for registration of Novartis’ injectable ‘Lucentis’ (ranibizumab) as a treatment for ‘wet’ age-related macular degeneration. Lucentis came through Phase III studies for the United States Food and Drug Administration with flying

colours, with vision maintained or improved in up to 96 per cent of patients with wet AMD who were treated with the drug. Lucentis works by inhibiting the growth of abnormal new blood vessels as well as leakages under the macula which lead to AMD disease progression and subsequent vision loss.

NSW permits orthoptists to refract on referral from two other professions Mar 2007

rthoptists in New South Wales have been granted permission to refract patients who have been referred to them by a registered optometrist or registered medical practitioner practising as an ophthalmologist. They can now also prescribe spectacle lenses, but not contact lenses. Enabling legislation was recommended to the Executive Council by the NSW minister for health, Mr

John Hatzistergos, assented to by the Governor, Professor Marie Bashir, and came into effect on 16 February The question of refraction by orthoptists in NSW was under discussion and consideration for at least five years, with orthoptists calling for permission to refract, supported by ophthalmologists, and optometrists against it. Optical dispensers were not asked to comment.

C@’s auditor uncertain whether it can continue as going concern Apr 2007

he auditor of Perth-based C@ Ltd has reported to shareholders that there is significant uncertaintly as to whether the company and consolidated entity will be able to continue as a going concern and therefore whether it will be able to realise their assets and extinguish their liabilities in the normal course of business and at amounts stated in the [company’s] financial report for

Obituary

the half year ended 31 December 2006. C@, which was established in late 2005, is an importer and wholesaler of spectacle frames and lenses. Directors of the company disagree with the auditor’s report, saying there are reasonable grounds to believe that the company will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due and payable.

Eric William (Bill) O’Bree

Oct 2007

ill O’Bree, an optometrist and former director of OPSM Limited, died on 28 August, aged 77.

FEBRUARY 2014

30 practices sign supply contracts with Specsavers for 30% of stock

bout 30 optometrical practices have so far agreed to buy at least 30 per cent of their frames and lenses from Specsavers Australia’s Melbourne-based wholesale operation. That may lead to them (and others as who may sign up) later being offered a form of retail joint-venture with Specsavers, with the practices, as part of the deal, being re-badged as Specsavers. The 30 practices include a majority of the original-founder practices of the Optovision Limited buying group, however contrary to what has been claimed in another publication, Specsavers is not “helping Optovision to source low-cost product for its

Mar 2007

332 practices from local branded suppliers”. Optovision Limited is an unlisted public company limited by shares, which operates as a buying group for member shareholders. It is based in Melbourne and headed up by Mr Peter Larsen and Mr Charles Hornor. A number of preferred suppliers to Optovision have decided to pull out of the arrangement, maintaining that the business the buying group was generating was not worth the discounts being given. Several said they had been criticised by other retail buying groups for the discounts they were offering for little in return.

Luxottica buys 16 out of 44 Merrington’s stores; 28 left

uxottica Retail, on 22 March announced it is to acquire 16 of Merrington’s 44 retail optical stores for an undisclosed price, leaving 28 stores in the hands of principal Mr Peter Merrington. Of the 16 stores, seven will be rebranded as OPSM, five as Laubman & Pank and four as Budget Eyewear. Luxottica Retail chief operating officer, Mr Chris Beer, said the stores are a natural complementary fit for Luxottica as they helped fill gaps in Luxottica’s existing retail footprint. “We’re pleased to bring these new stores into the network and look

Apr 2007

forward to bringing their loyal customers the benefits of our highquality optical care and extensive eyewear range,” Mr Beer said. “Employees of the acquired stores will be retained and will have the opportunity to progress their careers within the world’s leading eyewear group,” he said. Including the Merrington stores acquired, Luxottica’s optical retail network in Australia and New Zealand now stands at 769 stores, comprising 322 OPSM, 132 Laubman & Pank and 90 Budget Eyewear outlets.

MP/ophthalmologist alleged to have misused $67,000 printing allowances

ederal Liberal Party backbencher Dr Andrew Laming is under investigation by federal police concerning alleged misuse of $67,000 in unspent printing allowances and alleged misuse of taxpayer-funded staff. The first-term MP is an ophthalmologist in Queensland. He denies any wrongdoing and says he will cooperate with the federal

Apr 2007

police, but has declined to comment further. Dr Laming’s office and those of two fellow Brisbane MPs, Mr Gary Hardgrave and Mr Ros Vasta, were raided by the federal police on 2 March executing warrants as part of a six month investigation. All three have denied any wrong doing. www.insightnews.com.au

Ready-mades: OK provided there’s been an eye check D Apr 2007

isagreement over the suitability of ready-made spectacles to correct vision continues between some optometrists and ophthalmologists and the main industry association, who disagree with other ophthalmologists and with governments in general. However the general consensus seems to be that they are satisfactory provided there has been a prior eye examination. It is understood no state or territory

in Australia prohibits the sale of ready mades, New South Wales being the last jurisdiction to pass legislation permitting their sale. According to an optometrist and spokesman for Sight for Life (an offshoot of the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association), consumer research conducted for ODMA last year showed that one in five Australian spectacle wearers buy ready-mades from pharmacies and department stores [and other retail

WA Optometrists Act enacted, but no therapeutic drugs yet

he Western Australia Optometrists Act 2005 has been gazetted and is now in force, replacing the Optometrists Act 1940. Regulations under the Act can now be drawn up by the new Optometrists Board of WA for approval by the Governor. The question of use of therapeutic drugs by optometrists in the state has yet to be resolved. The new Act is part of the state government’s commitment

Jun 2007

to National Competition Policy principles to review legislation regulating the optometry profession and other health-care professions. It provides for effective registration of optometrists; controls use of the title ‘optometrist’; and seeks to prevent conduct from non-optometrists that may be misleading to consumers and the general public.

WA optometrist and reg. board settle ‘infamous conduct’ action Jun 2007

n optometrist in Western Australia has been ordered to pay costs of an action brought against him by the state Optometrists Registration Board in order to settle the matter. Mr David Scrivener on 24 May was

ordered to pay $5,000 costs to settle the matter of alleged infamous conduct in a professional respect brought by the board. The matter concerned failure to consider the possibility of macular degeneration including a macular hole in a patient’s right eye.

Mutual respect is essential: OAA Jan 2007

utual respect and collaboration based on patients’ best interests are essential for the effective working of integrated care, the president of Optometrists Association Australia, Mr Ian Bluntish, said at the CERA conference. The future of eye care lies in greater integration of optometry with general medicine and with ophthalmology, all with a clear patient benefit, Mr Bluntish said.

www.insightnews.com.au

“No one profession can hope to address all expectations of the community. There is an apparent overlap of their knowledge and they each meet the needs of the community,” he said. “There is a long history of direct referrals to ophthalmologists and changes to our education, such as prescribing of therapeutic drugs. “Optometrists understand their limitations, as witnessed by the low number of claims for malpractice.

outlets including garages and newsagents] without the benefit of professional eye examinations and advice. According to optometrist Dr Hanks, there are significant benefits associated with regular eye examinations and making sure people have the correct prescription. He added that because ready-made spectacles are mass-produced, they are not made to suit the individual needs of the wearer.

“That means both lenses will be the same power, however it is unusual for any person to have two eyes exactly the same. The result is that one eye will be over-corrected, or one eye will be under-corrected, or both. “Ready-mades can be useful for emergency use when spectacles have been forgotten or broken, but they should not be an alternative to regular eye care and they should not be used for long periods.”

90% say they trust optometrists: Newspoll

Jun 2007

ine out of ten patients trust optometrists, according to consumer research conducted by Newspoll and jointly commissioned by Transitions Optical and Optometrists Association Australia. That puts optometrists (94%) just below pharmacists (98%) and nurses (97%) and just above medical practitioners (92%) and dentists (91%) in regard to trustworthiness. Sixty-eight per cent of survey respondents described optometrists as “extremely or very trustworthy”. The survey consisted of telephone

interviews with 1,200 respondents over 18 years of age. It found that patients want optometrists to make recommendations relating to best quality options; options with UV protection; and a range of options with different benefits at different price points. Also, that cheapest options are considered least important and nine out of ten of patients will seriously consider optometrists’ recommendations, particularly in regard to eye health (97%), UV protection (95%) and the best-suited lens for them (96%).

New treatment slashes infection rates after eye surgery by 80% Jun 2007

he risk of infection after eye surgery could be cut to one sixth of current infection rates, with a simple injection of antibiotics into the eye during surgery, according to Victoria ophthalmologist Dr Michael Loughnan. Intra-ocular surgery, such as cataract surgery, corneal or retinal surgery, is one of the most commonly performed operations in Australia. Currently, the rate of infection following intra-ocular surgery is approximately one in 1000 cases in Australia, Dr Loughnan, of the Cornea Unit, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear

Hospital, said. “Infections after eye operations can threaten vision and even lead to blindness,” he said. “However, the use of prophylactic antibiotics during intra-ocular surgery decreases the risk of infection to about one in 5000 cases.” Dr Loughnan said the use of antibiotic injections to prevent infection after eye surgery will become more widespread in Australia, after its benefits were clearly demonstrated in a large, randomised, multi-centre study in Europe last year. FEBRUARY 2014

Death of Joe Lederer, the father of optometry in New South Wales P Jul 2007

unprecedented number of inquiries from partially-sighted people, as much as 300 letters a day. The end result was the establishment of the first low-vision clinic in Australia, at the STC, as well as stimulation of development of the whole area of low-vision care and a life-long interest in the subject by Professor Lederer, who retired from UNSW as soon as he could (aged 60) so that he could devote more time to low-vision clinics. During his last six or seven years at UNSW, he established a number of satellite clinics.

A year later, large numbers of servicemen returned from World War II and had the right to free and sponsored tertiary education. From five to eight students commencing the course in optometry at the STC, all of a sudden in 1946 there were 32 new enrolments in the course. In 1947, he became the first fulltime teacher of optometry in the Southern Hemisphere. At the age of 29, Professor Lederer joined the newly-created NSW University of Technology (now the University of NSW) in 1951, being promoted to associate professor in 1959, making him the first optometrist

The role of ophthalmologists is to lead eye care: RANZCO president Jul 2007

Lucentis to be listed on PBS; $630 million cost over 4 years

he role of ophthalmologists is to take the leadership role in the provision of eye care, Dr Andrew Stewart, president of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, has told college members. Dr Stewart said that with the changing face of ophthalmology, its biggest and most important role, and possibly the most challenging one, is to lead eye-care teams which, in the future, are likely to include other vision professions. “Already, most ophthalmologists practise in groups and, in addition to incorporating orthoptists and nurses, the likely scenario is that these groups will also include optometrists and, possibly, optical dispensers in the future. What is best for the patient must always be the primary concern of ophthalmologists. “The college’s position is that eye care is best delivered by multidisciplinary teams, where each team member collaborates to provide the highest standard of care and treatment.

of professorial rank in the British Commonwealth. Professor Lederer became internationally known for developing a reading aid for partially-sighted people – the ‘Lederer lens’ – which was a high-power single microscope lens that can be used to enable partially-sighted persons to read and do other close visual tasks. The lens was an entirely new concept and much more affordable than other imported lenses for lowvision patients from the United States and West Germany. There was considerable press interest in the lens, which brought an

rofessor Emeritus Josef Lederer, widely regarded as the father of optometry in New South Wales and a great influence on the profession nationwide, died on 3 June, aged 87. He was the first full-time lecturer in optometry in Australia; the first associate professor; the foundation professor of optometry at the University of New South Wales; and the first professor emeritus of optometry. During his tenure, the number of graduates in optometry numbered thousands, ranging from handfuls when he was first appointed full-time lecturer to over 100 for several years in the early late 1970s and early1980s.

FEBRUARY 2014

njectible Lucentis (ranibizumab) will be listed from 1 August on the national Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for the treatment of wet, agerelated macular degeneration, reducing the price to patients from $2,000 to a maximum of $30.70 for each dose. The federal government will spend $630 million over four years on the treatment, in a move that is expected to effectively end the prescribing of another widely-used but unapproved drug – Aventis. In 2006, there were around 129,000 people with AMD. That figure is

expected to increase to about 153,000 people by 2011. Although there is no cure, treatment options such as Lucentis can slow down or reverse its progression, depending on the stage and type of the disease. The decision comes after an intense campaign by the drug’s distributor, Novartis, and the Macular Degeneration Foundation, of which Novartis is a sponsor. The drug is the first to be proven effective against ‘wet’ macular degeneration, in which there is an

Jul 2007

excessive growth of blood vessels in the retina, frequently distorting central vision to the point of legal if not actual blindness. Ophthalmologist Dr Paul Beaumont, a spokesman for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists and who has worked as a paid consultant for Novartis, said on 6 June Lucentis had been shown to offer value for money, but those calculations had factored in neither the cost of caring for blind relatives nor “the emotional cost – people who say they would rather die than go blind”.

Merringtons to appeal $88,000 penalty: ‘manifestly excessive’

ptometry group Merringtons is to appeal against a landmark $88,000 penalty for underpaying staff, imposed by a magistrates court. Australian Opthalmic Supplies, trading as Merringtons, on 19 April was fined $88,000 over unpaid award entitlements for staff members. It claims the penalty was manifestly excessive. In a landmark case brought against

Aug 2007

the firm by the Office of Workplace Services, the Melbourne Magistrates Court ordered the $88,000 fine be paid as penalty for 22 breaches of awards involving $17,564. The penalty is the largest the OWS has won so far and is the culmination of a long-running dispute it has had with Merringtons. Having won the original case on

behalf of six current and former employees last October, the $17,564.86 in underpaid wages and entitlements was recovered, with an additional $5353.65 in interest imposed by the court. In handing down the decision, Magistrate Hawkins said of Merringtons: “I conclude that their industrial strategy was a deliberate attempt to avoid their award obligations.” www.insightnews.com.au

Luxottica to merge Oakley into its business in $US2.1bn deal

uxottica Group S.p.A. and Oakley Inc announced on 21 June that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement with the unanimous approval of both companies’ boards of directors. Under the agreement, Luxottica Group will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Oakley for a cash purchase price of $US29.30 per share, together with the purchase of all outstanding options and other equity rights at the same price per share less the exercise price.

Jul 2007

The total purchase price will be approximately $US2.1 billion, representing an approximate premium of 18 per cent over the most recent 30day average New York Stock Exchange trading price of Oakley shares and approximately 24 per cent over the most recent three-month average trading price. The companies’ statement pointed out: “Oakley is an innovative and iconic brand: a leading global sports, technology and lifestyle company with a unique

design point of view and has tremendous growth potential across numerous market segments. Luxottica provides a global platform to showcase the Oakley brands while enhancing its international distribution capabilities. “This merger combines two strong, complementary business models and establishes a stronger and more diversified portfolio of owned and licensed brands. The combined companies’ retail platformincludesluxury,fashion,lifestyle

and sports concepts. “Luxottica has long admired the Oakley business and corporate culture, inspired by founder Jim Jannard. Oakley and Luxottica share a mutual commitment to quality, innovation, and technical skills-- qualities which will help us to solidify Oakley’s brand position and Luxottica’s strong leadership in the market. I look forward to welcoming the talented Oakley management team, led by Scott Olivet and Colin Baden, to our group.”

Retail: corporates continue to expand, more to come

orporate ownership and control of optometrical and optical dispensing businesses in Australia continues to expand, with more expected in the future. But a core of ‘independent’ optometrists seem determined to resist the march of corporations, the latest being a proposed mutual co-operative for those of an independent bent. However the reality is that corporations are increasing their shares of the retail optical market and there seems to be little standing in their way. There are several new players on the corporate side of the battle for market share and there are several on the independent side, albeit considerably smaller. Here is a run-down on what the corporations are doing: Luxottica, the undoubted market leader with 35-40 per cent market share, continues to purchase sound retail businesses whenever it can. The Optical Superstore has moved outside of Myer stores and says it is

trading better than ever. Safilo Italy is still very much interested in the Australian retail optical market, although to date it has not announced any purchase of a retail business, which it would be obliged to do as a public company. Specsavers, the giant United Kingdom-based retail group, through its Australian subsidiary, has signed up about 130 optometrical practices, owned by about 70-80 optometrist proprietors; each has been supplied by Specsavers with 300 frames at no charge. The company maintains a noinvolvementin- retail stance, however it is most likely a matter of when not if that the Specsavers brand will appear on retail outlets in Australia under a franchise scheme of some sort. Eyecare Practitioners has nowlisted on the Australian Securities Exchange, aiming at keeping optometry in the hands of independent optometrists, although being a corporation (and a publicly-listed one to boot). Merringtons, which recently sold 14 of its stores to Luxottica, has not made

any moves in regard to its remaining 30-odd stores. Blink Optical, of NSW, has formed an alliance with Kevin Paisley Fashion Eyewear in Victoria and South Australia, as well as with Prevue Eyewear in NSW. Optometrists Co-operative is being promoted as a co-operative by a number of NSW optometrists who are disillusioned with buying group Optovision because of what they regard as a sellout by that organization to Specsavers, which has a 13-per-cent interest in Optovision and at the same time is signing up optometrists to be supplied with its own-branded frames and lenses, as well as lenses using a well-known brand name. Woolworths has opened its third retail optical store in its BIG W outlets in South Australia and says it is now looking to open stores on the eastern seaboard. Provision, the buying and marketing group owned by Optometrists Association Australia, continues to be the largest corporation owned by

Aug 2007

optometrists, with over 300 members. Optovision, the buying and marketing group based in Melbourne that was established by a breakaway group of former optometrist members of Provision, now has close to 300 members. Just Specs, Western Australiabased group, is regarded as a possible takeover target, but to date approaches from a number of larger companies have not led to any change in ownership. Health funds, such as HCF, NIB and Mutual have opened and in one instance on-sold eye-care clinics and have plans for demutualisation, meaning they will come under the control of straight-out corporations. Internet use has already attracted several on-line retailers of spectacles and is likely to attract more players, using corporations to trade. And looking closely at the Australian market it United States megastore group Costco, which says it will come here before long, complete with optical departments.

First Aboriginal student to study optometry wins scholarship

Aug 2007

enna Owen, the first Aboriginal ever to study optometry, now in second year of the course, has been awarded a Shalom Gamarada Scholarship at the University of New South Wales. From Dubbo, in central west of NSW, she is one of 15 Aboriginal students in the medical strands at the university to be awarded such a

www.insightnews.com.au

scholarship. “Being an indigenous student from a rural area, it would have been impossible for me to study optometry having to live so far away from home because of the financial stress of accommodation, living expenses and travel costs. The Shalom Gamarada Scholarship has made my dream a

reality,” Ms Owen said. “Education is such a vital tool in the development of a healthy future for Aboriginal communities. I am so proud and grateful to have the opportunity to achieve my goals through this scholarship and better serve my people.” The scholarships are funded from

money raised by the sale of Aboriginal art at the Shalom Gamarada Art Exhibition, now in its third year. Scholarship winners are accommodated at UNSW’s Shalom College. This year’s exhibition was worth more than $2 million and raised money for indigenous communities and provide three more scholarships. FEBRUARY 2014

66% of 40+ glasses wearers experience problems with eyesight: consumer survey

new study released on the eve of National Eye Health Week shows that two-thirds of people over 40 who wear glasses are experiencing problems with their eyesight yet many are not doing anything about it. Conducted for Essilor Australia, the research found that 66 per cent of over 40s who wear glasses experience

burning, itching, grittiness, blurring or headaches but one third have not consulted an optometrist to relieve the symptoms. And it appears these visual difficulties are impacting daily life, with one in five of those surveyed reporting that those eyesight problems regularly have an impact on their work. According to the research, many

RANZCO V-P appointed to NT Emergency Response Taskforce Aug 2007

he vice-president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Opthalmologists, Dr Bill Glasson, was appointed early last month to the Northern Territory Emergency Response Taskforce, as part of the federal government’s attempt to stamp out Aboriginal child abuse in the Territory. A practising ophthalmologist and

former Australian Medical Association president, Dr Glasson has worked in a voluntary capacity in various indigenous communities, including recently travelling to East Timor as part of a team which treated in excess of 3,000 East Timorese patients. He is a consulting ophthalmologist to the Australian Army with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

Specsavers to invest $200,000 average in each joint-partner’s practice Oct 2007

pecsavers will invest an average of $200,000 on premises fit-out, IT and merchandise for each practice that is signed up to become a retail joint-venture with the company, its joint-founder and chief executive officer, Mr Doug Perkins, said in an interview with Insight this month. In a wide-ranging interview, Mr

Perkins discussed what is happening with Specsavers in Australia at present and what is planned for the future. In short, Specsavers will enter the retail optical market in 2008 in joint venture arrangements with optometrists, itself remaining as a wholesale supplier and leaving the optometrist partners to run their practices.

MBF and Blink Optical entering joint venture; 100-stores target

Oct 2007

he second-largest private health insurance fund in Australia, New South Wales-based MBF Australia, is entering a joint venture with Blink Optical to establish a new national retail chain of optical stores, with a target of 100 stores eventually. The deal was announced on 3 October. The aim is to initially build the joint venture optical chain to more than 30 stores nationwide “with an

FEBRUARY 2014

enhanced offering and outstanding customer experience” to both MBF and non-MBF customers. The chain will trade as Blink Optical. MBF managing director and chief executive officer, Mr Eric Dodd, said “The joint venture is a great combination of MBF’s record in looking after the needs of customers and Blink’s experience and expertise in the optical market,”

Australians are also not having their eyesight professionally tested with the biggest reason being cost, followed by not knowing the benefits and not liking the idea. Thirty-eight per cent of spectacle wearers over 40 falsely believe that wearing their glasses all the time will weaken their sight, exposing the

Aug 2007

confusion that exists around what is good for your eyes. “This is a worrying figure as it illustrates that people may not be using their glasses correctly. There really is a significant difference between the various types of lenses on offer, but if prescribed correctly, none of them weaken your vision,” said Dr Lakkis.

Eyecare Partners raises $4.8m, listsyecareon securities exchange Partners Ltd listed on the $1.6m in the year to 30 June 2008,

Australian Securities Exchange on 9 August having raised $4.795 million in a prospectus listing and changing its focus from plastic manufacturing to optometry and its name from Ruskin Industries Limited. The company’s 20c shares opened at 20c and rose to 21c, with 35,625 shares traded in the first hour. Sellers wanted 26c, buyers offered 21c. The prospectus sought to raise a minimum of $3 million and a maximum of $5 million (15 million to 25 million 20c shares, with one free attaching option for every three shares issued). In its prospectus, the company forecast achievement of NPAT of

Aug 2007

after accounting for corporate office costs, depreciation, interest and taxation, providing an annual earnings yield of 7.5 per cent. The company’s current dividend policy is for the payment of 40-80 per cent of earnings, which are expected to be fully franked. Eyecare Practitioners describes itself as “a consolidator of optometry practices” and says “its business model has its foundation in independent professional optometry and that the vendors will continue to manage the practices after their acquisition by the company”.

Police decide not to proceed against MP/ ophthalmologist on advice of DPP Oct 2007

ollowing receipt of advice from the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions that there was not enough evidence for a reasonable chance of securing a criminal conviction against Queensland member of federal parliament and ophthalmologist Dr Andrew Laming, the Australian Federal Police on 28 September decided not to proceed with prosecuting him. The AFP spent six months investigating allegations that Dr Laming rorted his electoral allowances. The six-month investigation followed AFP raids executing warrants on the three MPs’ offices in March, after it was alleged they had used some of their electoral allowances to help Liberal Party candidates in last year’s

Queensland state election. It was alleged that Dr Laming had used $67,000 of unspent taxpayerfunded printing allowances to help candidates, as well as allegedly paying money from his electoral allowances to a staff member working out of Mr Hardgrave’s office. In a statement issued on 28 September, Dr Laming said the past six months had been a “trying experience”. “I have been informed that despite extensive investigations, the federal police will not be laying charges against me and the matter is concluded,” Dr Laming said. “I have maintained my innocence all along and this decision is very much welcomed by me. It’s been a very trying experience for myself, also for my family, staff, my friends and everyone at Redlands”. www.insightnews.com.au

Glaucoma scares Australians, but eye exams ignored: international survey

Oct 2007

he results of a seven-nation survey just released in the United Kingdom shows Australians are twice as fearful of going blind from glaucoma compared to people in the six other countries who also participated in the survey. The six-country survey was conducted by the GfK Group in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. Glaucoma Australia national executive officer, Mrs Beverley Lindsell, said international research sponsored by Pfizer Ophthalmics had “rung alarms bells” for her organisation on the importance of educating Australians to

better understand glaucoma. According to the survey, conducted among 4351 individuals aged over 40 in seven countries, Australians topped the fear factor with 84 per cent saying glaucoma could impact on their ability to drive, 66 per cent worried about being able to work and 57 per cent were concerned they wouldn’t be able to leave their house. The survey also found that less than two-fifths of Australians surveyed had visited an ophthalmologist or optometrist or GP for a check-up and more than half of those aged between 40 and 49 did not have the recommended eye examinations every two years. Even for those with

Specsavers buys 40; all on offer to optometrists as franchises

pecsavers has bought 40 optometrical practices for an undisclosed amount, almost all of them to be offered to optometrists as franchises, bringing the total number of practices that have entered purchasing agreements for wholesale lens and frame supplies from Specsavers, as against franchise agreements, to just under 200. The number of practices that have agreed to become franchised is not yet known, as there are legislative requirements for cooling-off periods as well as the desirability of interested practitioners consulting legal and financial advisers. Commenting on the purchase of the 40 practices, Mr Doug Perkins, Specsavers Optical Group managing

Nov 2007

director (and an optometrist), said on 1 November that the company has finalised “two significant investments in the Australian market” – Visioncrest Optometrists and Vision Centre, based predominantly in Victoria and South Australia respectively. “Between them, they add 40 practices to the fast-growing Specsavers network. Once Specsavers finalises timings for its consumer launch, all stores will convert to Specsavers branding, ” Mr Perkins said. “As far as a consumer launch of the brand is concerned, this will certainly occur at some stage in 2008 and Specsavers will be operating nationwide by the end of 2008.”

existing eye problems, about 25 per cent still don’t have two-yearly examinations compared to 29 per cent average in the other six countries. Mrs Lindsell said Glaucoma Australia encouraged everyone over the age of 40 to have an eye examination at least every two-three years, and those with a family history of glaucoma to have checks two yearly and to start from an earlier age. Worldwide, it is estimated approximately 6.7 million people are blind from glaucoma, with almost 70 million affected by the disease. By 2020, the number of people with glaucoma is expected to rise to 80 million due to the rapidly growing aging

population. The earlier glaucoma is detected, the greater the potential of limiting the economic impact of the disease by using appropriate treatment. “Glaucoma is not just a disease of the elderly. Now is the time to change the public mindset about glaucoma,” said Scott Christensen, president of the World Glaucoma Patient Association and president and chief executive officer of The Glaucoma Foundation. “People over the age of 40 need to make eye-health a priority by having a complete eye examination every two years to ensure detection of glaucoma before any vision loss is experienced.”

South Australia bans sale of novelty contact lenses without a prescription

Nov 2007

outh Australia has banned the sale of plano novelty contact lenses by anyone unless the purchaser has been first provided with a valid prescription written by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. From 22 October it has been illegal for anyone in South Australia (including optical dispensers, markets outlets, fashion and accessory stores, internet suppliers – even optometrists) to sell any contact lenses to anyone unless they are dispensed according to a prescription written for the person wanting to buy them. “Buying novelty contact lenses straight from a market, toy store or over the internet without a prescription is not always safe as they might not come with instructions for safe use and might be

packed in nonsterile materials,” the SA health department said when announcing the restriction on novelty lenses. Novelty contact lenses don’t change your vision, but they do sit on the surface of the eye and can cause injury if misused, the department says on its website. As well, most contact lenses [plano or prescription] require daily cleaning and most can’t be left in the eye for long periods. Also, that if novelty lenses are left in too long the eye can become starved of oxygen, and serious infection can develop. And there have been a number of cases where people have left novelty lenses in overnight or shared them with friends, which has resulted in permanent blindness.

Specsavers launches its Sydney flagship store in centre of CBD

The flagship store in Hunter St, Sydney www.insightnews.com.au

pecsavers launched its Sydney flagship store on 29 October at a function attended by the fashion press.

Nov 2008

The store is at 55 Hunter Street (on the corner of Elizabeth Street), in the centre of the CBD and close to the top-end retailing area of the city. FEBRUARY 2014

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Guide Dogs to outlay $40m over 10 years for imaging centre at UNSW Dec 2007

uide Dogs NSW/ACT is to outlay $40 million establishing and operating for 10 years the Ocular Imaging Centre on the Kensington, Sydney, main campus of the University of New South Wales, it was announced on 27 November. The new centre, which will be located within the School Optometry and Vision Science at UNSW, is expected to be in operation by late 2008, depending on supply of equipment. To date, there is no plan for much, if any, involvement by ophthalmologists.

According to Guide Dogs, the centre, on referral from ophthalmologists, optometrist, general medical practitioners, orthoptists or orientation and mobility instructors, will provide integrated diagnosis, monitoring and management services to the general community in NSW and ACT at no charge, using the latest hightech equipment, some of which is very expensive, returning the results of its imaging to the referring practitioners. Patients will not be seen in the centre without a referral which will request

certain tests to be performed, which could be in the form of the results of a specific test only, a series of tests or suggestions regarding diagnosis and management of the client. The staff of the centre will perform the required tests and send the patient back to their referring practitioner for continuing care. Reports which requested would be written and forwarded to the referring practitioner. Guide Dogs says that because the centre will have the latest imaging technology it will provide better

diagnosis and management of the individual patient. When established, Guide Dogs says the centre is expected to see about 40,000 clients a year, targeting visionimpaired people in NSW and the ACT, and those with eye conditions that could lead to vision impairment, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. “This is a remarkable and generous contribution by Guide Dogs NSW/ACT to the community,” the vice-chancellor of UNSW, Professor Fred Hilmer, said.

South Australia gives sweeping Luxottica holding roadpowers to new Optometry Board shows to discuss franchise

Dec 2007

outh Australia has given unprecedented sweeping powers to the new Optometry Board in the state, under the Optometry Practice Act 2007, which came into law on 4 October, superseding the Opticians Act 1920. The Act suspends the legal principle of an accused of being considered innocent until proven guilty. A person who is before the board accused of an offence does not have to right to not answer questions on the grounds of self-incrimination. Failure to answer questions is automatically open to penalty and possible imprisonment. Failure to comply could mean a maximum penalty of $20,000. Under the Act, the board can remove persons from the register without prior notice. It can summons a person of interest to its inquiries and can require that person to make an oath or affirmation to answer truthfully questions put by a member of the board or a person appearing before the board. Failure to appear before the board or answer questions put by a member of the board or by a person appearing before the board can result in a maximum penalty of $10,000 or imprisonment for six months. In proceedings before the board under the new Act, the board is not bound by the rules of evidence and may inform itself on any matter as it thinks fit, although it must act according

FEBRUARY 2014

to equity, good conscience and the substantial merits of the case without regard to technicalities and legal forms. The board consists of eight members – four elected optometrists from a roll of eligible optometrists. The other four will be appointed by the health minister and comprise one ophthalmologist, a legal practitioner and two others not eligible in any of the previous categories. There must be at least one female board member and one male member. The functions of the board are to: oversee the practice of optometry in the public interest; approve, after consultation with authorities considered appropriate by the board, courses of education or training that provide qualifications for registration under the Act, and determine, after consultation with authorities considered appropriate by the board, the requirements necessary for registration under the Act. The board is also to: establish and maintain the registers contemplated by this Act; prepare or endorse, subject to the approval of the minister, codes of conduct or professional standards for registered persons or codes of conduct for optometry services providers; prepare or endorse guidelines on continuing optometry education for optometrists.

opportunities

uxottica Retail will commence holding road-shows later this month to discuss opportunities for franchising some of its OPSM, Laubman & Pank and Budget Eyewear optometry stores, for the first time in the history of the three brands. As reported first by Insight last September, Luxottica is interested in offering franchises to optometrists already on its staff and to ‘outside’ optometrists who wish to operate under its retail optical brands in Australia. The company’s chief operating officer, Mr Chris Beer, said the move to consider

Mar 2008

franchising, including in partnership with independent optometrists, reflected the group’s desire to expand its branded optometry network in Australia. “After assessing our strategic options for growth it was clear that some form of limited franchising of our key brands offered the most flexible vehicle for growing our three optometry networks,” Mr Beer said. “Franchising is particularly attractive as a means to expand our presence in regional and rural locations, where optometrists are in short supply,” he said.

Luxottica quits TAFE courses in dispensing; RMIT instead

uxottica Australia has ceased sending virtually all of its staff studying the Certificate IV courses in optical dispensing conducted by NSW TAFE’s Open Training and Education Network and the Sydney Institute of Technology and is about to contract RMIT University in Melbourne to provide the training instead. The move is considered by Luxottica to mean its optical dispensers will be

Mar 2008

more suitably trained for the current requirements of dispensing work, however TAFE and SIT sources question that, claiming the move is designed to make it easier for students to complete their training. It is understood there was a much higher failure rate among dispensing students working for Luxottica than for other employers. That is denied by Luxottica. www.insightnews.com.au

Specsavers investing $50 million to enter Australian optical market

pecsavers is to invest more than $50 million to enter the Australian retail optical market, according to the company. The first two of Specsavers’ jointventure retail stores, in the Melbourne CBD, were opened in mid-February, commencing a rolling-plan of opening 150 joint venture stores nationwide by the end of this calendar year as part of the $50 million-plus investment. The first practice to become a Specsavers joint-venture store is owned by optometrists John Jennings and David Southgate and the second is owned by optometrist Peter Larsen, who is also managing director of Specsavers Australia. Specsavers is contributing on

Mar 2008

average $200,000 to fit-out each franchisee’s store, as well as investing heavily in promoting the Specsavers brand to consumers. There will be television commercials and large-scale direct mailings and letterbox drops (see illustration) in areas surrounding practices. Personally over-seeing the set-up and launch in Australia is the company’s co-founder Mr Doug Perkins (his wife, Dame Mary Perkins, is the other cofounder; they are both optometrists), who outlined his company’s intentions by saying on 21 February: “We look at Australian retail optics and we see a market that is ripe for change; we see one player dominating with 50 per cent of the market; we see astronomically-

high prices and a lack of real choice store to store in comparison to the rest of the developed world.

Left to right: model Liv Nervo, Doug Perkins, Dame Mary Perkins and Australian managing director Peter Larsen at the launch of the first Australian Specsavers store in Collins Place, Melbourne

AOS fined $60,000, ordered to pay $7000 to wronged former employee

ustralian Ophthalmic Supplies Pty Ltd (Under Voluntary External Administration) has been fined $60,000 and ordered by the Federal Court to pay a former employee $6,668.97 compensation. But it is unlikely the fine and compensation will be paid because the company entered voluntary administration on the last working day (Friday 1 February) before the matter was heard by the court on Monday 4 February. According to the administrator of AOS, there are no funds available to pay creditors, so AOS may end up

being wound up, leaving its creditors without payment. However other companies associated with AOS, which was part of the Merringtons optometrical group before being placed into voluntary administration, might end up having to pay the $66,668.97 owing to the court and to the former employee, as well as AOS’s other creditors. The judge who heard the matter, Justice Marshall, was scathing of the behaviour of AOS in regard to Ms Joanne Eghnatios, saying towards the end of his judgement on 4 February: “No employee should be treated by

Mar 2008

any employer the way AOS treated Ms Eghnatios. Employees have the right to be paid the correct pay rate and the right to raise any issue about that pay rate with an appropriate authority without fearing humiliating retaliatory conduct by their employers. ‘Thuggish retaliatory conduct’ “Employees also have the right to assist in the preparation and presentation of cases in courts of law and industrial tribunals designed to assert their legal rights without fear of thuggish retaliatory disciplinary action by an employer.

www.insightnews.com.au

Apr 2008

after receiving an email from OAA complaining about his Dame Mary interview and saying it (OAA) was “outraged”. Ms Doyle said during the interview that the optometry market is very competitive, with 2,600 practices across Australia, and that a person who is dissatisfied with one practice can always go to another. Discussing profit margins, Ms

Specsavers wants to see a 43-percent reduction in the price of glasses in Australia within a year, which has been the case in Norway, a market the company entered in 2005, according to its cofounders, optometrists Mr Doug Perkins and Dame Mary Perkins. Mr Perkins says he expects a similar fall in retail prices in Australia as experienced in Norway as Specsavers brings its global buying power, transparent pricing structure and local joint-venture partnerships to the market.

Safilo Italy buys Just Spectacles’ 44 outlets in WA, SA for $24m Mar 2008

afilo Italy has bought Perth-based optometrical group Just Spectacle’s 44 outlets for $24 million, it was announced on 5 February. Just Spectacles, which has been operating for 20 years, has annual turnover of $21 million through its 44 stores, 12 of which are franchised.

AOS goes into liquidation, leaving creditors claiming over $5 million

Apr 2008

OAA defends retail margins; says there’s room for all parts of optometry spokeswoman for Optometrists Association Australia, Ms Sally Doyle, defended optometrists’ retail margins in an interview on ABC radio in Melbourne on 11 March. Ms Doyle was interviewed by Mr Richard Stubbs, who had interviewed the co-founder of Specsavers, Dame Mary Perkins, some days prior. Mr Stubbs interviewed Ms Doyle

Specsavers aims for 43% reduction in prices for glasses in Australia Mar 2008

Doyle said 10 per cent was the norm in all retail after costs. (Note: that is almost the same as the 10.9 per cent operating profit margin that Specsavers says its joint-venture practices achieve: Ed.). Ms Doyle questioned whether large chains such as Specsavers will have reduced prices. For example, she said, contact-lens prices at her practice are lower than at Specsavers.

ustralian Ophthalmic Supplies Pty Ltd went into liquidation on 7 March, leaving creditors claiming they are owed a total of more than $5 million, which most likely will not be paid. AOS was part of the Merringtons optometrical group until it (AOS) entered voluntary administration (which has led to the liquidation proceedings) on 1 February – the working day before a Federal Court judge (on 4 February) found against the company and ordered that it pay a fine of $60,000 and pay a former employee $6668.97 compensation. FEBRUARY 2014

Fred Hollows Foundation restored or saved sight of 143,759 in 2007 May 2008

he Fred Hollows Foundation almost doubled the number of people it helped last year, saving or restoring the sight of 143,759 people in 2007, up from 73,838 in 2006. In 2007, the foundation helped over 1.2 million people gain access to essential eye care, the equivalent of the entire population of Adelaide. “I think if Fred were alive today he would be extremely proud of the foundation’s efforts and thankful

for the support we receive from the Australian public. But he would also be giving us a kick in the behind and telling us to work even harder,” the foundation’s chief executive, Mr Brian Doolan, said on 31 March. The foundation trained 3,284 eye health workers during completed substantial upgrade or construction of 17 eye-health centres and supplied over $1.3 million worth of essential medical equipment.

2020 Summit calls for extra push on bionic-eye-research program. May 2008

evelopment of a bionic eye should be a galvanizing medical research project for the nation and an example of the need for extra push the health-sector needs, the co-chair of the health section of the 2020 Summit held in Canberra on 19 and 20 April, Michael Good, said. “The nation should look to the bionic eye to achieve its 2020 vision,” he said. Professor Minas Coroneo, the professor and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology of Prince of Wales Hospital at the University of NSW, has pointed out that work is well advanced on a bionic eye capable of allowing large objects to be seen and independent navigation that could be ready next year, with gradual evolution to follow.

Professor Cornoeo told Insight on 21 April the key to success for such a device is to use proven, approved, existing technology, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, particularly in regard to interface of the sensors and the optic nerve. Rather than talk in terms of $40 million, which was bandied about at the 2020 Summit, the cost of the program he is involved with has been about $100,000 to date, with the Genetic Eye Foundation providing most of the funding, he said. The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said he would back the project if Australia showed it had the potential for breakthrough. “Given the challenge of blindness … this is a huge public good that we should be engaged in, ” Mr Rudd said.

Eyecare Partners’ revenues for first year of trading were $16 million Aug 2008

ublicly-listed optometrical-practices company Eyecare Partners Limited has reported revenues for the 2007-08 year was $16 million for it and its subsidiaries. In a statement to the ASX on 31 July, directors of the company said: “Revenues for the year totaled in excess of $16 million, reflecting the effect of the addition of the acquisitions during the financial year. The closing cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter were $2.8 million. The Eyecare Partners-owned optometry practices as at the end of the 2007- 08 financial year numbered 26,

FEBRUARY 2014

and since the end of the year, the company has acquired a further seven practices bringing the total number of practices to 33. “The total acquisition consideration for the seven was approximately $4.8 million, and was satisfied through cash payments of $3.1 million and the issue of 8.2 million convertible notes. The issue of the notes did not require shareholder approval,” directors said. “The practices will remain managed by the vendor optometrists in line with the company’s management philosophy of local day-to-day management of practices.

Luxottica offers franchises, practice mergers or buyouts to optometrists

Jun 2008

uxottica Australia has announced two types of franchising for optometrists, as well as continuing to offer to merge optometrical practices into its retail operations or to buy practices, or to employ optometrists. In short, it is offering optometrists a number of ways in which they can become involved with the largest retail optical group in Australia and which its parent, Luxottica Group, has described as “the top specialty retail brand in the world and the jewel in the Luxottica crown”. The offers are unprecedented in the 76 years’ existence of Luxottica subsidiary OPSM, but are a longexpected, obvious response to the entry of Specsavers and other corporations into the retail optical market here. The company says it has been working on development of its retail strategies for the past three years. To date, there are about 50 optometrists who have expressed interest in merging, selling or becoming franchisees, it says. There are two franchise models proposed by Luxottica, both providing for a five-year term plus a

five-year option. • The Full-Format Franchise Model encompasses both the optometry and dispensing aspects of an existing OPSM, Laubman & Pank or Budget Eyewear “which allows the franchisee to take a holistic approach to investing in and operating a branded Luxottica store and practice.” • Under the Optometry Franchise Model, an optometrist owns and operates an optometry practice within an existing Luxottica store, allowing them to concentrate on their practice while Luxottica concentrates on dispensing. The franchisee will be able to benefit from growth in dispensing and capital growth. Luxottica continues to offer employment with the company to optometrists (it has close to 700 employee optometrists, full-time or part-time), offering a number of benefits, as incentives to join Luxottica as employees, including discounts, financial support for education, six weeks paid maternity leave, a confidential counselling program and an employee referral scheme with $3,000 bonus.

Blink Optical’s joint venture with MBF has 35 stores; more soon

Jun 2008

link Optical’s joint venture with private health fund MBF now has 17 stores with a further six to open soon. Blink itself has18 stores, making a total of 35 stores. The joint venture between Blink and MBF was established late last year. Since then, MBF shareholders have approved the merger of the fund with giant British health fund BUPA, which owns HBA in all states except South Australia and the Northern Territory where the customer brand is Community Mutual, creating the largest private health fund group in Australia, covering about three million people here, as well as another five million people worldwide. Blink CEO, Mr Colin Kangisser, who built the Kay’s Optical chain, said

the company’s growth was exceeding all expectations. “We now have 29 stores in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania, with a licensed store in Western Australia; six more stores opened in April and May; and we are in negotiations with several more businesses. “In spite of significant competition in the market, we have been overwhelmed by the interest being shown in our model from optical operators, professional staff, landlords and suppliers. Our partnership with MBF has been excellent with the benefit of applying our combined skills in optometry, healthcare, marketing and business management. www.insightnews.com.au

Corporations gaining ground in all states and territories C Jul 2008

orporations are gaining ground in all states and territories of Australia. Luxottica is holding serious negotiations with practitioners interested in the various franchising, merger or buyout deals it is now offering them involving its three main brands – OPSM, Laubman & Pank and Budget Eyewear. Specsavers has now opened close to 100 stores and says it will have opened 150 by the end of December. It has just bought eight practices in New South Wales’ Newcastle,

Hunter Valley and Central Coast from optometrist Mr Ross Brown and is aiming for double-digit growth across all of its stores in Australia for the next five years. Listed company Eyecare Partners has just bought seven practices and Blink Optical has just bought a majority interest in the four practices of Townsville-based Stacey and Stacey Optometrists. Before long the major corporatecontrolled players in the estimated $1.4 billion retail optical market will

account for more than two-thirds of the market in terms of number of prescriptions dispensed, headed by Luxottica’s 40 per cent–plus market share (approaching one million pairs of spectacles a year), followed by Specsavers, The Optical Superstore, Safilo Italy’s Just Spectacles, Blink Optical, Paris Miki, Eyecare Partners, Merringtons, National Pharmacies Optical, Woolworths’ Big W, buying groups such as ProVision, Eyecare Plus and Optovision, and health-fund centres such as HCF, NIB

and Westfund. The outlook for ‘independent’ practitioners looks grim, if one group, Specsavers, can attract 100 stores to change to its corporate model within four or five months of entering the retail optical market in Australia, and with plans for many more to follow. The clears message appears to be that retail optics has become more and more to do with the retailing side of a practice, with the professionalservices side, despite being of a high calibre, becoming of less and less importance.

40% revenue growth in Specsavers converted stores; 100-plus by end July: co-founder

verage evenue growth of 40per-cent measured against their pre-conversion revenue is being achieved in stores that have been converted to the Specsavers brand, which has happened much faster that it

Jul 2008

thought likely, the cofounder and principal of the company, Mr Doug Perkins, said in an interview with Insight in Melbourne on 19 June. And the company has just announced the purchase of an eight store group of prac-

tices in the New South Wales’ Newcastle, Hunter Valley and Central Coast regions. During a joint interview with the managing director of Specsavers Australia, Mr Peter Larsen, Mr Perkins

said that he expected double digit growth for the stores for the next five years; the cost of goods to be reduced; and optical dispensers becoming partners with the company in retail stores.

NSW optometrists authorised to use Unis Sydney and WA appoint glaucoma drugs for shared-care Jun 2008 professors of ophthalmology Sep 2008

ptometrists in New South Wales have been authorised to use 13 topical glaucoma drugs under a shared-care model developed by the NSW Optometrists Registration Board, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists and the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of NSW. Development of the shared-care model was completed in late April, meaning use of the 13 drugs by suitabletrained optometrists is legal after approval by the Optometrists Drug Authority Committee under section 17B of the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966. The Optometrists Registration Board will issue holders of an authority with a unique authority number. Holders of an authority are permitted to issue prescriptions for ocular treatment only. The Optometrists Association Australia/The Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand therapeutic competencies are to be used as the standard which applicants must achieve

www.insightnews.com.au

in order to be granted an authority. A drug authority will be issued for a maximum period of three years, with renewal for a further three years conditional on the applicant having completed a minimum six hours of approved continuing professional education addressing the use of therapeutic drugs in the practice of optometry. Optometrists in NSW holding a drug authority, in addition to the glaucoma drugs, are now permitted to use topical preparations in the following situations: • Dry eye and related conditions; • Anti-infective prophylaxis after foreign body removal; • As an adjunct to co-management of surgical cases with an attending ophthalmic surgeon; •For non-vision-threatening inflammatory diseases of the anterior segment; and • Infections and inflammatory disease of the anterior eye, with the exception of uveitis and herpetic conditions.

he University of Sydney and the University of Western Australia have both appointed new professors of ophthalmology. Professor Peter McCluskey has been appointed professor of ophthalmology and head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Sydney, and director of the Save Sight Institute, effective this month. He succeeds Professor Frank Billson in

the positions. Professor David Mackey has been appointed professor of ophthalmology and director of the Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science at the University of Western Australia, as well as managing director of the Lions Eye Institute in Perth, effective next March. He will succeed Professor Ian Constable in the positions.

Peter McCluskey

David Mackey FEBRUARY 2014

Optometrists Co-operative to challenge other buying groups T

he Optometrists Co-operative Limited is to challenge other buying groups with the deal it is to offer to members and suppliers within a few weeks. Even before the final details have been completed, about 150 optometrists have expressed interest and 10 suppliers have agreed to become partner suppliers, offering discounts on purchases that are at least equal to those offered by other buying groups. A key item in the offer to members is that they are obliged to only purchase what one of the founders and the chairman of TOC, Mr Emmanuel

Calligeros, described to Insight as “reasonable purchases” from partner suppliers in exchange for substantial discounts. For partner suppliers, in addition to creating loyalty to them, a decided advantage is that the members will have to reach agreed levels of purchasing before they receive the discounts, whereas other buying groups usually give the same discount to members no matter how large or small their purchases may be. The discounts are based on members purchasing a certain level of product from each supplier in a calendar year. As

Mr Calligeros put it: “It makes no sense for a supplier to give the same discount or any other concession for the purchase of, say, one frame as for the purchase of, say, 100 frames. If a member buys only handfuls of product from suppliers, the discounts are not given. That means those who are supporting TOC are rewarded. “Apart from their one-off $500 joining fee used as payment for 500 $1 shares in The Optometry Cooperative Limited, and a $500 annual subscription fee per practice in which he/she has a controlling interest, members will pay a member contribution equal to 1% of the wholesale price of the

Aug 2008

products purchased from partner suppliers. Annual subscriptions are payable on a pro-rata basis for each month as a member. TOC says its primary activity is to promote, support, market and develop independently-owned optometry practices and their product suppliers with a view to increasing their share of the Australian eye-care market. “Funds raised from the 1% members and suppliers contribution fees will be used for modest administrative costs with the bulk to be used to promote independent optometry to the consumer,” Mr Calligeros said.

Vision Group’s Sydney Eye Hospital celebrates its 125th year Sep 2008 share price special dinner held in the Great slumps to $1.55, Hall of the University of Sydney on 12 August, revived the custom of the Save Sight Institute dinthen improves ners. The evening celebrated Sydney Hospital’s one hundred and twento $1.98; below Eye ty fifth year and the future of ophthalin the Save Sight Institute. issue price Aug 2008 mology Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye

he price of shares in ophthalmology- practice listed company Vision Group Holdings Limited slumped to a year-low $1.55 last month before improving to $1.98. The year-high is $3.66. The price to earnings ratio at $1.98 a share is 9 times, while the dividend yield is 6.5 per cent (fully franked). Vision Group Holdings floated in December 2004 at a share price of $2.30. It was established in 2001 and had been held privately by four partners and 14 associates until the float. Its share price had reached $4.70 nine months after the float, but gradually eased back from that level.

Hospital is Australia’s oldest hospital and dates from the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. Three sandstone buildings and two gate houses along Macquarie Street were the result of an architectural competition held in 1880 and won by Thomas Rowe (1829-1899). The Sydney Eye Hospital is now onsite, and recent works include the construction of an eight level car park, ground floor emergency with eye hospital outpatients, two levels of wards and an operating theatre on the top floor. This historic facility has been located in Macquarie Street since

Sydney Eye Hospital’s historic premises in Macquarie Street

1816, and is steeped in history with a legacy of nursing and medical firsts to its credit. Today, Sydney Hospital and Sydney

Eye Hospitals’ modern facilities and professional staff provide a strong blend of general and specialist medical services for the public.

Outdoor play reduces prevalence of myopia: Sydney Myopia Study Sep 2008

hildren who stay indoors watching television, reading or playing computer games have a greater association with myopia than those who spend more time playing outside, the Sydney Myopia Study has concluded. A total of 1,765 six-year-olds (year 1)

FEBRUARY 2014

and 2,367 12-year-olds (year 7) participated in the study from 2003 to 2005. The leader of the study, Dr Kathryn Rose, suggested that light intensity and its effect on the growth of the eye may be an important factor and could provide

an explanation of the particularly low prevalence of myopia in both children and adults in Australia compared with ethnically-matched peers in other countries. The study concluded: “Higher levels of total time spent outdoors, rather than

sport per se, were associated with less myopia and a more hyperopic mean refraction, after adjusting for near work, parental myopia and ethnicity.’ The study was published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology in the latest edition of Ophthalmology. www.insightnews.com.au

Melbourne surgeon’s technique recognised as improving treatment of astigmatism

leading international journal has recognised a Melbournebased surgeon as one of the world’s leading pioneers of cuttingedge laser eye surgery techniques. The results of Dr Noel Alpins’ groundbreaking clinical trial on treating astigmatism have been published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery (JCRS), the peerreviewed journal of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. Optometrist Mr George Stamatelatosis co-authored the paper with Dr Alpins. The clinical trial demonstrated that current laser eye surgery techniques can be further improved. The Alpins study showed that when vector planning is used in conjunction with wavefront–guided laser treatment (the most advanced treatment myopia, astigmatism and hyperopia), patients

Sep 2008

and ultimately gain better vision. In an accompanying editorial, JCRS recognises the technique, which is not yet available to patients, can improve the way astigmatism is treated along with patient outcomes. “The study shows the already excellent process of laser treatment can be made even more effective. We are extremely pleased with the results achieved. Wavefront technology is currently the most advanced in laser technology, but when combined with vector planning we found that patients’ treatments were further enhanced,” Dr Alpins, George Stamatelatosis and Noel Alpins who is an Associate Fellow at the University of Melbourne, said. The outcome suggests that people The study was conducted over 12 wearing glasses or contact lenses, who months. It tested the results of have been considered unsuitable for combining the two laser eye surgery laser eye surgery, may soon be able to techniques: wavefront technology and access the benefits of this treatment enjoyed better vision under low-light conditions and enhanced quality of vision overall than eye surgery using wavefront technology alone.

vector planning. Fourteen people and 21 eyes were involved in the study and patients were treated with a combination of wavefront and vector planning and/or wavefront alone. The vector-planning technique is likely to be taken up by laser eye surgeons once laser manufacturers agree to integrate the technique into current-generation laser eye machines. The vector-planning technique allows surgeons to more exactly target the irregularities in a patient’s eye. After self-funding a 10 year study, the technique was globally recognized last year by the ophthalmology profession, when the results of another study relating to people with keratoconus were published in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Since developing the vectorplanning technique Dr Alpins has successfully treated more than 15,000 eyes.

Luxottica suing Specsavers over alleged theft of company files

uxottica Retail, operator of OPSM, Laubman & Pank and Budget Eyewear, on 25 September announced it had launched legal proceedings against new rival Specsavers and two persons – a former and a departing employee, husband and wife Janet Grant and Andrew Grant who will be opening a joint-venture Specsavers retail store in Blacktown (in Sydney’s western suburbs). The proceedings in the NSW Supreme Court relate to alleged unlawful forwarding of proprietary Luxottica information to Specsavers by the departing employee, who had accepted a position with Specsavers,

the company said on 25 September. Specsavers says the claim is “entirely without merit” and that if Luxottica decides to pursue the matter further against Specsavers “it will vigorously defend the proceedings”. Luxottica’s chief executive officer, Mr Chris Beer, said the action against Specsavers was an important step in asserting Luxottica’s rights over key proprietary information and intellectual property. “Luxottica welcomes competition in the optical marketplace, but we make a clear distinction between robust competitive behaviour and that which is unethical or unlawful. We are

determined to safeguard proprietary material that has been developed over many years by some of the best optical professionals in the country,” Mr Beer said. The matter came before Justice Palmer, of the Supreme Court, on 26 September for expedition and was stood over until 14 November. In response to Luxottica’s announcement on 25 September, the managing director of Specsavers Australia, Mr Peter Larsen, on 26 September confirmed the company was served with Luxottica’s statement of claim the day before. “Having investigated the matter,

Oct 2008

Specsavers regards the claim Luxottica has made against it as being entirely without merit. “If Luxottica decides to pursue the matter further against Specsavers, it will vigorously defend the proceedings. “Specsavers has not used and will not use the alleged information, irrespective of whether it is or is not unique to Luxottica. Specsavers has its own sophisticated and wellestablished business practices. It respects the intellectual property of other organisations and likewise expects other organisations to respect its own intellectual property rights.

Merringtons engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct: Supreme Court Oct 2008

erringtons and Merringtons Optometrists engaged in trade or commerce engaged in conduct which was misleading or deceptive or likely to mislead or deceive, in contravention of section 9 of the Fair Trading Act 1999 (Vic), Justice Hansen in the Commercial and Equity Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria said in judgement on 5 www.insightnews.com.au

September, following a hearing on 15 April. The case was brought against Merringtons and Merringtons Optometrists and Australian Ophthalmic Supplies by the director of Consumer Affairs Victoria, Dr David Cousins. It concerned 17 consumer complaints going back as far as 200304 about spectacles or contact lenses supplied to them by Merringtons/

Merringtons Optometrists. (Justice Hansen said he interpolated that Merringtons Optometrists referred to the business conducted at the Merringtons stores. For brevity, this report treats both Merringtons names as that for the one organization, at times referring to ‘the firm’.) Justice Hansen ordered the firm to pay damages of $300 to each of nine

persons over 17 complaints over the period 2002 to 2005 in recognition of the inconvenience they suffered as a result of the firm’s breaches f the Act. He also ordered the firm to publish a full-page public notice in a major metropolitan newspaper, the Herald Sun, at an estimated cost of $37,000, and to display a copy of the notice in each of its stores for six months. FEBRUARY 2014

Specsavers to have ‘MCG-size’ new facility at Port Melbourne

Nov 2008

pecsavers has unveiled plans for a massive expansion of its operations in Australia and New Zealand, with the acquisition of a huge new integrated 140,000 square feet (13,000 sq m) manufacturing and operational facility in Port Melbourne. It is expected that more than 200 new jobs will be created in 2009 as part of the investment. A 10-year lease was signed in early October and the design-and-fit-out process has begun in earnest with a ‘golive’ date slated for June 2009. Announcing the expansion, Melbourne-based Specsavers’ founder Mr Doug Perkins said. “To meet growing demand from current locations, and as we open more greenfield stores in 2009, we need to increase our capacity in every area of operation. This new facility in Port Melbourne will enable us to do exactly that.” To give an idea of scale, the new facility is similar in size to the playing surface at the MCG and will be fitted out from scratch as a leading-edge complex. The full Specsavers operational mix

will be integrated into the site with manufacturing, business development, professional services, marketing, retail

but we’ve never had the space in a single facility to achieve it in Europe. The closest we have come to a site like this is

Part of the 140,000 square feet facility, waiting for fit-out

operations and call centres all head quartered in the one building. “For many years now we’ve had the blueprint in mind for a facility like this –

our 100,000 sq ft (9,300 sq m)Guernsey HQ” explained Mr Perkins. In addition, he confirmed the foundation of the ‘Specsavers Training

New refractive-surgery degree course at University of Sydney – By Gerard Sutton

efractive surgery is one of the fastest growing areas in ophthalmology, however until now, training in this field has been difficult to access. The Graduate Diploma in Medicine (Refractive Surgery) and the Master of Medicine (Refractive Surgery) degree program developed by The Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney in collaboration with the Universities of Auckland and Otago aims to address that gap. The program covers both corneal and intraocular techniques as well as providing a thorough coverage of the anatomy and optics underpinning this intensely-surgical sub-specialty. The course structure is suited to recent ophthalmology graduates and to practising ophthalmologists. It is based on a remote-and-online-learning model

FEBRUARY 2014

with contributions by academic staff of the universities of Sydney, Auckland and Otago as well as input from the pioneering and most experienced surgeons in this area. The practical component covers all surgical procedures and involves exposure to patients in accredited refractive surgery clinics and supervised wet-lab training. Upon completion of the course, students will have a thorough understanding of the theory, practice and future of refractive surgery and will be well positioned to incorporate this sub-specialty into their ophthalmology practice. The Graduate Diploma and Masters program can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis. All units of study are offered as distance-learning units with the exception of practical refractive

Nov 2008

Academy’ at the facility, elaborating that “the academy will be based in Port Melbourne but we are also building a local academy centre in each state, including a full working model store, equipment piloting facility, lecture theatre and workshop rooms in each of the centres. “We have developed a fullfunctional career-development program covering all rungs on the career ladder and the academy courses mirror that career path exactly. “Ultimately, we believe this takes optical training to a new level in Australia, providing a genuine career ladder for all with no barriers to advancement. All good people can travel up the career path, knowing that equity and store ownership is available to the best performers.” Questioned over the timing of the new investment, Mr. Perkins said that the success of Specsavers’ roll-out in 2008 had gone far beyond expectation and that this was due in large part to the energy and enthusiasm of store teams. “In the 25 years we’ve been in business, Specsavers has not seen the kind of growth that we are seeing here in Australia.

Vision Group’s share price drops to 68c; down 15c in one day, 6c next Nov 2008

Associate Professor Gerard Sutton

surgery, which is taught as a full time practical course over three weeks in Sydney in the inter-semester breaks.

he price of shares in Melbournebased ophthalmology-practice company Vision Group Holdings Limited on the Australian Securities Exchange dropped 15c in one day (17 October) to 86c, close to its lowest 52-week price of 84c versus its highest 52-week price of $3.63. On 20 October, the next trading day. The price fell a further 6c to a record low of 80c and then further down to 77c and then to 72c before rising to 74c and then down to 68c as we went to press. The share price has slumped despite a 19-per-cent net-profit-after-tax increase to $16.9 million on an 11.6per-cent revenue increase to $110.6 million for the year ended 30 June. Earnings per share were 21.4c and dividends 13.0c for the year. www.insightnews.com.au

Corporate stores out number OPSM opens its new flagship independents in retail optics in Sydney CBD

Dec 2008

orporate (or chain) optical outlets (1,644) now far outnumber ‘independent’ outlets (1,006) in the retail optical market, following a slew of openings by the corporations this year. And the dollar-value share of the $1.5 billion retail optical market favours the corporations, who, armed with substantial buying power, significant advertising and public relations budgets, willingly and ability to pay high rents for prime retail positions and in most instances a determination to continue to expand, are showing they have an advantage over independent stores. In essence, corporate stores usually have larger turnovers than independents, so the buying power and market share of the corporates is greater on average and in total. Much of the increase in corporate activity has happened quickly and shows little, if any, sign of easing back. That all creates a dilemma for suppliers: do they try to woo the everincreasingly powerful corporations,

who mainly drive very-hard bargains, or do they concentrate on the independents, who represent an increasingly-minor part of the market? Or do they try to cater for the requirements of both groups? Market leader Luxottica continues to grow and is set to soon announce the results of its extensive campaign to purchase existing practices or to franchise them or to enter joint-venture arrangements with practice owners. It has engaged more staff to process inquiries from practitioners. At present there are 279 stores trading under the OPSM name, 129 Laubman & Pank, 89 Budget Eyewear, 155 Sunglass Hut and 142 Bright Eyes, a total of 794 stores under the Luxottica umbrella. Luxottica recently entered an agreement to open two Sunglass Hut outlets in Myer department stores as a pilot for what could be more outlets in Myer. At the time of going to press, Specsavers said it expected to have its 150th store opened by 22 December, and 156 stores by the first week of January.

Trachoma still endemic in the indigenous population; 20% incidence in children

new study has shown that the prevalence of trachoma is still endemic in the indigenous population, more than 30 years after Fred Hollows and the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program team first identified the deplorable standards of eye health in Aboriginal communities. Australia remains the only developed nation where trachoma is still active and is found almost exclusively within the Indigenous population. A total of 1316 people (85.2% of the estimated population of five communities) were involved in the study, including 415 children under the age of 10 years. The key findings, published recently in the Medical

www.insightnews.com.au

PSM has launched its flagship store in the Sydney CBD, in a new location in George Street, 100 metres from the previous location and in the heart of an emerging top retail area, one door from King Street and not far from Martin Place. The location – 363 George Street – takes advantage of the difficulties that retailers in nearby Pitt Street Mall will face for several years as Centrepoint is substantially extended and refurbished. OPSM describes the store as a ‘boutique’, but it is much larger than what is usually considered to be one. The store has a fresh and airy look

Dec 2008

and collect orders “in a more-efficient manner”. In addition to a comprehensive display of frames and sunglasses all through the store, there is a sunglass bar in the centre of the floor, with major designer and fashion brands shown including Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Versace, Ralph Lauren, Polo, Miu Miu, DKNY, Persol, Ray-Ban, Chanel, Burberry, Bvlgari, Salvatore Ferragamo, Vogue, Tiffany & Co, Roberto Cavalli, Tom Ford, Mont Blanc, Jean Paul Gaultier and Chloe. The sunglass bar provides customers with the opportunity to try sunglasses at their leisure, with a frame stylist on

Dec 2008

Journal of Australia show: The report was authored by Katrina Roper, from the Australian National University, together with ClaudeEdouard C Michel, Paul Kelly and Hugh Taylor. The study was supported through funding and technical assistance by The Fred Hollows Foundation. It is the first large scale study that has been carried out since the 1970’s when the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program, led by Professor Fred Hollows, set out to eliminate trachoma and other eye health conditions in rural and remote communities and, for the first time, record the status of eye health in rural Australia.

Luxottica has opened a new flagship store in George Street, Sydney, several weeks after Specsavers opened its new flagship in Hunter Street.

due to its high ceiling, use of white and light-blue colours throughout and polished-timber floors. Its overall design is very sleek, with high-tech fittings and fixtures to match, including stateof-the-art digital signage throughout its contemporary internal design. The store’s glass front door and windows can be turned into huge, colour digital ‘posters’ at night. A wide range of designer brand-name frames and sunglasses, classics and what it terms ‘promotional’ styles are stocked. The same applies to contact lenses. There’s a contact lens express service allowing customers to place

hand to offer experienced advice if required. OPSM’s chief executive officer, Mr Chris Beer, said: “We are delighted to be launching OPSM’s boutique flagship in Sydney’s George Street – a modern retail space that is the first of its kind in Australia. “In the current economic climate, the retail industry has never been more competitive and we are confident OPSM’s boutique flagship will exemplify our commitment to outstanding standards of customer service and an exceptional portfolio of designer brands.” FEBRUARY 2014

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OHL’s Australian operation loses $NZ1.2 million; doubts on future Dec 2008

he Australian operation of New Zealand-based public company OHL Limited had a loss of $NZ1.22 million in the 12 months ended 30 June 2008, more than offsetting the New Zealand profit of $972,000 and resulting in an after-tax loss of $1.9 million. No dividend will be paid for the 2007-08 year and a dividend for 200809 is not expected to be paid. Directors say the company is currently in breach of its banking covenants and has a working capital deficit of $1,489,000., but that forecast cashflows for the 2009 financial year indicate it will be able to meet its

liabilities as and when they fall due, however the cashflow forecasts are contingent on the company meeting sales forecasts and the continued support of the banking relationship. Directors also say: “The 2007/08 fiscal year has been characterised by unprecedented market changes, particularly in Australia, the nature of which have not been previously experienced by the profession. “Last financial year witnessed unprecedented change in the Australian optical market, with the impacts rapidly flowing onto New Zealand optics. The entry of Specsavers into Australia and now New Zealand and their method of

entry is creating some challenges. In addition, in Australia our key supply partner – Inspecs – has unexpectedly lost the French Connection and FCUK brands, De Rigo has given direct distribution for Police, our largest selling brand, to Luxottica and our largest customer has been the subject of takeover negotiations resulting in it almost stopping all purchases. “These market changes have produced an unsatisfactory and unsustainable position in Australia. Coupled with the other market changes outlined in previous reports, independent optometry in general and OHL in particular are under

Luxottica-contracted dispensing course commences at RMIT

Dec 2008

course in optical dispensing that consists of online/correspondence tuition, classroom lessons and practical work that is provided by RMIT University in Melbourne under contract to Luxottica Australia has commenced tuition – three months later than initially expected. The three extra months were required to fill gaps that were identified by the Industry Skills Council when it mapped the NSW-based course in dispensing to new national qualification and competency standards. The New South Wales Optical Dispensers Licensing Board, as a courtesy to the students, has issued approval-to-practice certificates to those enrolled in the RMIT course (approvals to practise are provided to students for the purpose of enabling them to undergo practical training in order to qualify for licensing), but it has not decided whether it will accept course graduates, the president of the board, Mr John Jackson, saying “the matter is still under consideration”. Under the contract with RMIT University, Luxottica is now spending about $1.3 million a year on training of optical dispensers, compared to about

FEBRUARY 2014

$1 million when its dispensing trainees were studying TAFE courses, but it says the additional amount is worthwhile because the curriculum is aligned to the national standard and also because it has expectations of dramatically improved success rates for students. The new program also aligns to Luxottica’s internal application of the Australian Quality Training Framework Standards for Registered Training Organisations, whereby all assessors must be qualified to make formal assessment decisions. Luxottica pays the fees of all of its staff who are studying to be optical dispensers. Plans for a course for optical dispensers provided by RMIT University came to light in late 2007 when five teaching institutions were invited to submit tenders for a contract to provide the course. The institution with the largest number of correspondence course students, NSW TAFE’s Sydney-based Open Training and Education Network, with about 900 students across Australia and New Zealand, did not submit a tender, maintaining that the conditions of the proposed contract were too onerous. Its current student

number are now about half of what they were, due to the establishment of the RMIT course. The second-largest institution overall of those teaching optical dispensers and optical mechanics, the Sydney Institute of TAFE, was not invited to tender. Three smaller teaching institutions were also invited to submit tenders. RMIT was awarded the contract, although it had limited, if any, experience in providing correspondence courses in optical dispensing over the 25 years that dispensing was taught there on site. Since winning the contract, RMIT has appointed six staff to conduct the course. The head of RMIT’s University’s School of Life and Physical Sciences, Mr Graham Timmins. “This is a significant agreement for RMIT – the partnership with Luxottica reflects our commitment to working with industry to deliver the training both employers and students need,” Mr Timmins said. “This training package enables and encourages national recognition and alignment of qualifications, in turn delivering a higher standard of graduates.”

major threat in both New Zealand and Australia. “The 2007-08 year has definitely been the toughest and most disappointing in OHL’s history. Poor performance and the lack of loyalty in some areas have caused great damage to the company and its committed stakeholders. Competitor activities, exchange rate fluctuations, declining consumer confidence, difficult product supply, high levels of debt and poor cash-flow have exacerbated the difficult situation. The company is doing all that it can to overcome these difficulties,” directors said in the annual report.

All claims against Specsavers dropped; Luxottica awarded nominal $10 damages

Feb/Mar 2009

uxottica Retail Australia has won a Pyrrhic victory in its case against former employee Ms Janet Grant and been awarded $10 nominal damages in the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Other case defendants, Mr Andy Grant and Specsavers were cleared of any wrong doing. All claims for commercial damages against Specsavers and former employee Mr Grant were dropped during proceedings, leaving only one matter of substance to be decided – nominal damages against Ms Grant in regard to copyright of emails. Justice White noted: “The procedures and costs appear to be out of all proportion to the amount at stake.” He added: “For these reasons there will be an award of nominal damages against the first defendant (Janet Grant) in the sum of $10. The plaintiff’s claim for additional damages will be dismissed.” www.insightnews.com.au

Victoria bushfires: massive damage; L&P helping victims with eye care

ushfires that swept through a huge arc of bushland in Victoria in early February left a trail of unprecedented devastation that will most likely take years to make good again for the local communities. The fires, which raged out of control, particularly on 7 February’s ‘Black Saturday’ night, swept through forests and settlements alike, at times completely wiping out hamlets and burning more than 12,000 hectares of bushland, at times edging towards major centres before being headed off by firefighters. The destruction was massive and was ferocious, judging from what is

Feb.Mar 2009

left of some of the most attractive bushland areas in Australia. A total of 247 people lost their lives at last count, with more unaccounted for, some of whose fate will never will be known due to the fierceness of the heat. More than 1,300 homes were destroyed and more than 7,000 people are living in make-do accommodation, or with friends and relatives, as they try to reconcile themselves to what happened and try to figure out where their future lies.

Grass roots help

Helping on a grass-roots level, in

Specsavers opened 150 stores in 10 months; 50 more this year Feb/Mar 2009

ith the opening of the 150th Specsavers store in Bundaberg, Queensland in December, Specsavers achieved the ambitious target announced at the company’s launch into the Australian retail optical market in late February last year. – 150 stores by the end of December (in fact it opened 153 stores). Specsavers Australia’s managing director, Mr Peter Larsen, said: “We managed to reach our 150-store target in a shade under 10 months, which is a pretty amazing achievement in any economic environment in a single

country and by a single brand. The work continues, however, and the store opening program will carry on in earnest in 2009.” Mr Larsen said that in a year of looming economic strain, especially in the retail sector, Specsavers’ partners have been bucking the trends, experiencing an average revenue growth of more than 40 per cent when measured against their pre-conversion figures. He predicted those businesses will see double-digit growth for the next five years.

ADOA wants national registration of dispensing; submission to Feds

Feb/Mar 2009

ptical dispensing should be subject to national registration, the Australasian Dispensing Opticians Association, said in a recent submission to the Federal Government. The ADOA represents all dispensing organisations in Australasia, which in turn represent the majority of people practising optical dispensing within Australia and New Zealand. The submission points out that optical dispensers are the service providers to www.insightnews.com.au

optometrists and ophthalmologists (a similar situation as pharmacy is to the medical profession) and are trained in the theory and practical application of ophthalmic optics. Also that they educate and advise consumers about product choice to provide maximum visual acuity. The ADOA has requested that for the protection of the spectacle wearing public in Australia, a form of national regulation should be developed.

what it describes as “a modest way” but which is much more than that, is a team from Laubman & Pank Optometrists, which was organised and on the way to the scenes of devastation soon after the destruction became obvious after 7 February. Eye examinations were provided at no charge to any of the people who lost their eyewear in the fires and who attended a practice, with replacement spectacles or contact lenses provided at no charge “Like all Australians, we are shocked and deeply saddened by the devastation of the horrific bushfires across Victoria,” Luxottica chief executive

officer Chris Beer said. “Quality eye sight is critical for mobility and safety and we are committed to ensuring that all are able to return to life as normal, as soon as possible.” The L&P team visited a wide range of locations, including Kingslake, Murrindini, Alexandra, Marysville, Narbethong and Wando, usually spending a day at each one, providing assistance to people. By the end of about two weeks, the L&P team effort was almost over, having provided assistance to over 1,000 people in all of the towns and hamlets in the area.

Fed Govt’s $58.3 million boost for indigenous eye and ear health

he Federal Government will invest $58.3 million to help tackle eye and ear diseases in indigenous communities, including diseases rarely seen outside the third world. The $58.3 million boost over four years includes: • at least 1,000 additional ear and eye surgical procedures will be made available, reflecting the high need for these services; • a major increase in services to address trachoma, • expanding the Visiting Optometrist Scheme to provide new and increased numbers of optometrist visits to remote and very remote communities; • increased training of health workers to make sure they can pick up any hearing problems of indigenous people as early as possible; • investments in hearing medical equipment including audiometers, tympanometers • hearing-health promotion to increase awareness of ear disease and the importance of providing and following treatment to reduce hearing loss in indigenous communities. “This is an important initiative, and another down payment to mark the

Feb/Mar 2009

Rudd Government’s determination to help close the appalling life expectancy gap between indigenous and nonindigenous Australians. “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are at an increased risk of developing avoidable blindness and vision loss and are less likely to visit eye health care practitioners than other Australians.” “Australia is the only developed nation where trachoma remains endemic. This historic announcement by the Prime Minister will finally aim to eliminate a disease which affects more than 20,000 Aboriginal children around Australia,” Jennifer Gersbeck, chief executive officer of Vision 2020 Australia, said. The prevalence of eye disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is up to ten times that of the general community, and the leading causes of blindness and vision impairment are cataract, diabetic retinopathy, refractive error and trachoma. Vision 2020 Australia is the national body working in partnership to prevent avoidable blindness and improve vision care. FEBRUARY 2014

Luxottica establishes OneSight – $50 million funding over 4 years a new global foundation for its for development of bionic eye charity programs Feb/Mar 2009

uxottica Group on 19 January announced it has combined its charitable programs into a single, new global charitable foundation, called OneSight, described by the company as “a family of charitable visioncare programs dedicated to improving vision through outreach, research and education”. With Luxottica Group as its main sponsor, OneSight brings together three former Luxottica charitable programs – Give the Gift of Sight and the Pearle Vision Foundation in North America, and Community I-Care in Australia. Since 1988, the company said, those charitable efforts have provided free

vision care and eyewear to more than six million people in need around the world and have granted millions of dollars toward research and education. Mr Andrea Guerra, CEO of Luxottica Group commented. “OneSight combines the strength of three former Luxottica-sponsored charitable programs and brings together practitioners, partners and community volunteers with 64,000 Luxottica employees in 130 countries to provide free vision care and eye wear to those in need. That will allow OneSight and its activities to expand into new areas of the world and ultimately impact even more lives.”

NSW to deregulate optical dispensing; no more need for training or skills May 2009

he New South Wales Better Regulation Office has recommended that the requirement for optical dispensers to be licensed in order to practise dispensing should be removed by repeal of the Optical Dispensers Act 1963. If the NSW Parliament agrees when it next sits (scheduled for 5 May), the last jurisdiction to insist that optical dispensers be licensed will have joined all others in Australia in doing away with the necessity for formal training under specific legislation. Observers say the decision to deregulate optical dispensing in NSW is unlikely to have an immediate effect on enrolment numbers at TAFE colleges throughout the land and the RMIT University course in Victoria sponsored by Luxottica.

In both the UK and New Zealand, student numbers have declined only slightly since deregulation of dispensing, mainly due to employers encouraging staff to undertake appropriate training in order to be able to dispense accurately and to minimise incorrect ordering and processing of lenses at employers’ cost. Licensing of optical dispensers in NSW was introduced in 1963 with the passage of the Optical Dispensers Act, ostensibly to protect public health and safety. The rationale for licensing was that dispensing of optical appliances could pose a risk to the public if a prescription were not correctly dispensed or if a consumer was not properly briefed on the correct use of optical appliances, considered especially relevant for contact lenses.

May 2009

• One of nine ideas selected from over 900 ideas at 2020 Summit • Two groups in Australia already working on developing bionic eye • First implants expected next year, but depends on more funding

he federal government is to provide $50.7 million over four years for the development of a bionic eye in Australia through a grants program administered by the Australian Research Council, the Prime Minister, Mr Kevin Rudd, announced on 22 April. By turning over the matter to the Australian Research Council, the government is signalling that it will not choose one of the two groups vying for funding to further their work, but will leave it to the ARC to recommend which one to back. The two groups are: • Bionic Vision Australia, a combination of researchers at the Melbourne-based Bionic Eye Institute, Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Victoria Research Laboratory of National Information and Communications Technology and University of New

South Wales. • Australian Bionic Eye Foundation, a group of researchers at the Department of Ophthalmology at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney which to date has been largely funded by the Genetic Eye Foundation. The BVA team, which includes engineers and ophthalmologists, is seeking funding of $40 million for its program and is working on a highresolution bionic eye to restore sight with more than 1,000 electrodes implanted behind the eye. It proposes to have a first advanced prototype ready for the first human implant by early 2012 that delivers significant benefits to patients with severe mobility and light perception difficulties. That device is the result of research undertaken over a 10-year period by the Australian Vision Prosthesis Group at the University of New South Wales.

Queensland set to permit use of glaucoma drugs by optometrists May 2009

ueensland is set to give optometrists the right to use drugs to treat glaucoma under recentlyapproved shared-care guidelines. The guidelines were ten years in the making and have been welcomed by Queensland optometrists. Under the guidelines, the treating ophthalmologist will remain responsible for clinical management and an optometrist making a provisional diagnosis of glaucoma must refer the patient to an ophthalmologist for confirmation. If diagnosis is confirmed, the ophthalmologist will draw up a management plan, including details of

drug therapy (and possible side effects), target intraocular pressures, monitoring procedures such as checking visual fields and optic discs, and the changes to ocular status that warrant immediate review by the ophthalmologist. The plan must also set out actions to be taken in the event of targets not being met or if the patient has adverse reactions during treatment, as well as an agreed schedule for patient review by the ophthalmologist and optometrist. It is to be copied to the patient’s GP. Once the plan is completed, the optometrist can proceed with prescribing topical medications and monitoring the patient.

Flinders University to launch new optometry course next year

outh Australia’s Flinders University plans to launch a five-year course leading to qualification as an optometrist, in an attempt to encourage South Australian students to undertake the course and graduates to remain in the state, rather than go interstate for

FEBRUARY 2014

their studies and stay there after graduation. The plan is to have the first intake of 30 students commence a three-year Bachelor of Medical Science (Vision Science) degree course in 2010, followed by a two-year course leading

to a Master of Optometry degree. The course will be the fourth in Australia, joining courses at University of New South Wales, University of Melbourne and Queensland University of Technology. Flinders says its initiative will aim

May 2009

at helping overcome a shortage of optometrists in rural and remote areas of Australia, and offers a potential boost for the treatment of serious eye problems in indigenous communities. www.insightnews.com.au

Own stem cells and therapeutic contact lenses restore sight

herapeutic contact lenses and patients’ own stem cells have been used to restore sight by rehabilitation of damaged eye surfaces by researchers and surgeons at the University of New South Wales’ School of Medical Sciences and the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney. In a world-first, UNSW medical researchers have used stem cells cultured on a simple contact lens to restore sight to sufferers of blinding corneal disease. Sight was significantly improved within weeks of the procedure, which the researchers and surgeons say is simple, inexpensive and requires a minimal hospital stay. The research team from UNSW’s School of Medical Sciences harvested stem cells from patients’ own eyes to rehabilitate the damaged cornea. The stem cells were cultured on a therapeutic

Jun 2009

contact lens which was then placed onto the damaged cornea for 10 days, during which the cells were able to re-colonise the damaged eye surface. The surgery was performed at Prince of Wales Hospital by Dr Stephanie Watson, who removed damaged cells from the eye surfaces and placed stemcell ‘loaded’ contact lenses on them. While the novel procedure was used to rehabilitate damaged corneas, the researchers say it offers hope to people with a range of blinding eye conditions and could have applications in other organs. “The procedure is totally simple and cheap,” lead author of the study, UNSW’s Dr Nick Di Girolamo, said. “Unlike other techniques, it requires no foreign human or animal products, only the patient’s own serum, and is completely non-invasive.

“There’s no suturing, there is no major operation: all that’s involved is harvesting a minute amount – less than a millimetre – of tissue from the ocular surface,” Dr Di Girolamo said. “If you’re going to be treating these sorts of diseases in third world countries all you need is the surgeon and a lab for cell culture. You don’t need any fancy equipment.” The researchers are hopeful the technique can be adapted for use in other parts of the eye, such as the retina, and even in other organs. “If we can do this procedure in the eye, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work in other major organs such as the skin, which behaves in a very similar way to the cornea,” Dr Di Girolamo said. A paper detailing the breakthrough appears in the high-impact journal Transplantation.

RANZCO chiefs reject 50% cut to Medicare cataract benefit

he president and the vice-president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists have rejected the 50-percent cut to the Medicare benefit for cataract surgery. In separate interviews with Insight, the president, Dr Iain Dunlop, and the vice-president, Dr Bill Glasson, both emphasised it is the patient who will be hit with the extra charge, not the ophthalmic surgeons who perform the procedure to extract a cataractous crystalline lens and implant an intraocular lens. They both agreed there has been great change in the procedure itself and that the time it takes has been substantially reduced – to about 15-20 minutes. However they both pointed out that the responsibility and the skills needed to perform the procedure are no less now than they were when it was first introduced in the 1970s. Dr Dunlop said there had been no consultation with the RANZCO before the cut was announced by the federal treasurer, Mr Wayne Swan, in his budget address. www.insightnews.com.au

Jun 2009

Dr Dunlop said that poor vision, as a result of untreated cataracts, can result in a greater risk of falls and fractures, social isolation and depression and the loss of ability to perform everyday activities. “At least 120,000 Australians each year now have surgery which involves the removal of the cataract and the implant of a sight-restoring lens,” he said. “The result is dramatic. In more than 98 per cent of cases there is an almost immediate return to normal vision. Simply put, patients can see again. The benefits to them are enormous. “But, if implemented, the budget decision will cut the Medicare benefit in half, from about $623 to $312, making this vital surgery unaffordable for some. Pensioners and those without private health insurance will be hardest hit. The already-stretched public health system will be further congested. Cataract procedures may not be available in rural and remote areas and indigenous communities. “There will be a greater cost to the community as a result of falls and

fractures, and an increased demand on the public health sector and for support services.” Dr Dunlop said there is a misconception that because cataract surgery is so commonplace it is, therefore, simple to perform. “Technological advancements have allowed the development of an operation that is far safer yet, in fact, much more difficult to perform. Speaking from Longreach, in the west of Queensland, where he was operating, the vice-president of the RANZCO, Dr Bill Glasson said: “Elderly pensioners and people in the bush will be badly affected, but the decision will also affect patients in the inner and outer metropolitan areas, as well as those in regional and country areas. “Surgeons who do a cataract operation for the Medicare benefit, which is often the case in the bush, will no longer be able to afford to do so for $311, whereas they have been content to do so for $623, so the patient will have to pay $312 to cover the ‘gap’ between the surgeon’s fee and the Medicare benefit.

Government to cut Medicare benefit for cataract by 50% Jun 2009

• Patients will have to pay more as ‘gap’ expands to record size • Benefit will have been reduced by 96% in real terms since 1987 • $62 million a year could be saved from 200,000 procedures

he federal government, without prior warning, has decided to cut by about 50 per cent the Medicare benefit payable to patients who have undergone cataract lens extraction and intraocular lens implant surgery. The benefit will be reduced from $623.70 to $311.85 from November this year, saving the governmentowned Medicare as much as $62 million a year in benefit payouts for the 200,000 cataract procedures each year. The cut is the third since 1987 and means the benefit payable by Medicare will have been reduced by 96 per cent in real terms (as the result of inflation during the period when the health budget increased threefold) since 1987.

Luxottica establishes two $30,000 indigenous scholarships at UNSW

Jun 2009

uxottica and the University of New South Wales have signed an agreement under which the company will contribute $60,000 over five years to fund the ‘Luxottica Indigenous Scholarship in Optometry and Vision Science’. An agreement has been signed by Luxottica and UNSW that will see the scholarship support two full-time indigenous students for the duration of their five-year Bachelor of Optometry/ Bachelor of Science degree course. One student will commence fulltime study in 2010 and a second student to commence in 2011. “This new scholarship program will allow greater access and more opportunities to promote eye health to indigenous communities,” Mr Beer said on 14 May. FEBRUARY 2014

Centre for Eye Health at UNSW appoints inaugural director

rofessor Michael Kalloniatis has been appointed the inaugural director and professor of Sydney’s new Centre for Eye Health, an initiative of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and the University of New South Wales. The multidisciplinary centre, previously referred to as the Ocular Imaging Centre (its working name), will be located adjacent to the School of Optometry and Vision Science on UNSW’s Kensington campus. On referral only from medical oractitioners and optometrists, it will provide state-of-the-art eye and visual system diagnostic services to the general community at no charge. Announcing Professor Kalloniatis’ appointment, CEH and Guide Dogs NSW/ACT chairman, Mr Barry Stephen said: “We are pleased to have

Michael Kalloniatis

attracted such a high-quality candidate

for this new position. Michael’s work

Jun 2009

in ophthalmic academia, practice and research means he has the necessary experience to direct this world-class centre, which will provide an enormous service to the community in reducing preventable blindness. “Guide Dogs NSW/ACT chose to take this unique approach after consulting with its clients. They indicated their support for the expansion of our services into the area of prevention, as well as the mobility and orientation services we have traditionally offered.” Targeting people who already have impaired vision and those with eye conditions that could lead to vision impairment, the centre expects to service thousands of patients annually. From July, patients can be referred to the centre by their general practitioner or eye-care practitioner.

Retail giant Costco set to open next Safilo Group seeks postponement month, including optical section of now-due loan payments to banks

Jul 2009

nternational megastore operator Costco is set to open its first Australian megastore next month, in Docklands, Melbourne – complete with an optical manager, optometrist, optical dispenser and several part-time optical assistants in its optical section.

Last year, the company sold 2.8 million pairs of glasses worldwide, although it will only have one store in Australia for at least this year, so its sales will be relatively modest at the start, but could grow rapidly with the opening of more stores.

Last-ditch appeal fails to keep regulation of dispensing in NSW Jul 2009

last-ditch appeal by the president of the Australasian Dispensing Opticians Association, Mr Peter Jackson, has been unsuccessful, with the state government ignoring his concerns. In a statement on 22 June, Mr Jackson said TAFE-qualified optical dispensers spent up to three years training and

the licence only costs $70 a year. “The licensing board is fully self-funded. It costs the government nothing,” he said. “Remove the licences and five years down the track, will the industry have been replenished by qualified dispensers?” Mr Jackson warned of a deterioration in quality of service.

afilo Group, Italy-based frame and sunglass manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer, has issued a statement saying negotiations to identify a potential partner to strengthen the financial and capital structure of the company continue and that management has entered into talks with their creditor banks to request a postponement of loan payments due on 30 June. According to the statement: “In this context, considering the possible misalignment of the results on 30 June 2009 compared to the financial covenants of the existing senior loan, the company has begun negotiations with the financing banks in order to request a waiver with reference to such covenants, as well as the postponement of a payment due on 30 June 2009.” In a statement on 13 May, Standard

& Poor’s said: “In our view, the combination of higher debt levels and ongoing pressure on profitability is considerably reducing headroom in Safilo’s available cash resources, which mainly consist of the undrawn portion on the senior revolving credit facility due 2012. This means that Safilo will be relying on continued bank support to ensure an unimpeded flow of funding over the short term. “In our view, Safilo will need to maintain prudent financial policies and treasury management to adjust to the currently sluggish trading environment, and to conserve cash, to ease pressure on the ratings. “The outcome of the CreditWatch status will depend on the level of success that Safilo achieves in the renegotiation of its funding.

13 Merringtons stores closed; only 4 remaining; most staff dumped Aug 2009

erringtons Optometrists has closed six stores in New South Wales, three stores in Queensland, three stores in Victoria and the sole store in Western Australia without notice. Also closed or being closed are the company’s head office, warehouse and prescription laboratory in Tullamarine, Victoria. Almost all staff have been

FEBRUARY 2014

dismissed, including optometrists, optical dispensers, receptionists, and headoffice, warehouse and laboratory staff. The stores that remain open, all in Victoria, are at Northcote, Niddrie, Melton and Broadmeadows. The move left Merringtons staff in local practices bewildered, with dozens of staff suddenly finding themselves locked out of their stores and unemployed.

One ex-employee who contacted Insight on condition of anonymity spoke of the “shocking” notification, saying that “staff were told at 9.30am on Wednesday 12th August to pick up their belongings and leave the office, as Merringtons was most likely going into administration”. It is understood several of the stores had already been closed by shoppingcentre managers because of non-payment

of rent. The former staff member also said that Merringtons has not paid superannuation contributions since the end of March, nor paid for the hours worked this month, nor paid redundancy and/or long-service leave entitlements. The staff were told nothing except that an administrator appointed voluntarily by the company “may” pay entitlements. www.insightnews.com.au

AMD patients at higher risk of heart disease: CERA study

esearchers at the Centre for Eye Research Australia have discovered a link between age-related macular degeneration and an increased risk of heart disease that could lead to early diagnosis and more effective treatment. The study, published in Ophthalmology, found that people with early AMD are almost 60 per cent more likely to develop coronary heart disease than those without the disease.

Aug 2009

Principal Investigator Professor Tien Wong said that while scientists have long thought AMD to be associated with cardiovascular disease, this study is the first to establish a consistent link between AMD and coronary heart disease. “Smoking, a diet high in fat and hypertension are all risk factors of both AMD and heart disease and the two share common genetic variants,” Professor Wong said.

Big W has opened 19 optical stores; will launch into NSW this year Aug 2009

ineteen of the 158 Big W department stores across Australia owned by retail giant Woolworths Ltd are now hosting retail optical departments, with more planned to open by the end of this year and more to follow next year, the manager of Big W Vision, Mr Mark Jeffery, told Insight during an interview at the company’s QV Village store in the Melbourne CBD. The model for Big W Vision is different to any other retail optical group in Australia in that it combines the best of two worlds – being part of a very

large corporation with almost limitless resources behind it, yet being able to operate as a separate group within the corporation due to the recognition by senior management of Big W that retail optics is a different type of retailing business than department stores. As Mark Jeffery put it: “The model has been developed to blend the skills of a major department-store retail group and the skills of people who are well trained in optical retailing. The contributions each are making is helping our offer appeal to the consumer.

Cataract: surgeons and government continue their head-banging Sep/Oct 2009 Ophthalmologist locked out of

phthalmic surgeons and the federal health minister are continuing their head-banging, with neither side seeming to be ready to give in over the budget decision to cut by 50 per cent the Medicare benefit for cataract surgery.

The surgeons claim the minister’s decision is fundamentally flawed and that the move will leave most patients at least $600 out of pocket and will “deny a vital service to society’s most vulnerable” as the health funds will cut their benefits too.

Queensland board president is first chair of Optometry Board of Aust Sep/Oct 2009

he president of the Optometrists Board of Queensland, Mr Colin Waldron, has been appointed chair of the Optometry Board of Australia. The national board formally takes up its duties on 1 July 2010, however it has already held its first meeting and will hold others in order to prepare for the handover of responsibility from the

state and territories boards. Other optometrist members of the national board are Ian Bluntish (South Australia), John Davis (New South Wales), Jane Duffy (Victoria), Derek Fails (Tasmania) and Garry Fitzpatrick (Western Australia). Community members are Judith Dikstein, Peta Frampton and Lawson Lobb.

Odmafair 2009 stronger than some commentators predicted: organiser

Sep/Oct 2009

dmafair 2009 held in Sydney in July “closed with an overwhelmingly positive response relayed from exhibitors and media alike despite the challenging global economic climate in the latter half of 2008 and early 2009, with results are far stronger than some commentators predicted,” according to the organiser of the event, Exhibition Management. “The post-event surveys show that 92 per cent of exhibitors were satisfied with the outcomes of their participation in the fair., with 96 per cent reporting www.insightnews.com.au

their objectives for participating were well met,” the company said. “Sixty-nine per cent of respondents rated attendance numbers as satisfactory, with 88 per cent rating the audience as ‘high quality with good business potential’. “While overall attendance was down (as expected), 26 per cent on the record-breaking 2007 fair, the number of businesses represented by visitors 2009 was only down 11 per cent, likely attributable to acquisitions.

practice in Queensland

Queensland ophthalmologist, Dr David Kitchen, and publicly-listed ophthalmology-practice company, Melbourne-based Vision Group Holdings, are at loggerheads in a contractual dispute over a practice in Rockhampton. Dr Kitchen and the practice staff have been locked out by Vision Group; the staff have resigned; security guards enforced the lockout, turning away patients; the practice premises have been placed on the market for sale by the owner – Dr Kitchen – and the Dr Kitchen has commenced practising in other premises in Rockhampton, along with staff from his former practice. Dr Kitchen, who recently resigned from the board of directors of Vision Group, differs with the company over who may practise at the practice in Rockhampton’s Kirkellen Street. It is understood there is disagreement over a substantial amount of money that Dr Kitchen maintains is owed to

Sep/Oct 2009

him by the company under his contract of service, which the company denies. According to Dr Kitchen, about 50 to 70 patients a day were missing out on treatment at the Vision Eye Institute practice, including some due to have cataract operations or receive sightsaving injections into their eyes. Dr Kitchen, said the company is putting profit before patient care. “This could easily cost people their sight. That’s my fear. I see emergencies every day,” he is reported as saying outside the surgery. Dr Kitchen is also reported as telling the newspaper on 15 September: “Patients I was due to see today have had their appointments cancelled by non-medical management. I’ve been denied entry to my surgery, have been unable to contact patients and patients have been turned away. “The company is not concerned about the suffering of people who need urgent care. It is very disappointing.”

New online company to distribute contact lenses, Rx eyewear, sunnies Oct 2009

new online company, MyLens has been established to distribute contact lenses, prescription spectacles (including multifocals) and sunglasses direct to clients throughout Australia and New Zealand. The company believes there is “a significant opportunity” present in the optical market for a new company to distribute via an online website. The target customers are consumers who are existing purchasers of optical

appliances in Australian and New Zealand. A director of MyLens, optometrist Mr Paul Sheehan, told Insight “The operation will be different from that of a traditional ‘bricks-and-mortar’ optical practice in that its only presence will be the online website. The directors of MyLens believe that traditional optical practices are forced to sell optical appliances at inflated prices in order to meet expensive location, equipment and staff costs.” FEBRUARY 2014

Merringtons changes name; to be wound up owing creditors $5.8m Sep/Oct 2009

ptometrical company Merringtons Pty Ltd is to be wound up after being placed into administration owing creditors $5.8 million. Of the $5.8 million, $3.3 million is owed to Mrs Julienne Merrington, wife of the company’s major shareholder

and sole director and secretary, Mr Peter John Merrington, through his wholly-owned company Australian Optical Pty Ltd. Other major creditors of include Westfield Group $1,069,319, CBFC $823,499, Capital Finance Australia $249,092 and Quantum

Manufacturing $236,029. On 1 August, the company’s name was changed to 007 057 409 Pty Ltd (the numbers constitute its Australian Company Number), effective 18 August 2009, after Gerber Scientific International (Australia) filed an application for a winding up order

effective on the same day. Gerber Scientific is owed $84,374. By changing the company’s name to 007 057 409 Pty Ltd, the name ‘Merringtons’ can continue to be used by the four practices bought by Mr James Merrington, son of Mr Peter Merrington.

Govt hits back at ophthalmologists over Future of cataract advertising campaign optometry lies with the T profession, says Luxottica chief Sep/Oct 2009

he federal government is using the Labor Party to make a vicious attack on ophthalmologists in retaliation following the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists’ ‘Grandma’s not happy’ advertising campaign berating the federal budget decision to cut the Medicare cataract surgery rebate by 50 per cent. In a new tactic, Labor has, in a posting on YouTube, accused ophthalmologists of waging a “dishonest scare campaign” to protect their incomes and used the ‘greedy doctor’ theme so beloved by Labor. ALP national secretary Mr Karl Bitar, says the government needs to

make savings to restore the health system after years of neglect by the previous government. “We are not going to sit back and let the Society of Ophthalmologists run a deceptive scare campaign, unfairly targeting seniors in our community,” Mr Bitar said. But members of the medical fraternity are unrepentant, with ophthalmologist Bill Glasson declaring: “Our fees will not go down. The patient will pay increasing gaps, and services will be closed.” Dr Glasson, who said his yearly overheads amounted to $400,000, rejected the contention of Ms Roxon,

that the highly-paid specialists, who often received $1 million-plus revenues from Medicare, could afford to cut their fees. The president of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Andrew Pesce, says the advertisement is “a blatant ideological slur on doctors” and “The ad is offensive and misleading and should be withdrawn immediately.” Mr Bitar said the new campaign is a sign of things to come. “I would not rule out doing this again in the future if people are running factually inaccurate political scare campaigns against the government,” he said.

NSW deregulates dispensing; last hopes dashed by Upper House

Sep/Oct 2009

opes by optical dispensers that dispensing of optical prescriptions would continue to be regulated in New South Wales from 1 July 2010 onwards were finally dashed in the Legislative Council of NSW on 9 September when it passed legislation enabling deregulation of dispensing. The opposition did not oppose the legislation, although its Mr Donald Page in the Legislative Assembly on 1 September expressed concern about removal of provisions related to optical dispensers licensing and the health implications of that removal, but said that was not sufficient reason to oppose the legislation. In passing the legislation, the need for dispensers to be trained to a level acceptable to the NSW Optical

FEBRUARY 2014

Dispensers Licensing Board from 1 July 2010 was trashed, leaving the last jurisdiction in Australia to insist on training and licensing of dispensers to join all of the other jurisdictions in permitting anyone to dispense from that date onward. While at first glance it would seem that employers could make saving on their wages bill, there will no doubt be serious attention to costs incurred when dispensing is performed incorrectly, whether it be, for example, measuring clients for progressive-power lenses or fitting lenses to spectacle frames. Until 1 July 2010, the Optical Dispensers Act remains in force and the licensing board will continue to enforce the act until then. Mr Joe Tripodi, speaking as the

NSW regulatory reform minister, on 1 September moved that the bill be passed, saying health risks associated with optical dispensing are limited and that in the two years from 2006 to 2008 there were three complaints, only one of which required referral to the Health Care Complaints Commission. “To protect against the health risks posed by contact lenses, from 1 July 2010 the national registration scheme for health professionals will require an optometrist’s prescription for the sale and supply of contact lenses. No other state licenses optical dispensers. The last state to remove licensing was South Australia, in 2007. On that basis, we believe that reform is warranted and justified, and is in the public interest.”

Oct 2009

he future of optometry at a local and a global level lies with the profession, Mr Chris Beer, Luxottica’s chief executive officer Asia Pacific, Greater China & South Africa, Luxottica, said in a paper entitled ‘The Future of Optometry’ presented to students at the School of Optometry amd Vision Science at the University of New South Wales last month. Mr Beer discussed global trends in optometry and the impact of these (if any) in the APAC region and, specifically, Australia. Also, he discussed some key drivers for continued growth in the industry, including issues that need to be addressed to ensure the sustainability of the eye-care industry. “By understanding the industries – what drives them and what issues are they facing, we can look at how we can maintain the professionalism of the industry, its skilled optometrists, and extend eye care to as many people here in Australia, but around the world, to as many people as we can. “And, of course developing technologies, techniques, professional skills and continued learning can help do that.” www.insightnews.com.au

Corporate optometry gaining on independent practices nationwide

orporate optometry in Australia is now clearly gaining on independent optometry practices, with just 1,051 (40%) independent practices remaining compared to 1,279 (52%) in 2007. The independent optometrist is facing an onslaught of competition on many fronts, which has been further compounded by the current economic climate. The competition is multi-faceted and growing with large corporations, health funds, pharmacies, department stores and internet sites all looking to capture their share of the estimated $1.4 billion that Australians spend on basic eye-care products and services each year. From a macro-economic perspective, it’s little wonder that the industry is witnessing such changes. An ageing population carries the promise of healthy profit figures that are set to rise substantially over the next two decades, making it a ripe time for big players to come in and stake their claim. The two largest corporations continue to play a big role in Australia’s retail optical market. Luxottica has 497 retail optical and sunglass stores, including OPSM 279, Laubman & Pank 129 and Budget Eyewear 89) as well as 155 Sunglass Hut stores and 142 Bright Eyes stores. Specsavers, which has been in retail for only 20 months, has 180 retail optical stores in Australia and expects to have 240 by the end of next June. Combined, the two companies account for about 60-65% of the total

retail market. While Luxottica owns approaching 20% of the total optical retail stores in Australia, its market share in terms of sales revenue is estimated to be more than 40%. Since launching its retail operation in Australia in early 2008, Specsavers has had a dramatic impact on the market. It was forecasting sales revenue of $200 million for its current financial year, but has now raised that to $250 million (see separate story page 34). Luxottica has also just signed a deal with Myer, whereby Sunglass Hut will be in every Myer store by the end of next year. Is it only a matter of time before OPSM stores are also included on Myer floor space? Luxottica and Specsavers combined account for an estimated 65% of sales and that is increasing annually. Safilo has boldly expanded from pure wholesale into the retail arena as well, now having 56 stores nationally, including Just Spectacles (mainly in Western Australia) and AV Simon Optometrists and Eydonist (in Sydney). However Safilo’s vertical integration has had little overall effect on the market, and has been downplayed by Safilo’s global headquarters. Mr Roberto Vedovetto, the company’s chief executive was quoted last month as saying “I’m not so sure about having 50 stores in Australia”. And as Insight was going to press, there was news of a possible bailout of Safilo Group that could involve the sale of almost all Safilo retail

stores worldwide. In the smaller chain arena, there have been mixed results over the last twoyear period. The Optical Superstore chain has expanded from 40 stores in 2007 to 50 stores in 2008 and 59 stores in 2009. Merringtons’ recent collapse resulted in the closure of 13 of its 17 remaining stores nationally. That is a sharp decline from 45 stores back in 2007, although Luxottica purchased 14 of Merringtons’ stores last year. Paris Miki has lost ground, with 25 stores remaining from 32 stores just two years ago. Big W Vision has 19 stores across Queensland (10), Victoria (6) and South Australia (3), and plans to continue growing through expansion into New South Wales commencing next month 2009. Kmart and Target are yet to show interest in optical retailing. Perhaps they are assessing the potential based on Big W’s performance. Optical Warehouse, a discount chain, has maintained 9 stores nationally. Costco, the United States-based retail giant, has arrived in Australia, opening its first mega-store in Victoria last month. The store includes an inhouse optometry practice. Future plans for Costco are limited to one mega-store in Melbourne and one in Sydney in 2010. Surprisingly, the appetite of health funds within the retail optical market remains fairly subdued with HCF at 7 stores and NIB with 5 stores. There has

Oct 2009

been no movement in numbers in two years, with Teachers Eye Care remaining steady with 4 stores, and Westfund with 6. Blink Optical, owned by a variety of combinations of MBF/BUPA health funds, Blink Optical itself and other ophthalmic businesses/practitioners has remained steady with 48 stores across New South Wales (15), Victoria (15), Queensland (12) and South Australia (6). The number of retail outlets within pharmacies or owned by them continues to increase steadily with 30 optical dispensing ‘kiosks’ within Terry White Pharmacies and 23 practices for National Pharmacies Optical. The balance of buying power, while remaining independent, is an appealing combination for many optometrists, resulting in banner marketing groups remaining strong. Provision, owned by Optometrists Association Australia, remains the market leader in the banner-marketing category with 385 practices, a minor decrease from the 2007 figure of 394. Eyecare Plus has 155 practices, around 14% up on practice numbers from last year (136). Eyecare Partners, a listed public company, owns 41 practices, while Icontact and 1001 Optical have 22 practices each. Internet purchases are also affecting sales figures (particularly in contact lens and solution sales), however the focus of this article centres on bricks and mortar practices.

Specsavers raises forecast sales from $200m to $250m this year

pecsavers has raised its retail sales forecast for Australia this year from $200 million to $250 million and announced that during the next 12 months it will be creating another 1,000 jobs across its rapidlygrowing retail and wholesale network here. The sales and jobs increases were announced by the co-founder

www.insightnews.com.au

Oct 2009

of the company, Mr Doug Perkins, at the official opening of its new multi-million-dollar Asia-Pacific headquarters in Port Melbourne, Victoria, on 8 October. Specsavers staff and more than 100 guests from across the optical industry came together to mark the success of the fastest rollout the company has seen in its 25-year history – and to

confirm that the company is on track to beat its initial financial year forecast of $200 million in revenue by more than $50 million. The privately-owned opticalfranchise company, the world’s thirdlargest optical retailer and already number two in the Australian market, has opened close to 200 stores across the country since February 2008, with

a further 30 scheduled to open before Christmas and a further 20 by the end of next July. The retail expansion will generate at least 800 jobs in the coming 12 months, with an additional 200 new jobs also being created at the 13,000 square metre manufacturing and operational facility in Melbourne – more than 1000 jobs in all. FEBRUARY 2014

Two teams share $50m public funding for bionic eye research Feb 2010

wo teams in Australia will share $50 million in funding to develop a bionic eye, the federal minister for innovation, industry, science and research, Senator Kim Carr, announced on 15 December. The first research team will receive $42 million, and is made up of four universities: the universities of Melbourne, New South Wales, Western Sydney and Australian National

University. Collaborators include the National ICT Australia, the Bionic Ear Institution and the Centre for Eye Research Australia. The second successful team involves Monash University and the Alfred Hospital, and will receive $8 million. “The $50 million investment will help us to give and restore sight to thousands of people around the world,” Senator Carr said.

Vision CRC awarded $22m for the continuation of research on myopia

Feb 2010

ix years after being awarded $32 million by the federal government to “cure” myopia within three years, the Vision Cooperative Research Centre has been awarded a further $22 million over five years for the continuation of research on myo-

pia, as well as presbyopia, dry eye and cataract. The $22 million funding was announced in a press release on 16 December by the federal minister for innovation, industry, science and research, Senator Kim Carr.

National registration requirements set out by Optometry Board of Aust

Feb 2010

ational registration requirements have been set out by the newly-established Optometry Board of Australia after consideration of submissions from interested parties, including Optometrists Association Australia’s national office and state divisions. The requirements have been submitted for approval to the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council. However there is an increasing outcry by individual optometrists

about the requirement that optometrists seeking re-registration will have to show that they have undertaken sufficient continuing professional development face-to-face to earn 20 points out of the 40 points they must earn over a two-year period. And there is uncertainty about the desirability and processes whereby optometrists will have to hold a current cardiopulmonary resuscitation certificate from an approved training organization in order to continue to be registered.

Essilor buys controlling interest in Luxottica’s Eyebiz Rx laboratory

Mar 2010

ssilor International has bought a 70-per-cent controlling interest in Luxottica’s Eyebiz prescription laboratory at Chipping Norton, an outer-south-western suburb of Sydney. Luxottica retains a 30-per-cent interest in Eyebiz. The purchase, for an undisclosed price, was announced by the two

FEBRUARY 2014

companies on 8 February. Essilor’s purchase of the 70-percent interest in Eyebiz means it (Essilor) will become the clear leader in prescription lens manufacture in Australia, with industry sources estimating its share likely to be about 55-60 per cent of the total wholesale Australian lens market.

HAL completes purchase of Safilo Group’s retail stores in Australia

afilo Group and HAL Holding have completed the next step in their recapitalisation plan for Safilo with the sale of all of Safilo’s non-core retail chains to HAL, including Just Spectacles in Australia, Loop Vision in Spain, and all of the retail stores in the People’s Republic of China for €13.7 million ($A21.92 million), the companies announced on 29 December. That brings HAL Investment to Australia for the first time, with a retail optical business recoding $A7.45 million in sales last year through its 3,930 stores worldwide – 3,607 in Europe, 233 in South America and 90 in Asia.

Feb 2010

All of the 60 retail stores in Australia now owned by HAL (Just Spectacles, AV Simon and Eyedonist) are operated by Optifashion Australia, a subsidiary of Safilo Group. The price paid by HAL for its 51-percent controlling interest in Safilo is equal to only 60 per cent of the notes’ nominal value, but HAL will inject about €283 million into Safilo. Finalisation of the purchase of the retail companies in Australia, China and Spain comes after Hal Holding announced on 30 November that it would accept 50.99 per cent of Safilo Group’s notes in its tender offer, versus the 60 per cent it had originally required.

Cataract-benefit dispute settled; Federal Government backs down

Mar 2010

he dispute between the Federal Government and ophthalmologists has been settled, with the government backing down from its planned (and actual for a while) 50per-cent cut to the Medicare benefit for cataract surgery and instead reducing it by 12 per cent. The case against the 50-percent cut was led by the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists, which commissioned its very effective ‘Grandma’s not happy’ campaign

against a cut of that size, regarded as a major reason for the government’s backdown. The federal health minister, Ms Nicola Roxon, has also agreed to a $5-million outreach fund for rural and indigenous communities, which the president of the ASO, Dr Bob Horsburgh, has described as “offering considering relief to a significantlydisadvanted Secion of the Australian community where cataract treatment is a real issue”.

40 enrol in Flinders University course that will lead to MOptom Mar 2010

linders University in South Australia has enrolled 40 students in its three-year Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree course that is expected in most instances to lead to them entering a two-year postgraduate Master of Optometry degree course. The students come from interstate as well as South Australia, armed with a Tertiary

Entrance Requirement of at least 97 to enter the BMedSc course with its Vision Sciences stream for those wishing to then enter the MOptom course in 2013. Professor Konrad Pesudovs, a well known optometrist and academic, will head up the optometry degree course leading to the MOptom degree. Konrad Pseudovs www.insightnews.com.au

NSW Supreme Court refuses to grant TV-commercial injunction

he New South Wales Supreme Court, Equity Division, on 20 January refused to grant an injunction sought by Luxottica Retail on behalf of its OPSM subsidiary to

Mar 2010

grant it interlocutory relief from a pricecomparison advertising campaign being conducted on television by Specsavers. In refusing to grant the injunction, Justice McDougall said that whilst he

was not prepared to say that OPSM’s case must fail, he concluded that the case that it sought to make out was so weak that it did not justify the grant of interlocutory injunctive relief.

Budget Eyewear refurbishing all stores after successful pilot trial

Mar 2010

udget Eyewear is refurbishing all of its retail stores after successfully trialing its new concept in seven locations. The concept includes a new, fresh look which retains the black and yellow colours that have been a feature of Budget stores since establishment of the brand in the late 1970s. A major change are clearly-marked price lists (‘Menus’) for the different lens options available for clients to choose from when purchasing glasses, which lists prices for lenses, as well as clearly marked prices for different groups of frames.

350 optometrists and seven ophthalmologists willing to refer to Centre for Eye Research

he Centre for Eye Research on the campus of the University of New South Wales, located adjacent to the School of Optometry and Vision Science, has so far registered 350 optometrists and seven ophthalmologists to refer patients for examination there. Since being officially opened last November, the centre has completed a trial period and the first two stages of a three-stage introductory program, the director of the centre, Professor Michael Kalloniatis, told Insight. Stage 1 saw 140 optometrists and seven ophthalmologists responding to invitations to register for patients to be sent to the centre (which refers to them as ‘clients’ because they remain www.insightnews.com.au

Apr 2010

the referring practitioners’ patients and are sent back to them after examination at the centre, armed with results of the examination(s)). Stage 2 saw all optometrists in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory invited to refer, with the number saying they would increasing to 350. There are about 1,700 optometrists registered in NSW. Stage 3, to commence soon, will see all ophthalmologists in NSW and ACT invited to register. The centre is equipped to provide a suite of tests, using all manner of sophisticated equipment such as confocal scanners. Considerable amounts of data is being collected. Most irreversible vision loss due

to eye disease can be managed and treated if detected early, Professor Kalloniatis said. “Half of all vision impairment is correctable and one quarter is preventable if diagnosed and managed early. “For the first time in Australia, the best diagnostic equipment will be readily available under one roof and at no cost to anyone at risk of developing eye disease,” ]Professor Kalloniatis said. “Waiting lists are up to two years at many public hospitals, so people will now be able to access vision assessments much sooner. As well, they won’t have to visit different centres for different tests – we have everything that’s needed here.”

NZ-designed contact lens slows myopia progression in children

Apr 2010

esearch undertaken in the Department of Optometry and Vision Science at The University of Auckland has led to commercialisation of a daily-disposable soft contact lens designed to correct vision and at the same time slow the progression of myopia in children and teenagers. Designed by Dr John Phillips, a senior lecturer at DOVS, the lens, named MiSight, is the first soft contact lens in the world that’s available commercially to inhibit myopia progression. Manufactured by Coopervision, it has recently been launched in Hong Kong, the hub of Asia.

No specific prohibition on use of ‘Dr’ or ‘Prof’ titles in National Law, but…

Apr 2010

here is no provision that prohibits specifically a health-care practitioner from using titles such as ‘doctor’ or ‘professor’in the new National Law governing registration of health-care practitioners, including optometrists, that is coming into effect on 1 July, according to the Consultation Paper on Codes and Guidelines issued last month by the Optometry Board of Australia. However, if practitioners choose to adopt the title ‘Dr’ in their advertising, and they are not registered medical practitioners, then they should make it clear that they do not hold registration as medical practitioners; for example, by including a reference to their health profession whenever the title is used, such as Dr Isobel Jones (Dentist) or Dr Walter Lin (Chiropractor), the consultation paper says. FEBRUARY 2014

All of Optometry Board of US FTC bars Transitions Optical from using allegedly Australia’s recommendations accepted by COAG anti-competitive tactics Apr 2010

he Federal Trade Commission in the United States announced on 4 March that it has reached a settlement with Transitions Optical that bars it [Transitions] from using allegedly anti-competitive practices to maintain its monopoly and increase prices on photochromic lenses. According to the FTC, Transitions Optical illegally maintained its monopoly by engaging in exclusive dealing in the photochromic lens distribution chain. The FTC cited Transitions Optical’s refusal to deal with lens casters if they sold a

competing photochromic lens. In response to the FTC settlement, Transitions Optical issued a statement in which the company denies any wrongdoing. The company said it is “committed to doing business under the highest standards of ethics and integrity. We continue to believe our business practices are, and have been lawful, fair, pro-competition, and pro-consumer – but we also take seriously the FTC’s goal of fostering greater competition in the eyewear marketplace.

ll of the recommendations made by the Optometry Board of Australia in regard to national registration and accreditation have been accepted by the Council of Australian Governments. The new Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (the National Law) governing registration of health-care practitioners, including optometrists, will come into effect on 1 July. The ten health-care practitioner groups covered by the National Law

May 2010

are: chiropractors; dental (including dentists, dental hygienists, dental prosthetists and dental therapists); medical practitioners; nurses and midwives; optometrists; osteopaths; pharmacists; physiotherapists; podiatrists and psychologists. The main features of the National Law in regard to optometry are abolition of the state and territory optometrists registration boards, with their roles being taken over by the Optometry Board of Australia.

NSW Optical Dispensers Licensing Board offering 12 post-certificate scholarships

May 2010

he New South Wales Optical Dispensers Licensing Board is offering 12 scholarships each year to suitably-qualified NSW licensed optical dispensers to assist them to further their competency in optical dispensing by completing the ‘Diploma in Ophthalmic

Practice Management’ course conducted by the OTEN College of TAFE in conjunction with the Australasian Dispensing Opticians Association. Members of ADOA who successfully complete the Diploma are eligible to become a Fellow of ADOA. There is no

time limit to complete the Diploma course. Each scholarship will cover the cost of the course tuition which is currently set at $1844.00. The course is delivered by distance learning mode and is generally taught over a two-year period.

Twelve scholarships were awarded during 2009 to the total value of $22,128.00. This will be the last group of scholarships awarded by the board as due to deregulation it will cease to exist on 1 July.

Vision CRC launches its contact and spectacle lenses to slow myopia May 2010

he Vision Cooperative Research Centre, located on the campus of the University of New South Wales, on 25 March launched its contact lens and spectacles lens designed to slow the development of myopia, hard on the heels of a daily-disposable soft contact lens designed at the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Auckland in New Zealand to do the same. Vision CRC’S ‘Myovision’ lens is based on research conducted by Vision CRC’s partners in the program – the University of Houston College of Optometry in the United States and what was formerly known as the Institute for Eye Research and is now the Brien Holden Vision Institute, also located on the University of New

FEBRUARY 2014

South Wales’ campus at Kensington in Sydney. The Australian federal government has contributed $32 million in funding since 2003 towards Vision CRC’s stated objective of finding a ‘cure’ for myopia within three years. Recently it announced a further $22 million funding for the same purpose. According to Vision CRC, its successful basic research on the nature and cause of myopia has led to the discovery that the peripheral retinal image plays a major part in stimulating eye growth and myopia. Large-scale clinical trials testing both spectacles and contact lenses designed to control the position of the peripheral image and involving over 500 children in China and Australia,

have produced promising results, Vision CRC says. Professor Brien Holden, CEO of the Vision CRC as well as CEO of the Brien Holden Vision Institute, said: “For hundreds of years focusing defects of the eye have been corrected by simply moving the visual image backwards and forwards with spectacle lenses. Professor Earl Smith from the University of Houston College of Optometry, has demonstrated that if we move the central image onto the retina but leave the peripheral image behind the retina, the peripheral image can drive the eye to elongate, causing myopia to increase.” “The beauty of this new technology is that it addresses this problem by bringing the peripheral image forward,

onto or even in front of the retina, and at the same time independently positioning the central image on the retina giving clear vision. “The commercialisation of this technology is a most important outcome for the CRC program because of the potential vision and eye health benefits,” Professor Holden said. The breakthrough technology has been licensed to Carl Zeiss Vision and developed into the first spectacle lens of its kind through a joint project with its lens designers. The new spectacle lens is at present being launched under the Zeiss brand name throughout Asia. Vision CRC has licensed its myopiacontrol technology to CIBA Vision for contact lens applications. www.insightnews.com.au

Budget Eyewear throws down $30,000 fine for illegal the gauntlet to Specsavers dispensing if South Australia

May 2010

uxottica’s Budget Eyewear has thrown down the gauntlet to Specsavers in a consumer campaign launched at the beginning of this month. The aim of the campaign is to attract consumers who are not customers of Budget Eyewear into its stores. “Customer response to the Budget Eyewear campaign launched on May 1st weekend has been strong,” Ant Hudson, vice-president of optical at Luxottica, said. “People just want great value – in an easy-to-choose, no hidden extras, way. It’s not surprising given the tougher economic times. We’re responding with an offer for a complete pair of frames and lenses for $50, showing that Budget Eyewear is committed to making sure customers don’t need to spend a fortune to get a great pair of glasses.”

Bill becomes law

ny person who illegally sells optical appliances (spectacles and contact lenses) in South Australia will face a fine of up to $30,000 under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (South Australia) Bill 2010 currently before the South Australia Parliament. The SA Bill provides for a fine of up to $15,000 for dispensing an expired optical prescription and up to $5,000 for failing to give a free copy of a

A sample of the Budget Eyewear press campaign

Obituary Penrhyn Francis Thomas 1918 – 2010 Jun 2010 Pioneer in the development of Australian contact lenses

en Thomas (as he was most commonly known) put down his contact lens design and laboratory tools as well as his art brushes finally on 2 May, aged 91 years. The ‘pioneer’line above is a variation on ‘Pioneers in the Development of Australian Contact Lenses’ a factual statement that appeared at the bottom of ads from Pen’s first contact lens laboratory, Precision Contact Lens Laboratories (PCL), just one year after PCL ads first appeared (on page 21 of the 31 Jaunary 1947 edition of the Australian Journal of Optometry).

www.insightnews.com.au www.insightnews.com.au

Jun 2010

prescription on request. The Bill is one of a number before or due to go before the various state and territory parliaments in Australia which are currently re-writing their respective legislation concerning administration and control of ten health-care groups who are to all become subject to a national-registration system on 1 July under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (the national law).

RANZCO and AMA oppose sale of chloramphenicol by pharmacists

Jun 2010

he Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists and the Australian Medical Association, in a joint statement on 5 May, said they strongly disagree with the federal government’s decision to reschedule chloramphenicol eye drops from the Schedule 4 listing to a Schedule 3 medication. Schedule 4 medications are prescribed by registered medical practitioners or endorsed optometrists. Schedule 3 medications are available to the public from a pharmacist without a prescription. The governmen announced on 30 April that it intends to amend regulations

to permit pharmacists to dispense drugs for certain ongoing conditions without need for prescriptions, including oral contraceptives and cholesterollowering drugs. A prescription will be needed in the first instance, but not from then on. The president of the RANZCO, Dr Richard Stawell, said that chloramphenicol is one of the most frequently used antibiotics prescribed by ophthalmologists. “Its use should be reserved for bacterial eye infections or to prevent serious infection, postoperatively, and it is very important that it is not used indiscriminately,” Dr Stawell said.

NSW Optical Dispensers Licensing Board establishing $700,000 trust Jun 2010

he New South Wales Optical Dispensers Licensing Board is establishing a charitable trust to be administered by a trustee company, with responsibility for more than $700,000 that the board will have left in its bank account when it ceases to exist on 1 July. The NSW government has agreed to the five-person trustee company, named the Optical Dispensing Education Fund of NSW Pty Limited, having responsibility for the remaining $700,000-plus funds from 1 July

onwards. The five persons who have been nominated by the board for appointment as directors of the trustee company by the NSW health minister are Mr Ron Wright, Mr John Jackson, Mr Grant Hannaford, Mr Albert Lee and Ms Janet Evans. The trust will conduct its activities in the furtherance of the objects of the trust on a ‘not-for-profit’ basis. The trustee will not conduct any commercial or other business operation or venture. FEBRUARY 2014

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Budget Eyewear granted injunction to stop copyright breach by Specsavers

Jun 2010

uxottica and Specsavers are back in the law courts after another spate of aggressive advertising tactics. Disagreements between the two optical retail heavyweights has become a lawyers’ picnic, with weeks of hearings in the Federal Court so far this year. The latest legal battle started on 13 May over Specsaver’s somewhat retaliatory advertisements, which Luxottica has alleged, infringed copyright. Budget Eyewear, one of Luxottica’s retail brands, sought interlocutory relief, which the

court granted. Budget Eyewear launched a campaign on 1 May (see advertisement) whereby it offered to replace broken Specsavers frames free of charge until 16 May. On 7 May, Specsavers directed its advertising agency to utilise Budget Eyewear’s campaign. On 13 May Specsavers placed its advertisments (see ad), which stated a similar offer for the replacement of broken OPSM frames up until 27 May. Justice Bennett heard the matter on 18 May and handed down her judgement the following day.

OPSM sponsoring NRL referees Jun 2010

PSM is sponsoring National Rugby League referees, the company announced at its George Street, Sydney, flagship store on 24 May. The NRL referees have taken up the challenge issued by Rugby League fans and losing coaches over generations – they have had their eyes tested at OPSM. As the ‘Official Eye Care Provider’ of the NRL, OPSM will appear on the sleeve of referees’ jerseys in NRL and representative matches as part of a campaign to educate fans about the

need to have their eyes fully tested every two years. “This is a sponsorship that has benefits for the game and the community by highlighting the importance of eye health and eye care,” NRL chief executive, Mr David Gallop, said. “There are always going to be the odd ‘digs’ about referees needing to get their eyes tested but the truth is that many of the people who are watching the game really do need to seek attention from OPSM. “

Ophthalmologist elected AMA (NSW) president

Jun 2010

ydney ophthalmologist Dr Michael Steiner on 25 May was elected unopposed to the presidency of the Australian Medical Association (NSW), the first ophthalmologist to be elected to the position. Prior to becoming president, he was vice-president of the association. Dr Steiner is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, a Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in the United Kingdom and a member of the Oxford Ophthalmological Congress. In addition to his busy practices at Auburn and Northwood, he has been involved in the organisation of many ophthalmology congresses for the RANZCO and has been chairman of its state and national scientific congresses,

FEBRUARY 2014

as well as a member of the executive committee of the International Congress of Ophthalmology held in Sydney in 2002.

During the court hearing, Specsavers did not deny that it copied the text of Budget Eyewear’s campaign for their advertisement. In making that admission, Specsavers accepted that it copied the idea of the campaign, however the copying did not extend to exact word reproduction. Specsavers raised a number of matters in opposing the grant, however the court found that while the Specsavers advertisement was not an exact copy of the Budget eyewear advertisements, they had taken a substantial part of each of the two print

advertisements and the words used in the radio broadcast. While the decision doesn’t prevent Specsavers from creating its own expression of the ‘free of charge replacement frame’ concept, the injunction was granted. As the copyright owner, Budget Eyewear submitted that it is entitled to a period of exclusivity in its advertising campaign, which includes how they choose to express its concept. The court decided that Budget Eyewear was entitled to use the campaign without the use of the copied campaign by Specsavers.

German anti-cartel agency fines 5 lens makers $184m for price-fixing

ermany’s federal antitrust agency has imposed fines totaling €115 million ($A184 million) against five ophthalmic lens manufacturers for participating in a price-fixing scheme. The agency, the Bundeskartellamt (BKA), said in an announcement on 10 June that the companies – Rodenstock GmbH, Carl Zeiss Vision GmbH, Essilor GmbH, Rupp + Hubrach Optik GmbH, and Hoya Lens Deutschland GmbH – plus seven employees and the Central Association of Optometrists (ZVA) participated in cartel agreements. “The price agreements of the manufacturers of ophthalmic lenses have for years virtually paralysed competition in this market,” Mr

Jun 2010

Andreas Mundt, president of the BKA, said. “The companies agreed on a regular basis to raise prices demanded from opticians. In the end the consumers had to pay the bill, because the price increases were passed on to them.” According to the BKA’s investigations, the five manufacturers have been meeting on a regular basis since mid-2000 to coordinate their competitive behavior. In their meetings, the representatives of the companies agreed on price surcharges, as well as conditions, bonuses and discounts granted to opticians. In addition, they regularly informed one another of specific competitive measures, such as upcoming price increases.

More prescription-laboratory jobs go overseas: Eyebiz and Hoya Lens Jul 2010

Michael Steiner

ore than 100 prescriptionlaboratory jobs in Australia are going overseas to China and Thailand as the result of decisions by Essilor’s and Luxottica’s 70-30 per cent joint-owned subsidiary Eyebiz to close down certain operations here and Hoya Lens Australia’s decision to do the same. Eighty-one jobs are going at Eyebiz and 25 at Hoya Lens Australia, a total

of 106 jobs. The loss of jobs here follows the decision by Carl Zeiss Vision early last year to transfer 95 jobs to China from its Lonsdale, South Australia, plant, however that was different to the moves at Eyebiz and Hoya Lens because it concerned loss of mass-manufacturing jobs rather than laboratory one-off lens-processing jobs. www.insightnews.com.au

Market junks Vision Group share price to 12.5c; directors silent Jul 2010

• OPHTHALMOLOGIST PARTNERS LIKELY TO RECEIVE SUBSTANTIAL REMUNERATION INCREASE

nvestors have junked the share price of ophthalmology practices listed company Vision Group Holdings Limited on the Australian

• LIKELY ‘MATERIAL DECLINE’ IN COMPANY PROFITABILITY IN SHORT-MEDIUM TERM

Stock Exchange to a record low of 12.5c at the time of going to press. There had been no word from directors on the rapid fall of the

ODMA develops partnership with UNSW to enhance students’ retailing knowledge

or the past three years, the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association has been developing what it describes as a ‘partnership’ with the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of New South Wales to enhance the optometry students’ education through ODMA members’ business and dispensing experience. ODMA has offered assistance in developing the inventory and merchandise for the retail space. ODMA-member frame suppliers have been asked to supply on consignment a

Jul 2010

sample number of frames. The dispensing-mentoring scheme is an ODMA initiative which provides the opportunity to not only educate the students about dispensing but also information on how to ‘upsell’, value-add and generally maximise the ‘lifetime value’ of each customer to a practice. ODMA is providing one or two experienced dispensing mentors for each of the fifth-year and fourthyear student clinics for the rest of this year and “hopefully for many years to come”.

OPSM unveils its retailing future

Aug 2010

PSM unveiled what it describes as a “world first” and “the future of retailing” with the launch of its new retail concept store in Hawthorne, a Melbourne south-eastern suburb, on 20 July. The 1,500 square-metre, split-level OPSM Eye Hub was developed in Australia by Luxottica and is located at 174-176 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn, five kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD and

close to trams, trains and buses. At the opening of the facility on 20 July, Mr Chris Beer, chief executive of Asia Pacific, South Africa and Greater China for Luxottica, heralded the new Melbourne flagship store as “setting new standards for international retailing, providing a very different experience to anything customers will have experienced before – setting the bar higher for retail optics”.

• LIKELY A GOODWILL IMPAIRMENT CHARGE WILL BE REQUIRED IF REMUNERATION INCREASED

company’s share price at that date. The share price has been as high as $5.05 five years ago, but has fallen rapidly in recent times – from around

35c early last month to 12.5c. The current 52-week high price is $1.30.

Lens companies respond to German anti-cartel agency’s price-fixing claims

he five lens manufacturers that have been collectively fined €115 million ($A184 million) by Germany’s anti-cartel agency for participating in a price-fixing scheme have each responded to the agency’s claims (see initial report in June issue of Insight). Carl Zeiss Vision says it has cooperated fully from the start of the BKA’s investigation, and, as a result, the fine imposed on it by the BKA was reduced accordingly. Zeiss added that it may appeal the fine. Rodenstock said it cooperated fully with the BKA and reached an agreement to pay a reduced fine. Rodenstock asserted that although the five lens suppliers were alleged to have colluded in fixing prices, “the sales prices of complete lenses or spectacles themselves were never included in these understandings.” According to Rodenstock, “neither end-users nor opticians have suffered any losses since 2000,” adding that “prices for lenses only increased in keeping with the general inflation rate …” Rodenstock said it has put additional measures in place to rule out the possibility of possible future

Jul 2010

breaches of competition law, including a compliance program in which external solicitors will train relevant personnel. Hoya Corporation’s German subsidiary, Hoya Lens Deutschland GmbH, responded: “HODG has decided to accept part of the decision, however, it has decided to appeal against some part of the decision because its understanding of the relevant facts and the legal assessment differ considerably from the view of the Federal Cartel Office.” Hoya said it has been fully cooperating with the BKA, and that it will “take this incident seriously and will continue to improve our compliance with laws and regulations.” Essilor says it is contesting the validity of the BKA’s conclusions as well as the amount of the fine, and plans to lodge an appeal with the Düsseldorf court. The company said it will not pay the fine until a ruling is made by the court. The fine levied on Essilor’s two German subsidiaries, Essilor GmbH and Rupp + Hubrach Optik GmbH, amounts to €50 million ($A80 million).

Vision Group dumps shareholders; writes off $66m; put up for sale

isted ophthalmological practices company Vision Group Holdings Limited Shareholders has dumped its shareholders in favour of increasing remuneration for its partner ophthal-

www.insightnews.com.au

Aug 2010

mologists up to an estimated $900,000 a year within a few years for personal exertion; written down goodwill by $66 million; and put itself up for sale. There will be no payment of final dividend to

shareholders this year and until late 2011 because of up to double the amounts to be paid to ophthalmologists partners for their work and a deed of amendment to the existing debt facility with Westpac

and ANZ banks lowering the facility limit to $110m that requires no dividends can be paid to shareholders for the remaining term of the facility ending 30 September 2011. FEBRUARY 2014

Macquarie University Ophthalmology • NATION’S FIRST PRIVATE TEACHING HOSPITAL ON A UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

acquarie University Ophthalmology has just opened at the Macquarie University Hospital, which is the nation’s first private teaching hospital on a university

• STAFFED BY SPECIALIST OPHTHAL MOLOGISTS AND BY ORTHOPTISTS

campus – at Macquarie University in north-western Sydney. The first-class, digitally-integrated eye clinic is staffed by ophthalmologists (at present there are 26 drawn from

Aug 2010

• WILL OFFER REGULAR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR OPTOMETRISTS

the greater Sydney area) who are in their rooms on a regular basis and on a busy roster at the clinic, as well as orthoptists. The eye clinic is in the same

hospital building as the Australian School of Advanced Medicine and will have access to supporting laboratories and facilities, and to other hospital departments when needed.

Lions Eye Institute’s new professor wins major international award Aug 2010

avid Mackey, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Western Australia and managing director of the Lions Eye Institute, moved to Perth in 2009 bringing with him two decades of research expertise into hereditary eye disease. He is the world’s leading author in the field of glaucoma genetics, with over 50 papers published on the topic. For his cumulative work on the genetics of optic nerve diseases, including glaucoma, Professor Mackey has won the prestigious international award from the Alcon Research Institute.

The ARI award comes with $200,000.00 prize money, which Professor Mackey will use to help fund optic nerve research in Western Australia. The Lions Eye Institute is collecting data as part of the study of baby boomers in the Busselton Healthy Aging Study, where participants have their optic nerves photographed.

David Mackey with Busselton Healthy Aging Study participant Peter Duncan

NZ’s OHL put into receivership; still operating, but up for sale

Aug 2010

hanges in the New Zealand optometry market have been further evidenced with the country’s only optometrist-owned wholesale supplier of frames and optical equipment, Optical Holdings Limited (OHL), being placed in receivership on 26 July. The company is now in the hands of the receiver, McGrathNicol. A number

of staff were laid off immediately but the receiver Mr William Black of McGrathNicol said he is continuing to run the business and it is being advertised for sale. Despite the current business climate, Mr Black is confident that the business can be sold as a going concern. He said there has been a great amount

of competition out in the market, certainly the launch of Specsavers into the market has impacted the wholesale business. “This is also a situation brought about as a result of the economic slowdown and is a situation being faced by many companies in the current business environment,” he said.

Luxottica buying Optifashion from HAL, including Just Specs in WA

Aug 2010

uxottica Retail Australia is buying Optifashion Australia from Dutch firm HAL Holding NV, a wholly-owned unit of HAL Trust NV. Terms have not been disclosed. Optifashion owns and operates Western Australia-based Just Spectacles, Sydney-based AV Simon

FEBRUARY 2014

Optometrists and Oxford Eyes, and Eyedonist in Sydney and Perth. The buyout is expected to be completed before the end of this year and is subject to approval from several federal bodies, including the Foreign Investment Review Board and the Australian Competition and Consumer

Commission. The ACCC’s decision is due to be announced on 14 October. Just Spectacles has 40 stores in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland, AV Simon four in Sydney, Oxford Eyes two in Sydney and Eyedonist three – two in Sydney and one in Perth.

Specsavers had sales of $266.5m in Australia and NZ in 2009-10

Aug 2010

pecsavers recorded sales of $A266.5 million in Australasia in the March 2009-February 2010 year – $223.5 million in Australia and $43.0 million in New Zealand.

AVERAGE SALES $1.05M PER STORE HERE AND $1.20M IN NZ The sales were generated in 213 and 36 stores respectively, giving average sales per store of $1.05 million and $1.20 million. www.insightnews.com.au

Sydney Uni appoints first professor of corneal and refractive surgery

Aug 2010

r Gerard Sutton has been appointed as the first Sydney Medical School Foundation Professor of Corneal and Refractive Surgery at Sydney University. Professor Sutton, who has had a 16year career in ophthalmology, said: “It’s exciting, it combines all the elements of ophthalmology that I love; clinical research, teaching and performing eye surgery.” While the role is a surgical professorship and Professor Sutton will be performing and teaching refractive, corneal and cataract surgery, he will also be heading the keratoconus research program and continuing to head the refractive-surgery degree course, which he established two years ago at the University of Sydney. Professor Sutton’s professorship will take up half of his time, which permits him to continue to do refractive,

corneal-transplant and cataract surgery – something he regards as essential in order to head the course.

pecsavers has launched its directdebit, direct-supply service for contact lenses, with an offer of 30 pairs of its easyvision Umere silicone-hydrogel spherical dailydisposable contact lenses at no charge as part of a package of a pair of glasses and the contact lenses for $179. The Umere lenses are manufactured by Sauflon and are exclusive to Specsavers in Australia, which says they have a high oxygen transmittance, leading to “healthier, whiter eyes”, as

Sep 2010

well as “a wetter and smoother surface of the lens for improved comfort throughout the day”. The direct-debit, direct-supply service option is initially for six months, but may be extended. It has attracted more than 700,000 contactlens wearers in the United Kingdom, who receive home delivery of their contact lenses and solutions each month after their bank accounts are direct debited.

Biosynthetic corneas are restoring sight; trial results from Sweden Gerard Sutton

OPSM goes back to basics with ‘75 years of eye love’ TV campaign Sep 2010

PSM launched a new strategic brand platform and advertising campaign in Australia and New Zealand on 19 September with its back-to-basics ’75 years of eye love’ television campaign. The new campaign portrays “everyday people seeing what they love, and loving what they see – whether that may be loved one or a sunset – and is reinforced by the new ‘OPSM Loves Eyes’ iconography prominently featured

Specsavers launches direct-debit direct-supply contact lens system

in all of the new work”. “OPSM cares for the vision needs of hundreds of people every day – it’s more than just selling glasses, its caring for the people behind them,” Ms Melinda Spencer, vice-president of marketing for Luxottica, said on 20 September. The campaign was devised after considering feedback from staff and customers, selected at random from the 2,000 people a day who visit an OPSM store across the nation.

Sep 2010

he results of a study made public on 25 August has shown that biosynthetic corneas can and do restore eyesight in humans. Researchers from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the University of Ottawa in Canada, along with Linköping University in Sweden, conducted a clinical trial using ten Swedish patients with advanced keratoconus or central corneal scarring. Each patient had the damaged corneal tissue in one eye surgically replaced with a biosynthetic cornea made from synthetically cross-linked recombinant human collagen. After two years, six

of the patients’ vision had improved. After being fitted with contact lenses, their vision was comparable to that of someone who had received a real human cornea transplant. “This study is important because it is the first to show that an artificially fabricated cornea can integrate with the human eye and stimulate regeneration,” Dr May Griffith, who holds positions at OHRI, the University of Ottawa and Linköping, said. “With further research, this approach could help restore sight to millions of people who are waiting for a donated human cornea for transplantation.”

$400,000 payout for customer’s assault on optometrist’s employee

Sep 2010

he owners of an optometry practice in Rosalie, Brisbane, have been ordered by the Supreme Court of Queensland to pay almost $400,000 in damages to a former employee who was sexually assaulted at the practice by a male customer. The court found that the owners of Global Eyes, Adam and Elizabeth Lusk, failed to provide adequate security back in 2005 when the female employee in

www.insightnews.com.au

her 40s was followed by the 70-year-old customer, a retired accountant, into a back room of the practice while she was alone in the premises. Justice Roslyn Atkinson said the practice owners had breached their duty to their employee by failing to install simple security measures, such as a $300 infra-red beam or a $1200 self-locking door, which could have prevented the assault. FEBRUARY 2014

Vision Group loss of $58.4m, versus American Academy of $12.6m profit in previous year Sep 2010 Ophthalmology isted ophthalmology practice $12.6 million the year before. company Vision Group Holdings The loss was largely attributable to honours Sydney Limited recorded a loss after tax a $66m write-off of goodwill as well as million for the 2009-2010 $6.5m in non-recurring expenses. optometrist Sep 2010 ofyear,$58.4 compared to an after-tax profit of he American Academy of Ophthalmology has honoured Syd- Eyecare Partners reports $4.37m ney optometrist Dr Stephen Kwok, PhD, with a 2010 AAO Sec- loss; $4.9m goodwill write-off Sep 2010

retariat award. The awards recognises special contributions to the academy and to ophthalmology.

isted optometry practice company Eyecare Partners Limited has reported an after-tax loss of $4.37 million for the 2009-10 year compared to a profit of $1.38 million the year before, a reversal of $5.75 million. The main contributors to the

operating loss were a $4.94m goodwill write-off and personnel charges increasing 13.4 per cent to $1.6m. Sales revenue was up from $27.3m in 2008-09 to $30.13m in 2009-2010 for the 41 optometry practices owned and operated by the company.

Botox maker Allergan ordered to pay $660m over misbranding Sep 2010

Stephen Kwok

Dispensers can call themselves ‘certified dispensing opticians’ Oct 2010

ptical dispensers throughout Australia can now call themselves ‘certified dispensing opticians’ provided they have completed a Certificate IV course in optical dispensing at a TAFE college or equivalent course and, as a consequence, have been accepted as a member of the Australasian Dispensing Opticians Association based in New South Wales.

EVERYBODY READS INSIGHT! 90

FEBRUARY 2014

llergan Inc, manufacturer of Botox, the lucrative eyemuscle-disorders-treatment, early this month agreed to pay $US600 million ($A660 million) to settle a years-long federal investigation into its marketing of the top-selling, botulinbased drug. The Justice Department and the company said in a statement Allergan will plead guilty to one misdemeanour charge of “misbranding”, in which the company’s marketing led physicians

to use Botox for unapproved uses, included the treatment of headache, pain, spasticity and cerebral palsy in children. The company “paid kickbacks to induce physicians to inject Botox for off-label uses and also taught them how to bill for off-label uses, including coaching on how to miscode Botox claims leading to millions of dollars of false claims being to submitted to federal and state programs”, Assistant Attorney General Mr Tony West said.

Primary Health Care buys 7.2% ‘substantial shareholding’ in VGH

Oct 2010

rimary Health Care Limited, which has capitalisation as high as $3 billion at present on the Australian Stock Exchange, has become a substantial (7.2%) shareholder in listed ophthalmology practices company Vision Group Holdings Limited, which has capitalization at about $19-20 million. Primary Health Care, headed by Dr Ed Bateman and based at Leichhardt in Sydney’s inner west, advised Vision Group on 19 October that it had become a substantial shareholder in the company having bought 3,895,951 shares out of the 72,671,765 ordinary

fully-paid shares on issue to give it 5.36% of total voting rights. The prices for the shares bought then by Primary Health Care ranged from 23.4c to 28.0c, with numbers of shares bought ranging from 2,000 at 21c to 1,119,900 at 23.5c. They were bought between 9 August and 19 October (see box). On 25 October (the date of Vision Group’s 2010 annual meeting), Primary Health announced that on 21 October it had bought a further 1,345,167 shares to take its total shareholding to 5,242,118 shares – 7.20% of issued shares.

Bupa Australia buys out co-owner of 27 Blink Optical stores Sep 2010

upa Australia, which operates private health insurance brands HBA, MBF and Mutual Community, has acquired the shares it did not own in Health Eyewear, which were previously owned in a joint venture with the interests of Mr Colin Kangisser. Health Eyewear and its 27 subsidiary Blink Optical outlets are based in five states and will continue to trade under the Blink Optical brand. According to Bupa, the acquisition will enable members of HBA, MBF and Mutual Community health funds to access better value and higher benefits (including no-gap packages) on purchases from Blink Optical stores.

Specsavers launches free fundus screening in UK practices Oct 2010

ll Specsavers practices in the United Kingdom have now been equipped with fundus cameras, with screening made available free of charge to every customer, Optician reports. In Australia, Specsavers has fundus cameras in many, but not all, of its stores, with a $10 fee charged for digital fundus-camera photography versus $50-60 usually charged by others. The price of fundus cameras ranges from about $25,000 for nonmydriatic to $50,000 for mydriatic. At present Specsavers Australia has not announced any plans to increase the number of stores providing funduscamera photography, not whether it will provide them at low cost to the patient or at no charge. www.insightnews.com.au

ODMA draws up code of conduct for its membership; 46 years later Oct 2010

orty-six years after it was established (in 1964), the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association has drawn up a code of conduct for its members, with some of its requirements raising a few eyebrows. The code imposes a number of strict requirements of members, which,

while some may consider raise tradepractices-legislation implications, have been tacitly agreed to by the great majority of the membership of the association, who, when asked for comments on a draft of the code, did not seek amendments to the draft. It is understood most of the few amendments that were sought were

implemented when the code was finalised and agreed to by the board of ODMA. The code stipulates that members shall accept the rules and code of conduct as a condition of membership. One of the major raisons d’etre for the code appears to be to discourage a stand-alone basis at Odmafair shall

Specsavers responds to OPSM’s ‘Love’ television commercial

1.8% increase for optometry fees and benefits under Medicare

Oct 2010

pecsavers has responded to OPSM’s ‘Love’ television commercial (see report September Insight) with hardhitting press advertisements, such as the one shown here. The advertisements have been running in Australia and New Zealand where the two companies are locked in battle for the retail optical dollar, with their completely different approaches to the market, reflecting their respective positioning.

Reference to ‘free’ Transitions in the advertisements has created a furore among rivals, causing Transitions Optical’s business director for Australia and New Zealand, Mr Eric Breda, to write to practitioners and lens suppliers stating that it is important to his company that “you know this is the initiative of the optical retailer [Specsavers] and we would always prefer our product to be promoted on its benefits”.

France’s Essilor buying 50% of Shamir for $130 million Oct 2010

ibbutz Shamir and Essilor International have announced that they have signed an agreement whereby Essilor will, through a series of transactions, acquire 50% of Shamir Optical. As a result of these transactions,

Kibbutz Shamir and Essilor will each own 50% of Shamir Optical. Amos Netzer, chief executive officer of Shamir Optical commented: “This venture places Shamir Optical in a position to accelerate the development of new products and to strengthen

CIBA Vision loses appeal in UK over ‘insufficient’ E-W patent

Oct 2010

ovartis’ CIBA Vision has lost an appeal in the United Kingdom to overturn a ruling that invalidated its European patent for extended-wear contact lenses. Novartis had argued that judges in the Netherlands and France had arrived at different conclusions to the UK court that deemed the 2001 ‘Nicolson’ patent covering techwww.insightnews.com.au

nology for the breathable Air Optix and Night&Day lenses invalid due to insufficient disclosure. At the Court of Appeal in London, Justice Robin Jacob ruled that the lower court “was entirely right to decide the patent was insufficient”. He added that the patent was “nothing but a hazard to those conducting research into extended-wear contact lenses”.

organise an event, product release or function outside the venue in which the fair is taking place at any time during the three fair visiting days”. Yet an earlier section (3.5) says “no member of the association shall have the right to interfere with the competitive rights of any other member”.

its presence in the market by using Essilor’s R&D capabilities, notably in coatings, and it worldwide distribution network. The transaction will create synergies and provide Shamir Optical with additional resources to invest in its development.”

Oct 2010

edicare fees and benefits for optometry services from 1 November rise by 1.8 per cent to $68.35 for a full-fee comprehensive initial consultation (more than 15 minutes) and $58.10 for an 85% bulk-billed initial consultation (the most common fee). An initial consultation is not payable within 24 months of a previous one unless there has been a significant change of visual function, or new signs or symptoms, or a progressive disorder. However a full fee of $34.20 and an 85% bulk-billed fee of $29.10 is payable where another optometrist has been seen within the previous 24 months. Brief initial consultations (not more than 15 minutes) and subsequent consultations attract a full fee of $34.20 and an 85% bulk-billed fee of $29.10.

Eyecare Partners’ chairman steps down citing ‘personal reasons’ Oct 2010

he chairman of optometrical practices company, Mr Finian MacCana, on 27 October stepped down as chairman and a director of the company, citing “personal reasons”. An existing director of the company, Mr Robert Rollinson, has been

appointed chairman. “Finian was instrumental in developing the initial concept of Eyecare Partners and achieving the listing of the company on the ASX in August 2007,” a statement from the company on 28 October said. FEBRUARY 2014

Optometry Board revealed then backed off its therapeutics agenda

he Optometry Board of Australia revealed and then quickly withdrew its agenda for making it mandatory for all optometrists maintaining or seeking initial general registration to have certification in therapeutic drugs by 2014. That was the plan revealed in a letter dated 14 February that was received by some optometrists, which included the paragraph: “From 2014 the minimum qualifications required for general registration for optometrists in Australia will include therapeutic qualifications so that is when the board will also need to establish the requirements for overseas trained optometrists applying for general registration in Australia.” By 17 February, the above paragraph had been deleted from the board’s website. The letter of 14 February, signed by the chairman of the board, Mr Colin Waldron, then read:

“Optometry Board of Australia consultation document on proposal for therapeutic qualification to be included as a requirement for general registration This statement is provided following requests for more information about the board’s consultation on the proposal that therapeutics qualifications be included as a requirement for general registration. I can confirm that the board has not made any decisions and does not plan to force currently registered optometrists to complete therapeutic qualifications. Optometrists who do not complete therapeutic qualifications will still be able to practice but their scope of practice will not include prescribing therapeutics as it is today. All optometrists registered with the Optometry Board of Australia should be aware of the following key points. These were also provided to the Optometrists Association Australia earlier this month.

• In registering optometrists the board is always mindful of its over arching legislative obligation to protect the public. We can see changes happening that we must address. We are considering if the qualifications required for general registration should be expanded to reflect the increasing numbers of optometrists who have completed therapeutic qualifications and if so, how and when that should be done. • About 20% of current registered optometrists have therapeutic qualifications and 80% do not. By the end of the decade it is anticipated these numbers will be reversed as all Australian and New Zealand graduates from 2014 will complete therapeutic qualifications as a part of their undergraduate degree. The numbers of registered optometrists with endorsement after completing therapeutic qualifications will also increase.

Feb 2011

• The optometrists with general registration who hold therapeutic qualifications currently have an endorsement on their registration. This identifies them from those who do not hold these qualifications. • The consultation document asks stakeholders to consider how the board should register optometrists when most optometrists have completed therapeutic qualifications. It might be a case of those including therapeutic qualifications as a requirement for general registration and noting on the registration record of practitioners who choose not to undertake therapeutics qualification that they do not hold such qualifications and are not able to prescribe therapeutics. • The board will also need to establish the requirements for overseas trained optometrists applying for general registration in Australia.”

Change of head at Melbourne’s Dept of Optometry and Vision Science

March 2011

here was a change in head of the Department of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Melbourne. Professor Neville McBrien’s appointment as head of school ended on 14 February and Dr Alex Gentle has been appointed acting head of department. In a letter to all staff at the department on 14 February, the dean of the Faculty of Science,

Professor Robert Saint said: “There are new arrangements regarding the management of the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences at the University of Melbourne. [Senior lecturer] Dr Alex Gentle has been appointed as acting head of department and Andrew Metha as acting deputy head of department from Monday 14 February. Professor Neville McBrien will continue his duties as professor within the department. Dr Gentle has

assumed all duties and responsibilities associated with the head’s role.” Professor McBrien, a BSc graduate from Aston University in England and a PhD from the University of Wales, was appointed head of the department and professor of optometry and vision sciences, and director of the Victorian College of Optometry (now the Australian College of Optometry) in 1999. During Professor McBrien’s term

as head of department, the department separated from the then VCO, creating a need for replacement teaching facilities, including clinics for the department. Dr Gentle has worked in the related fields of scleral matrix biology and ocular growth control since the commencement of his PhD studies. Prior to that, his honours thesis won him the Naylor Prize in the United Kingdom.

Two optometry veterans’ portraits unveiled

ortraits of two men who have given long-service to optometry at the University of New South Wales and to the community at large were unveiled on the university campus on 2 March. The life-size (52 x 46 inch) portraits

FEBRUARY 2014

by artist Paul Newton are of Emeritus Professor Brian Layland and Professor Brien Holden. Professor Layland, [now 82], had also recently awarded Honorary Fellowship (only the sixth made by the UNSW council since the university

was founded in 1950) for his “long and conspicuous involvement” with the university for more than 50 years to advance eye-health and optometric services. The fellowship was officially conferred by the pro-vice-chancellor

March 2011

of the university, Professor Margaret Harding at a graduation ceremony. Professor Holden, [now 72], is chief executive officer and a director of the eponymous Brien Holden Vision Institute and has been associated with the UNSW since 1972. www.insightnews.com.au

RANZCO president cautions on surgery co-management payments

he president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, Dr Richard Stawell, cautioned fellows of the college about payment of fees for co-management. In a letter to all fellows on 12 January 2011, Dr Stawell said it has recently been brought to the attention of the RANZCO board and council that dubious ethical practices have been creeping into ophthalmology patient care in New Zealand and Australia. “I would like to remind you of the college’s ethical standards on co-management and the payment

for referral and/or manage postoperative patients on behalf of an ophthalmologist,” the letter continued. “The college’s guidelines are mirrored by the ethical standards of the New Zealand Medical Association, the Australian Medical Association’s collaborative arrangements and the Australian and New Zealand Medical Boards’ codes of conduct/ethical standards. “It is unacceptable to provide financial or other inducement for referral and patients need to be fully aware of the relationship between parties in any co-management arrangement.

Death of optometrist in Christchurch earthquake

aul Dunlop, a respected optometrist in Christchurch, was killed in the major earthquake that hit the city on 22 February. He was killed when a church he was in totally collapsed while he was inside dismantling the organ there that was damaged by the previous earthquake in Christchurch; he was part of a team of eight dismantling the organ at the Durham St Methodist Mission Church when the earthquake hit. Two men from the South Island Organ Company were also killed, while other workers managed to escape. Mr Dunlop was a well-known Christchurch optometrist whose family practice, now Paul Dunlop & Associates, has served the community for more than 110 years. Paul Dunlop ran the practice on New Regent St with his wife Sue, who

March 2011

manages the business, commencing after completing his optometry qualification in 1965. His special interests were contact lens fitting and behavioural optometry, particularly learning difficulties for children. Mr Dunlop held a number of national and international specialty positions, currently serving on the national registration board and as president of the New Zealand College of Optometrists. He was also a member of the New Zealand Association of Optometrists and the New Zealand Cornea and Contact Lens Society. His other interests included piano and pipe-organ playing, and he enjoyed being in his home workshop. He leaves his wife Sue, three sons and three grandchildren.

Sales down, profit up, liquidity less concern for Eyecare Partners March 2011

isted optometry company Eyecare Partners Limited’s sales from operations were down 7.2%, from $15,289,000 to $14,259,000 for the six months to 31 December 2010, profit returned to the black from a loss of $3,025,000 for the same period in 2009 to a pre-tax profit of $696,000, and there was an after-tax profit of $498,000 versus a loss of $3,277,000 previous. However liquidity, while less of a www.insightnews.com.au

problem than it was for the full year ended 30 June 2010 due to improved margins and reduction of inventory and debtor levels, remains an an issue with current assets being $4,714,000 and current liabilities $8,537,000, according to the company’s interim report for the six months ended 31 December 2010. Current assets were $4.406,000 for the six months ended 30 June 2010 and current liabilities were $9,030,000.

“All patient care should be firmly founded on the patient’s best interest. Having someone other than the surgeon provide post operative care and follow up needs to be carefully judged against this code of conduct. “The surgeon is responsible for determining the competency of another practitioner to perform any delegated services. “At no time should the surgeon pay for the services of another practitioner. The cost of any care delegated to another person should be deducted from the surgeon’s fee. Those services should then be

March 2011

billed directly by the practitioner providing the service that has been appropriately delegated to them. Financial transactions between surgeons and referrers are not regarded as professional. “Surgeons should resist pressure from referrers who demand a financial incentive for the post operative care to maintain an ongoing referral relationship. The provision of preoperative investigations/ consultations similarly should be billed to the patient by the provider of those services and not be paid by the surgeon as an inducement to

World winning the fight against blindness, WHO figures show March 2011

he world is winning the fight against blindness as shown by World Health Organisation figures, the chief executive officer of The Fred Hollows Foundation, Mr Brian Doolan, said on 9 February. The WHO figures are proof that avoidable blindness can be eliminated within a generation, Mr Doolan said. The figures show the number of people suffering from blindness is decreasing, with WHO estimating that globally there are now less than 39 million people blind compared to previous estimates of around 45 million people in 2000. Mr Doolan says the figures show a perceived drop in blindness of around 5 million people but the true impact is much greater. “Not only have we stopped avoidable blindness in its tracks, we’ve beaten it back to ensure even more people can see,” Mr Doolan said. “A few years back the projections indicated we could have an extra 20 million people blind by now. That means if we did nothing to prevent or treat avoidable blindness, we could have up to 65 million people blind in the world today. “Through a coordinated effort to improve eye health, the world has managed to save more than 20 million people from this fate and this has only been achieved because the world acted.”

The figures have been released at the half-way mark of a global initiative to achieve the elimination of avoidable blindness by the year 2020. The Fred Hollows Foundation is a member of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness which spearheads the Vision 2020 campaign to achieve this ultimate outcome. The WHO study also found that the three greatest causes of blindness remain cataract, glaucoma and agerelated macular degeneration. A further 246 million people are said to be suffering from low vision, with uncorrected refractive error as the greatest contributor to that number. “The figures WHO has released show that Fred Hollows’ dream of overcoming avoidable blindness is coming true. Together we are making it happen and this can be one of the truly great achievements or our generation,” Mr Doolan said. “Three out of four people who are blind don’t need to be. If we can get to them, we can fix them. Ninety per cent of them live in the developing world. There are still millions of people who need to be given access to eye-care services which people in countries like Australia take for granted”. “If Fred was still alive to see these figures, I think he’d remind us that the job is only half done. I think he’d tell us to get back out there and finish the bloody job!” FEBRUARY 2014

Vision Group’s profit down; auditor has doubt about its continuation L

March 2011

earnings before interest and income tax was down 65.7% to $2.4m; profit from ordinary activities after tax attributable to members was down 66.7% to $1.6m; earnings per share were down 67.2% to 1.98c; and net tangible assets were down from $1.02 to $0.94.

the six months ended 31 December 2010 and only a small reduction in borrowings – from $107 million to $104 million. The pre-tax profit for the six months was $ $8.0m and the aftertax profit $1.6m – 14.9% and 3% of turnover respectively.

Senate to holds wideranging inquiry into AHPRA’s capacity and ability April 2011

Court upholds appeal against $400,000 employee payout

ollowing a series of major bureaucratic blunders by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, the Senate announced it was to hold an inquiry into the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme run by the AHPRA, the body under which operate the Australian Medical Board of Australia and the Optometry Board of Australia and eight other health-practitioner national registration boards. On 23 March, the Senate referred the following matter to the Finance and Public Administration References Committee for inquiry and report by 13 May 2011.

$7 million contributed to Deakin University by Victoria government

April 2011

n a vote of confidence, the Victoria government on 31 March announced a $7 million contribution towards the cost of the new REACH building on Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus that will house its courses in optometry, pharmacy and exercise and sports science. The $7 million contribution was announced by the Victoria higher education and skills minister Mr Peter Hall at a function at the building housing the university’s three-year-old medical school, adjacent to where the REACH building will be built.

According to the company’s interim report, issued on 28 February, revenue for the six months to 31 December was down 3.9%, from $55.9m to $53.7m for the same period in 2009. Earnings before interest, income tax, depreciation and amortisation was down 23.7% to $10.6m;

isted ophthalmology practices company Vision Group Holdings Limited’s auditor stated there is “significant uncertainty” regarding continuation of the company as a going concern, following a pre-tax profit drop of 26.6% and an after-tax profit drop of 67.7% in

FEBRUARY 2014

he Supreme Court of Queensland Court of Appeal unanimously upheld an appeal against a $387,633 payout by a practice owned by two optometrists to a former employee who was sexually assaulted at the practice by a male customer.

April 2011

The appeal, which was brought by the optometry practice at Rosalie, Brisbane, owned by optometrists, husband and wife Adam and Elizabeth Lusk, was upheld by the Appeal Court in a 3-0 decision on 1 April 2011.

The Appeal Court ordered that the appeal be allowed with costs; that the first judgement be set aside and the costs at first instance set aside; and that the former employee, Ms Michelle Elizabeth Sapwell, pay the appellants’ costs of the proceeding.

5mm-square microchip brought bionic eye closer to human trials

ustralian researchers developed a breakthrough microchip that gives life to the wide-view bionic eye, as preparations began for the first set of patient tests.   Associate Professor Gregg Suaning, of the University of New South

April 2011

Wales, leader of the wide-view device development team for Bionic Vision Australia said on 31 March: “This is a remarkable new microchip that has brought an Australian retinal implant much closer to reality.   “At only five square millimeters,

the device is tiny, but represents a significant advance in nerve-stimulation technology. It has 98 preciselycontrolled stimulation channels and numerous features that allow for the delivery of electrical stimulation that can restore some sense of vision.”

NSW failed to use federal funding for treatment of trachoma: Taylor

ew South Wales has failed to use federal funding to treat indigenous people with trachoma, according to Professor Hugh Taylor, Harold Mitchell Professor of Indigenous Eye Health at the University of Melbourne. Trachoma, a preventable eye disease, has been eradicated in the past five to ten years in every other

April 2011

country except Australia, including Ghana, Morocco, Oman and Iran, Professor Taylor said. Trachoma can be treated by ophthalmologists with an antibiotic and by educating children on hygiene, particularly to keep their faces clean. While NSW has failed to use the federal funding, Western Australia,

South Australia and the Northern Territory have all tapped into the $16 million set aside by the former prime minister Mr Kevin Rudd two years ago in an attempt to eradicate trachoma here and to mark the anniversary of his apology to the ‘stolen generation’. In February 2009, Mr Rudd announced a $58.3 million funding package over four years. www.insightnews.com.au

Study casts doubt on peripheral refraction as a cause of myopia

he results from a large, longitudinal, multi-centre, United States study fail to support the widely-held view that relative peripheral refraction, more specifically, relative peripheral hyperopia (RPH)*, plays a rôle in either the onset of myopia or the rate of progress of myopia in children. The paper (Mutti et al., 2011) in the high-impact factor journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science reported data from a study of 2043 non-myopic, third-grade children (average age 8.8 years, SD ± 0.52 years) who were followed annually for the purpose of assessing risk of myopia onset. By the eighth grade (age 13.8 years) 324 (almost 16%) had become myopic (defined as ³ –0.75 D in each principal meridian).

April 2011

The data used in the rate of progression analyses were derived from 774 myopic children in grades 1 to 8. However, the loss to follow-up in this group was significant with 158 children completing 3 years of followup, only 61 children making it to 5 years, and just 1 making it all the way to 8 years. Importantly, the ethnicity of the study’s subjects was noted and the group was subdivided into Native American, Asian, African-American, Hispanic, and white in subsequent analyses. Interestingly, at the recent Asia Pacific Association of Ophthalmologists 2011 conference held in Darling Harbour (Sydney) last month, a presenter who has done some experimental work in the area

Two Obituaries Susan Christine Larter

ue Larter, a Sydney specialist behavioural optometrist, died on 14 April when snorkelling with her husband on a boat-cruise holiday in Denham Bay, Raoul Island, in the Kermadec group, 1100km northeast of New Zealand. New Zealand police said it appeared she was snorkelling in calm conditions in a small supervised group when she indicated she was having difficulties. A medical evacuation was arranged but she died of complications before it could take place. Susan Christine Larter (nee Day) was educated at Fort Street High School and the University of New South Wales; she gained her BOptom degree from UNSW in 1976. Her first position in an optometry practice was with Noel Hamilton and Alan Bailey, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. In 1987, she joined the practice of what is now Thompson, Larter and Lee, as a partner, where she took a keen interest in children’s vision, particularly children with learning difficulties. She was a member of the board of Optometrists Association Australia (New South Wales Division) for nine

www.insightnews.com.au

April 2011

years, as well as holding positions on the executive of the Australasian College of Behavoural Optometrists, including the presidency and secretary’s positions in recent years. As well as OAA NSW and ACBO, her continued support was given to the Australian College of Syntonics from its establishment in 1991. Since 2000 when the college was corporatised, she held the position of NSW director.  She left her husband John and two children.

Ian Frank Elcock

of peripheral refraction was asked if they supported the theory of relative peripheral hyperopia as a factor in the aetiology of myopia. The answer was that the jury was still out and no definitive answer was possible as yet (the Mutti et al. paper was mentioned) but in their opinion, they leant towards the view that relative peripheral hyperopia was more likely to be a sign than a cause. The authors admitted that their use of a single eccentricity in the study was a limitation. Overall, the study concluded that relative peripheral hyperopia appears to exert little consistent influence on the risk of the onset of myopic refractive error, on the rate of myopic progression, or on axial elongation.

an Elcock, a long-time Queensland optometrist, died on 1 March after a long illness. He was 74 years of age. He qualified in optometry in Queensland in 1960, joining his father’s practice in the Brisbane CBD. From that practice grew 40 practices throughout Brisbane. One of the curiosities of Ian Elcock’s commercial life was that while he had the 40 practices, it was well known that some of them, including the original one in Queen Street, Brisbane, were winners, but there were a good number that were losers. However he would never sell or

close down the losers, reputedly because of his concern for their staff or, according to his detractors, because he wanted to maintain a critical mass of stores in order to sell to OPSM. During his professional life, he clashed with the then Optometrists Board of Queensland when it tried to take him on over matters that could best be described as trivial. Not afraid to spend money on legal advisers, he challenged the board every time it attempted to prosecute him, never once being beaten. His attitude towards the board was that it could spend its time more productively than trying to prosecute him for trivial offences, but that if it did try to prosecute him, he would hire the best legal brains available and fight it to the end. In the end, the board left him alone. In September 2002, OPSM Group acquired the business and assets of Ian Elcock Optometry and Precision Eyewear, which by then was the second-biggest retail optical chain in Queensland. He retained two businesses – an optometry practice on the Sunshine Coast and a sunglass shop on the Gold Coast. He left his partner Robyn and his sister Nyree.

Shamir boosted revenue 5.4% April 2011

srael’s Shamir Optical Industry boosted revenues for both the fourth quarter and the full year 2010. In unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended 31 December 2010, Shamir posted a 5.4% increase in revenue to $US39.1 million, compared with revenue of $37.1 million for the same period in 2009. Gross profit for the quarter was $21.1m, or 54.0% of revenues, compared with gross profit of $20.4m, or 55.0% of revenues for the same period last year. Shamir reported operating income of $3.3m for the quarter, or 8.6% of revenues, compared with operating income of $4.5m, or 12.3% of revenues for the same period last year. The reduction in operating income yearover-year was primarily due to the mix of products sold which negatively affected gross profit, costs associated with the company’s previouslyannounced transaction with Essilor International, restructuring costs in France and an increase in marketing and selling expenses, according to Shamir. Shamir’s net income for the quarter was $3.0m, compared with net income of $3.5m for the same period in 2009.

Luxottica Group 4Q net increased 88%

April 2011

uxottica Group SpA on 28 February reported its fourth-quarter net profit rose 88%, due primarily to higher revenues as well as improved margins, and predicted a strong 2011 as consumers return to high-end brands. The eyewear manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer said its net profit increased to €55.1 million ($A75.8 million) in the final three months of 2010 from €29.3 million a year earlier. Luxottica’s board proposed a 2010 cash dividend of 44 European cents a share. Net income attributable to the company for the fourth quarter increased to $US74.86 million or $0.16 per share from $43.23 million or $0.09 per share in the previous year. In Euros, net income for the fourth quarter was 55.11 million or 0.12 per share. FEBRUARY 2014

University of NSW Optometric Business Skills Course announced

The course has been developed by Professor Fiona Stapleton, UNSW head of the School of Optometry and Vision Science, with the aid of Linda Hailey who is a small-business expert with a special interest in optometry, who has previously worked for the Contact Lens Council, JJM and the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association on individual projects as well as having been closely involved in the development the optometry practice of Peter Hewett in Sydney since 1993.

he School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of New South Wales announced it is launching two courses aimed at developing business skills for optometrists – the UNSW ‘Optometric Business Skills Course’ and the ‘Optometric Internship Course’. Both courses were to be launched on 15 June at a cocktail party to be held at the UNSW Sydney CBD Campus on 15 June, which would have showcased the program and introduced the principals. However, it was cancelled without advising some who had accepted the invitation to attend.

The Business Skills Course is about establishing a balance between the fact that about 80 per cent of optometrists’ income in practices is generated by the sale of glasses and contact lenses, while the majority of their education is in clinical pursuits. The Optometric Internship course largely concerns selling optometry practices. According to the UNSW, understanding business principles is important for professional independence, which in turn is important for making decisions “with the patient’s best visual outcomes in mind”.

Safilo back on track

Govt provided $21.3m for next phase of ‘Avoidable Blindness Initiative’

taly’s Safilo Group recorded positive financial results for 2010 with growth driven by the Asian and American markets, while its European sales achieved more “moderate improvement”. The company posted a net profit for the year of €700,000, in comparison with a loss of €351.4m in 2009. Its chief executive Mr Roberto Vedovotto described 2010 as “one of the most meaningful years in Safilo’s history”characterised by significant milestones. The company had a near-death experience in 2009, when its lenders seriously considered letting it go under. In March 2010 the company completed a recapitalisation plan and partial takeover by HAL Inveastment, allowing it to rebalance its capital structure. That marked the start of improvements in the company’s economic and financial results, the strengthening of the Safilo management team and renewal of its licence partnerships.

he federal government committed $21.3 million over four years to continue the fight against avoidable blindness in the Asia-Pacific region, but more was needed, according to Vision 2020 Australia. “This budget commitment to the

April 2011

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The Business Skills Course will be delivered primarily through Webinars to be held weekly at 8pm on Monday evenings. That will involve a business lecture and a Webinar discussion which runs for approximately 90 minutes. Participants will be set a weekly task which will involve eight hours personal study and help systematically develop the skills which will enable a detailed business plan to be developed for each participant’s own practice situation in the second semester of the program. Some pre-course reading will be compulsory and complete the 10-hours-per-week commitment.

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May 2011

next phase of the Avoidable Blindness Initiative is testament to the federal government’s leadership in this vital area” Ms Jennifer Gersbeck, chief executive officer of Vision 2020 Australia, said on 11 May. “The funding will enable Australian

eye-health organisations to transform the lives of thousands of disadvantaged and vulnerable people. However, more funding is needed if we are going to achieve our goal to eliminate avoidable blindness in the Asia Pacific by 2020,” Ms Gersbeck said.

Centre for Eye Health’s 5,000th referral was by an ophthalmologist

he Centre for Eye Health reached a milestone since opening its doors to the public less than 18 months previously. The 5000th referral came from Sydney ophthalmologist Dr Keith Ong who referred a 64-year old man for

May 2011

optic-nerve imaging. According to Dr Ong: “CFEH provides an excellent service with regards to investigations that require expensive equipment. Patients appreciate the service provided, especially those who cannot afford

tests that do not attract a Medicare rebate.” To date, Dr Ong has referred more than 275 of his patients who couldn’t otherwise afford such sophisticated ocular imaging.

Ready-mades failed trial in UK

trial of ready-made glasses conducted in April for The Daily Mail newspaper in the United Kingdom largely failed them and concluded that most adults need prescription glasses. The Daily Mail conducted a similar

trial in January but that time consulted Boots optometrist Ms Carolyn Norman to assess ready-mades, including those from Primark and Poundland, Online Reading Glasses, Foster Grant, Funspex, Magnif-1 and David Clulow. Ms Norman commented that ready-

May 2011

mades had their place and offered some correction, but should never be an alternative to properly-made spectacles. She said ready-mades were sold with a limited variation of powers, “so most adults would need something tailor-made”. www.insightnews.com.au

Optometric screening of diabetic retinopathy needed improvement

patients with macular oedema to an ophthalmologist. The authors conclude that despite optometrists’ self-reported desire for involvement in diabetic retinopathy, the management of macular oedema by Australian optometrists needs improvement. The use of retinal cameras and promotion of the 2008 NHMRC guidelines should be encouraged to improve overall optometric diabetic retinopathy management, particularly with macular oedema. In the editorial leader in the same issue of Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology, ophthalmologist Dr Paul Beaumont et al point out that the survey indicated that 12 years after the release of the 1997 NHMRC guidelines and two years after release of the 2008 guidelines, over half the optometrists in Australia were not adhering to the suggested guidelines for best practice.

survey of 568 optometrist respondents out of 1,000 asked to participate showed screening of diabetic retinopathy by optometrists in Australia needed improvement, according to a paper published in Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology. The survey found that nearly 60% of optometrists would not refer patients with macular oedema to an ophthalmologist. The paper reporting on the survey, was authored by Drs Daniel Ting, Jonathan Ng, Nigel Morlet, Joshua Yuen, Antony Clark, Hugh Taylor, Jill Keefe and David Preen. It says the background to the survey was the current diabetic retinopathy screening and management practices of Australian optometrists following the release of the 1997 ‘National Health Medical research Council Diabetic Retinopathy Management Guidelines’. The main outcome measures were use of retinal cameras, screening practices/

attitudes and behavior in diabetic retinopathy management. The survey found that patients unpreparedness to drive post dilation (51%) and the fear of angle-closure glaucoma (13%) were the two main barriers to optometrists not performing dilated ophthalmoscopy. However, those who had strong desire to screen for diabetic retinopathy were more likely to use a retinal camera, which was significantly associated with an increased confidence in detecting clinical signs of diabetic retinopathy including macular oedema. Optometrists who read the guidelines at least once were 2.5 times more likely to have confidence in detecting macular oedema than those who had never read them. Although the optometrists may be confident in diagnosis, and may use retinal cameras for screening, nearly 60% of optometrists would not refer

Ophthalmologist nominated to chair AMA Council

OK sought for third AMD-treatment drug

May 2011

r Iain Dunlop, the former president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, was nominated (and later elected) for the position of chairman of the Australian Medical Association Council. Dr Dunlop joined Dr Wayne Herdy and Dr Roderick McRae as candidates for election to the position at the AMA National Conference in Brisbane on 27-28 May. The present vice-president of the AMA, Dr Steve Hambleton, was formally elected unopposed as president at the conference. Dr Hambleton, a GP from Brisbane, was the sole candidate for the presidency. He succeeded Dr Andrew Pesce, who retired after serving two years as president. www.insightnews.com.au

ayer AG’s HealthCare unit on 7 June submitted its ‘VEGF TrapEye’ drug for marketing authorization in the European Union for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration, which, if approved, will add to the two AMD drugs already on the market here – ‘Lucentis’ and ‘Avastin’. Bayer and its partner Regeneron

June 2011

Pharmaceuticals are collaborating on the global development of the drug for ‘wet’ AMD, central vein occlusion, diabetic macular oedema and myopic choroidal neovascularization. The drug is claimed to require lessfrequent injections once treatment is established – once every two months versus every month, following three loading doses.

May 2011

More importantly, the authors said, the survey reported 60% of patients with macular oedema and an additional, 10% with severe retinopathy, were not being referred immediately, but rather were being reviewed within 6 months. If that was so, then the patient’s vision would be put at risk, the authors continued. It would have major publichealth implications and would question the promotion of the optometrist as a suitably-trained examiner for diabetic screening by government departments or other institutions and impose on them a duty of care to the public to reverse their recommendations. The failure to refer a patient with significant disease wais unacceptable and inexplicable. Ongoing quality assurance programs put in place by government departments or other institutions would have made the survey unnecessary, the authors concluded.

Specsavers’ founders worth £1.15 billion

May 2011

mong the new billionaire entries in the ‘2011 Sunday Times Rich List’ in the United Kingdom were Douglas, 68, and Dame Mary Perkins, 67, the founders of Specsavers, and their family, who were worth £1.15 billion.

Hollows Foundation: 784,000 sight-saving procedures in 5 years

he Fred Hollows Foundation released its results for 2010, topping off five years of consecutive growth, which had led to over 784,000 people receiving sight-restoring eye operations in 18 countries. Five years ago, the foundation launched an ambitious roadmap to move

June 2011

closer to achieving Fred Hollows’ goals of improving indigenous health and ending avoidable blindness globally. In the last five years the foundation had: • • Supported 784,378 sight-saving eye operations and treatments; • • Supported training for 31,121 medical and support staff;

• • Looked into the eyes of 6,614,085 people; • • Provided $10,131,837 worth of medical equipment; • • Built or upgraded 119 eye-health facilities; and • Expanded to work in more than 55 Indigenous communities. FEBRUARY 2014

RANZCO took leadership role in Asia-Pacific region T June 2011

he Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists took a leadership role in development of a program of high-quality ophthalmic education and professional standards in the Asia Pacific region. The program is in line with the college’s mission, which is “to drive

improvements in eye health care in Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific region through continuing exceptional training, education, research and advocacy.” Underpinning all RANZCO’s work is a commitment to: • Best patient outcomes: aiming

to ensure equitable access to the highest quality eye health for all. • Education and training: providing contemporary education, training and continuing professional development. • Evidence-based decision-making: using research to underpin

improvements in education, training and eye health care. • Collaboration: working with others involved in the delivery of eye health care nationally and internationally. • Collegiality: supporting trainees and Fellows through all stages of their careers.

OAA wins ‘ban’ on optometrists and orthoptists from overseas June 2011

ptometrists Association Australia succeeded in having optometrists and orthoptists removed from the Skilled Occupation List compiled by the federal government on advice from the independent body Skills Australia, in effect a ban on members of both groups coming to Australia as free agents from 1 July onwards. Optometrists and orthoptists were two of only four occupations removed. The other two were panel beaters and vehicle painters. Thirteen occupations were added to the list, including hospital and retail pharmacists. Ophthalmologists remained among

the 192 occupations on the list. The Skilled Occupation List determines which occupations are eligible for independent or unsponsored skilled migration. Removal from the list means optometrists and orthoptists would have to be sponsored (which could well suit corporate employers more than single employees) or come for family reunion (unlikely) or perhaps come under some sort of state or territory program. Optometrists Association of Australia asked Skills Australia to remove optometrists and orthoptists (who can now refract nationwide

Top-drawer advisory board for Deakin June 2011

eakin University’s optometry department held its inaugural advisory board meeting, bringing together a seemingly incongruous, but top-drawer, mix of stakeholders. In attendance on the day were Luxottica CEO, Chris Beer; Optometry Board of Australia members Garry Fitzpatrick (Western Australia) and Ian Bluntish (South Australia) who is also president of Optometry Association Australia’s ProVision buying and marketing group; The Optical Superstores professional services director, Jason Holland; Geelong ophthalmologist Patrick

FEBRUARY 2014

Lockie (Deakin is located at Geelong); rural champion Phil Anderton and Tim Fricke from the Australian College of Optometry. The only apology was David Lau, executive director of the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. The head of Deakin’s optometry department, Harry Weisinger declared the meeting a success: “I never had any doubt that the group would be able to work together to provide advice on key issues, such as clinical placements, in order to make Deakin one of the world’s greatest optometry programs. They are all supremely-professional, highly-competent board members”.

under certain conditions) from the list, although it had no business doing so in regard to orthoptists. Skills Australia obliged, and the two groups have been removed. At no time did Skills Australia contact any employer of either optometrists or orthoptists, even though, for example, the larger employers alone employ something like 40 per cent of registered optometrists who are employed. The only body Skills Australia had dialogue with was Optometrists Association Australia, which largely relied in its submission on several papers published in the association’s

publication Clinical and Experimental Optometry in recent years, that concluded the optometry workforce is adequate to meet the needs of the Australian population, although there is variation between the states and territories on the availability of optometry services but sufficient to meet demand. Furthermore, that any perceived shortage of optometrists is actually a maldistribution. (A maldistribution equals a shortage: Ed.) The Skills Australia documentation says there was no assessment of orthoptists.

40 CPD points in 1.5 days at new optometry congress in Sydney June 2011

t was announced that ptometrists attending a new optometry congress in Sydney on 10-11 September wold earn 40 CPD points in one-and-a-half days. Optomax Conference 2011, the inaugural conference organised by the fledgling Perth-based Australian Institute of Optometry, was to be held from 12pm on Saturday 10 September and all day on Sunday 11 September. The conference offered participants their yearly 40-CPD-points requirement using optional assessed lectures “in the

minimum time possible”. Alternatively, it offered 18 points with assessment for the Saturday session and 23 points with assessments for the Sunday session. Under the new Optometry Board of Australia guidelines to renew registration, every optometrist seeking to maintain registration must obtain 40 CPD points each year before 30 November. Those with therapeutics endorsement must obtain 20 appropriate points in therapeutics. There must be 12 points of face-to-face CPD for all optometrists each year. www.insightnews.com.au

OPSM’s Eye Hub in Melbourne won two retail design awards June 2011

uxottica’s OPSM Eye Hub in Melbourne won two retail design awards – one for ‘Store Design of the Year’ at the ‘Retail World Awards’ ceremony on 27 June, the other earlier in the month for ‘Best Retail Design in Asia Pacific’ won by e2, the designers of the Eye Hub, at the ‘Asia Pacific Property Awards’. Judging criteria for the ‘Retail World Awards’ include “delivery of

definable and significant business benefits, innovation, financial performance, management, leadership and originality of application, return on investment and project management issues, such as delivery within deadline and budget”. In the category of Store Design of the Year, Luxottica beat fellow finalists Wedding List Co. and Myer, Australia’s largest department store group.

RANZCO executive officer left after 18 years

r John Deeth left The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists on 29 July after 18 years’ association with the college and its members. Mr Deeth was executive officer at the college for 10 years until taking on the role of executive director of APAO Sydney 2011, the highly-successful

July 2011

26th Congress of the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, held in Sydney in March 2011. Before joining the college on a fulltime basis in 2000, he was adviser to the college on media and public relations issues.

VGH secures $750,000 settlement from a former doctor partner

pthalmology practices listed company Vision Group Holdings Limited announced on 1 June that it has achieved a favourable settlement of the litigation it commenced against Dr Thomas EshunWilson in May 2010. Dr Eshun-Wilson, who was formerly an ophthalmologist partner with the company, practising in Maryborough and Hervey Bay in Queensland, terminated his service agreement with the company on 16 April 2010. Following that termination, Vision Group commenced proceedings in the Supreme Court of Queensland seeking damages for what it alleged was Dr www.insightnews.com.au

UK-based Australian scientist develops visionimpairment aid

ustralian neuroscientist Dr Stephen Hicks and a team from the Department of Clinical Neurology at Oxford University in England announced they had developed a spectacle-based visual aid for the vision impaired that draws from many technologies used in so-called ‘smart’ phones and games consoles. The device was featured at the 2011 Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London. A pair of forward-looking miniature cameras mounted on the extremities of the spectacles front feed information to a processing unit

June 2011

remote from the spectacles. The processed information is then relayed to an array of lightemitting diodes directed towards the wearer’s eyes that are mounted in the transparent ‘lenses’ of the device. The resulting light pattern can provide partially-sighted people with guidance as to what is in front of them, especially obstacles, and by modulating the brightness of the information conveyed, estimates of the proximity of object can also be made. Some training, which was likened to physiotherapy, is required.

Sunshades offered Rx warranty on its sub-$100 brands July 2011

unshades Eyewear, with 40 years experience in the eyewear industry, a wealth of expertise in building brands and a strong understanding of the retail landscape, recognised the importance of quality affordable eyewear in the market. As economic times become tougher, there was a growing global trend with optical retailers to seek out incremental

sales, which are primarily being driven through the increased representation of affordable sunglasses in their overall product mix. To support that market trend, Sunshades announced the introduction of a 12-month Rx warranty policy on its entire portfolio – including the many quality brands available in the sub-$100 RRP.

July 2011

Eshun-Wilson’s wrongful termination of his service agreement and breach of certain non-compete provisions in that agreement. By way of counter claim, Dr EshunWilson sought payment of a claimed ‘Earn Out Amount’. As a result of a mediated settlement agreement reached on 27 May 2011, Dr Eshun-Wilson will pay Vision Group $750,000, through 72 monthly instalments of $10,417, in respect of its damages claim. Furthermore Vision Group Holdings will not make any payment to Dr Eshun-Wilson in respect of the claimed ‘Earn Out Amount’.

AMA president called for better health care for asylum seekers Aug 2011

he president of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Steve Hambleton, on 17 August called for better health care for asylum seekers, in “a message for all politicians and the broader community” during the AMA Parliamentary Dinner at Parliament House, Canberra. “The AMA believes that the system of mandatory detention of asylum seekers is inherently harmful to the physical and mental health of detainees,” Dr Hambleton said.

“The harm is especially acute in the case of children. “Despite improvements in the provision of health care to immigration detainees, the policy of mandatory detention and the remote location of most detainees mean that the health status of detainees continues to decline. “As the representative body of Australian doctors, the AMA is voicing its concerns about an ethical and public health issue.” FEBRUARY 2014

Eyes for Africa’s 5 projects Hoya sued Essilor have restored sight to 1,000 in USA over alleged Ethiopians patent infringements Aug 2011

yes for Africa announced it had had five successful projects since its inception in March 2007 to remote rural areas of Ethiopia and has restored sight to just over 1000 blind Ethiopians living in poverty. The non-profit, charitable organisation was also funding the training of an ophthalmic nurse, Seid Idres, to become a cataract surgeon. He finished his training at the end of that year.

Each cataract project cost around $10,000, with each operation costing $A40-50. The big expenses were shipping equipment to Ethiopia, transporting the team to remote areas, taxes at customs and payment of local staff who work on the projects. Many consumables and lenses were donated from Australia or bought from India. All volunteers paid their own way.

Major refurbishment at UNSW School of Optometry and Vision Science Aug 2011

ompletion of an 18 monthslong major refurbishment was celebrated at the opening on 1 August of six additional consulting rooms, a spacious reception area and well-appointed supporting facilities for the clinics at the University of New South Wales School of Optometry and Vision Science. Head of school, Professor Fiona Stapleton, welcomed guests. In her welcoming address, she said the school’s focus in clinical teaching within the optometry program was

to enhance the clinical experience of undergraduates to better prepare them to solve the visual needs of the community. “I am deeply indebted to Optometrists Association Australia [NSW Division] for getting the ball rolling and supporting the school in this endeavour in 2009 by supporting a clinic development manager position to work with the clinic director to manage these changes and to bring more patients through our clinic,” Professor Stapleton said.

OPSM introduces digital retinal scanning to 300 of its stores

Aug 2011

PSM, Australia’s largest optometry group, introduced digital retinal scan technology into its entire Australian network of over 300 stores, coinciding with the launch of the next phase of the ‘OPSM Loves Eyes’ television campaign – ‘Eyes Love Colour’. Commenting on the investment in technology, Mr Grant Fisher, national eye-care director for OPSM, said: “Put

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simply, most Australians are walking around blind to the fact that eye health and general overall well-being are intrinsically linked. “By introducing the digital retinal scanners into every OPSM store across the country, we will automatically raise the standard of care and eye health and the role it plays in general well-being forever.”

oya Corporation in the United States filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Essilor International, Essilor of America, Essilor Laboratories of America and Gentex Optics, a lens maker which is owned by Essilor, Vision Monday reported. In documents filed in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on 27 July, Hoya claimed that the Essilor companies infringed on three separate US patents held by Hoya that

Aug 2011

concern methods of injection moulding plastic lenses. One of Hoya’s primary claims was that the Essilor companies used “infringing methods to make and market… ophthalmic, prescription, corrective and/or progressive optical lenses… including plastic moulded aspherical and finished eyeglass lens products such as the Essilor Airwear polycarbonate lenses,” according to the documents filed with the court.

OBA OKs use of ‘Ophthalmic Medicines Prescriber’ by optometrists Aug 2011

he Optometry Board of Australia accepted a recommendation from Optometrists Association Australia that the appropriate term for therapeutically-endorsed optometrists to use on their stationery to indicate that

they have endorsement is ‘Ophthalmic Medicines Prescriber’. The board says that although it is not a policy directive, it considers it would be helpful for the public if practitioners use the same term.

Hands-on laser tutorial for Flinders University optometry students Sept 2011

econd-year optometry students at Flinders University had the opportunity to operate Nd:YAG and SLT lasers, firing at artificial targets as part of their Physical Optics for Vision Science subject. The practical laboratory was aligned with lectures on the theoretical and optical aspects of lasers, allowing an integrative approach to laser education. The lasers were supplied by Ellex

Medical Lasers, an Australian company based in Adelaide. Ellex representatives Don Watton and Rob Caprile attended the laboratory. Don Watton, a biomedical engineer gave the students a tutorial about the various applications of lasers used by ophthalmologists including the Ellex 2RT – Retinal Regeneration Therapy for early agerelated macular degeneration currently being investigated in Melbourne.

Productivity Commission’s report ignores vision loss: Vision Australia Sept 2011

he Productivity Commission’s ‘Caring for Older Australians’ final report to the Australian government ignores the needs of older people with a disability, including the growing number of people with vision loss, according to Vision Australia’s general manager, Ms Maryanne Diamond.

Ms Diamond welcomed the early release of the report and the government’s commitment to consult with the community before responding to the commission’s recommendations. She said the incidence of blindness and low vision increases with age and www.insightnews.com.au

Contact-lens prescribing rules ignored by overseas-owned online distributor Sept 2011

he Therapeutic Goods Administration stopped an online distributor from selling non-complying contact lenses to the public from its Sydney premises – or so it thinks. However the distributor, Clearly Contacts AU, owned by Coastal Contacts Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of

Canadian listed company Coastal Contacts, although stating on its Website that contact lenses are not available, is still selling them. When, say, a Johnson & Johnson lens is ordered online, the website says: “This product is currently unavailable as we make site and

OBA softened CPD requirements; now 80 points over two years Sept 2011

he Optometry Board of Australia softened its continuing professional development requirements for optometrists in order to maintain their registration. Optometrists were now able to accumulate CPD points over two registration periods, and still meet the necessary registration requirements – i.e. 80 points over two registration periods. Those renewing their registration in

November needed to make a declaration that they have met the CPD requirements for the previous registration renewal period (since 1 December 2010) or that they have a plan in place to complete the two years’ requirements by the end of the next registration period (30 November 2012). That meant optometrists must accumulate 80 points over no more than two registration periods starting from 1 December 2010.

Successful 12-months clinical trial of new laser

Sept 2011

esearchers at the Centre for Eye Research Australia released the results of a 12-month clinical trial of a new laser treatment for age-related macular degeneration, which is responsible for 48 per cent of vision loss in Australia. “Unlike existing treatments for AMD, which target the late stages of the disease, the nano-second laser is designed to intervene early, before significant damage occurs,” the study’s principal investigator, Professor Robyn Guymer, said. “If successful it will be the first www.insightnews.com.au

time AMD can be treated before a patient has suffered irreversible vision loss,” she said. The laser treatment involves an Australian-designed device that delivers a nanosecond dose of laser energy into the eye. In applying the laser, researchers aim to restore a healthier retina in patients with early AMD. The interim 12-month results from the trial of 24 high-risk patients with early AMD have shown that the laser can improve the function of a patient’s retina.

logistics improvements to serve you better. Have you tried our glasses? Starting at only $38!” But it then goes on to say: “We think you might also like …” and a lens from CIBA Vision comes onto the screen – offered at a discount of 50 per cent.

The latter information was added to the website at 4pm on 13 September. CIBA Vision in Australia denies supplying Clearly Contacts from its Australian operation, as do all three other major contact lens suppliers – Bausch & Lomb, CooperVision and Johnson & Johnson.

Specsavers dropped retail price to as low as $39 for complete SV glasses Sept 2011

pecsavers dropped its retail price of complete single-vision glasses to as low as $39 – $20 less than its previous lowest price of $59. The price included Pentax-branded single-vision lenses with scratchresistant coating and a plastic or metal frame. Multifocals and bifocals were available at extra cost. Advertisements in the press were headed ‘We’ve lowered the price not

the quality’. A spokesman for Specsavers said the campaign was aimed in particular at people who usually buy ready-made glasses, and that by offering an eye examination via Medicare benefits and a complete pair of prescription singlevision glasses for $39, Specsavers was providing excellent value as well as helping with the eye health of those who respond to the campaign.

Eyecare Partners reports $5.3m operating-profit turnaround

Sept 2011

isted optometry practices company Eyecare Partners Limited reported a $5.3 million turnaround of operating profit before income tax for the 2010-11 year – from a loss of $4.5 million in 2009-10 to a profit of $1.2 million. The 2009-10 result included an impairment charge of $4.9m. There were no impairment charges over the 2010-11 period, nor were there any further practice acquisitions. According to the company’s audited financial report for the 2010-11 year,

which was not subject to audit dispute or qualification, there had been a cash position improvement of $1.0m; a working capital improvement of $465,000; an improvement of margins by 2.6%, resulting in an increased gross profit of $735,000; a $1.2m decrease in overhead expenses (minus cost of goods and impairment charges); and no impairment charges incurred. However because current assets totalled $4.7m while current liabilities totalled $7.8m, there was a deficiency of $3.1m. FEBRUARY 2014

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90 attended Luxottica first franchising conference; focus on principles Sept 2011

Two OAA chiefs resign; two other directors change; no reasons given

uxottica held its inaugural franchising conference on 14-15 August, attended by over 90 of its franchise partners and support staff representing each of Luxottica’s optical brands. Held at Sydney’s Olympic Park, the conference focused on the principles of franchising, business partnerships and how to make the most of the alreadythriving franchising system. Luxottica’s director of fanchising, Peter Baily, said: “The conference was the first of its kind and provided our franchise partners with new skills to help them increase their sales and profitability. It was a great opportunity to recognise excellence through a number of awards covering customer service, marketing, business performance and ‘Full Franchise Partner of the Year’.”

here was upheaval at the national office of Optometrists Association Australia in September. Mr Michael Knipe resigned as chairman and director of the national OAA board on 16 September, after serving only 10 months in the position, which he took up the previous November. Mr Andrew Harris, whom Mr Knipe succeeded, re-assumed the duties of chairman of the board. A week later (on 23 September), OAA’s chief executive officer, Mr Joe Chakman, resigned his position, ending 30 years of service to the association. Ms Genevieve Quilty, deputy CEO of OAA, was appointed acting CEO until a replacement for Mr Chakman was appointed. Ms Quilty joined OAA in 2008 as national policy and advocacy manager and was appointed deputy

CEO in May this year, managing the Canberra office of the association. (She was later to be confirmed as CEO after beating some 150 applicants for the position.) On 21 September, Mr Anthony Hogan resigned as the NSW/ACT nominee to the national board. He was replaced by Mr John Davis, a former national president of OAA. The national director representing Tasmania, Mr Andrew Hogan, resigned from the national board in late August after four years in the position and was replaced by Mr Tim Powell, a former president of the Tasmania OAA. And it appeared six members of OAA’s publishing team had left OAA and been replaced with new staff. Ms Sandra Shaw became national publications and marketing manager. Despite requests from floor member

Oct 2011

of the state divisions of OAA for information as to how and why Messrs Knipe and Chakman had left OAA, no replies to questions were provided, causing some disquiet and a feeling that Mr Chakman in particular has been left out to dry. In Western Australia, there was talk of calling a special meeting to demand from the WA state-division of OAA an explanation, with the possibility of a vote of no confidence if an explanation was not forthcoming. That eventually fizzled out. A meeting of state presidents was held in Melbourne on 9 October in what is understood to have been an attempt to decide what should be done to minimise any possible harm to Mr Chakman’s reputation, but participants remained tight-lipped about the outcome of that meeting.

Optometrists’ schedule consultation fees rose 2.0%

Oct 2011

chedule fees for optometrical consultations were to rise by 2.0% on 1 November, it was reported in October. The fee for an item 10900 comprehensive initial consultation rises to $69.70 ($59.25 85% bulk billed). Computerised tonometry (item

10940) attracts schedule fee from $66.50 ($56.55 bulk billed) down to $40.10 ($34.10 bulk billed). The item 10905 schedule fee for a referred comprehensive initial consultation rises to the same level, as does the fee other items for comprehensive consultations. The fee for an item 10907

comprehensive initial consultation by another practitioner within 24 months of a previous comprehensive consultation rises to $34.90 ($29.70 bulk billed), as does the fee for other brief or subsequent consultations. Item 10921 contact lens consultations (bulk item for all subsequent consultations) fee rises to $172.85

($146.95 bulk billed), while item 10929 medical or optical condition (other than myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, anisometropia or a condition to which item 10926, 10927 or 10928 applies) requiring the use of a contact lens for correction, where the condition is specified on the patient’s account rises to $218.15 ($185.45 bulk billed).

EPL proposes selective share buyback and sale of 6 practices

isted optometry practices company Eyecare Partners Limited on 19 October announce that the company has entered into an Implementation Deed with Dr Anthony Hanks, his wife Ms Vicki Hanks and various entities associated with them (the Hanks Entities). Under the Implementation Deed, it was agreed, subject to certain conditions: • For EPL to undertake a selective buy back of all shares in EPL currently owned by the Hanks Entities, being 28,346,219 fully paid ordinary shares or 20.79% of its issued share

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capital; and • For the EPL group to sell to a Hanks Entity six optometry practices presently conducted at 95 William Street, Port Macquarie, NSW; 1/29 Horton Street, Port Macquarie, NSW; 3 High Street, Wauchope, NSW; 75 Channon Street, Gympie, Qld 4570; Shop 39, Whitsunday Shopping Centre, 226 Shute Harbour Rd, Cannonvale, Qld; and Shop 4, 124 Main Street, Proserpine, Qld. The buyback and the sale were conditional upon:

• EPL obtaining all necessary approvals under the Australian Stock Exchange Listing Rules and the Corporations Act; • An independent expert’s report that the buyback transaction is fair and reasonable to the shareholders (other than the Hanks Entities); and • EPL obtaining the written consent of its principal financier, National Australia Bank, to the buyback and to the sale. Notable features of the transaction include: • The consideration for the buyback

Oct 2011

will be 4.2 cents per 20-cent EPL share ($1,190,541 in aggregate), payable by way of promissory notes issued to the relevant Hanks Entities by EPL; • Following the buyback, the relevant Hanks Entity will purchase the businesses from the EPL group for $2,540,541 (subject to certain completion adjustments). The consideration will be paid partly in cash ($1,350,000, as adjusted) and partly by the assignment of the buyback promissory notes with a face value of $1,190,541. www.insightnews.com.au

NSW ophthalmologist struck off for unsatisfactory professional conduct Oct 2011

New South Wales ophthalmologist, Dr Frank Gorman, was struck off the register of medical practitioners for unsatisfactory professional conduct and for professional misconduct, with no appeal possible for three years. Dr Gorman was struck off after a hearing by the NSW Medical Tribunal,

ending years of dispute between him and various medical authorities, as well as courts at all levels, including the High Court of Australia. At issue was whether spinal manipulation is an acceptable procedure to improve blood flow to the brain in order to treat a wide variety of conditions, including visual fields.

E-health records-plan sets dangerous precedent: AMA

he president of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Steve Hambleton, said that the AMA was “disappointed” that the federal government has failed to heed medical advice in finalising its ‘Concept of Operations’ for the personally controlled electronic health record (PCEHR). Dr Hambleton said the proposals could ‘de-medicalise’ electronic patient health information. “Little has changed from the draft plan despite the sound advice provided by many medical groups, including the AMA, about what should be included

Feb 2012

on a patient’s health record. “The government has caved in to minority consumer groups. “Under the proposed arrangements, people will be able to alter their health record without consultation with their doctor. “Patients could entirely remove from their record clinical documents that they had previously considered worth sharing with health-care providers. “That is a very dangerous precedent that could undermine all the potential benefits of an electronic health record.”

Zeiss drops OCT case against Optovue

Feb 2012

looming patent litigation fight over optical coherence tomography systems between the United States subsidiary of Germany’s Carl Zeiss Meditec and the far smaller Californian company Optovue was resolved with a cross-licensing agreement. Terms of the agreement were not revealed, with the case judge ordering each company to pay its own legal costs after all pending claims were dismissed. Claims of patent infringement were

initially brought by Carl Zeiss Meditec in February 2010, with the company accusing Optovue of infringing two patents owned by the University of Miami that were exclusively licensed to the German company in April 2005. US patents 7,301,644 and 7,505,142 both relate to ophthalmic applications of OCT, and in particular the use of the technique to acquire three-dimensional fundus intensity imagery – including a way to generate an en face view of the retina.

8th BCLA Pioneers Conference marked 50 years of soft contact lenses; developer honoured

he British Contact Lens Association’s 8th Pioneers Conference marked 50 years of soft contact lenses, with speakers honouring the person who first developed them – the late Professor Otto Wichterle, of Czechoslovakia. Two hundred and fifty members of the BCLA participated in the Pioneers Conference, held at the Royal Society of Medicine in London on 23 November. After World War II, during which he was imprisoned by the Gestapo (in 1942), Professor Wichterle thought HEMA might be a suitable material for contact lenses and gained his first patent for soft contact lenses. On 1954 this material was first used as an orbital implant. In he produced around 100 soft lenses from closed polystyrene moulds but the edges split and tore as the lenses were removed. In addition, they required hand finishing. He was determined to find a better way. Unfortunately, he and other prominent teachers had to leave the Institute of Chemical Technology after a political purge staged by its Communist leadership in 1958. Research into contact eye lenses at the Institute of Chemical Technology came to an end. The International Symposium on Macromolecular Chemistry held in Prague in 1957 convinced the state leadership of the need to establish a centre for research into synthetic polymers. The Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences came into being in 1958, with Professor Wichterle appointed its director. Since the institute’s building was under construction at that time, Professor Wichterle conducted the decisive experiments to transform

Feb 2012

hydrogels into a suitable shape of a contact lens at his own home. By late 1961 he succeeded in producing the first four hydrogel contact lenses on a home-made apparatus built using a children’s building kit (Merkur) and a bicycle dynamo belonging to one of his sons, and a bell transformer. All the moulds and glass tubing needed to dose them with monomer were also individually made by himself. On Christmas afternoon, with the help of his wife Linda, using the machine on his kitchen table, he had success. He tried the lenses in his own eyes and although they were the wrong power they were comfortable. Thus, he invented a new way of manufacturing the lenses using a centrifugal casting procedure. A few days later, he completed his patent application and produced over 100 lenses by spin casting. He built several new prototype machines using Merkur toys with increasing numbers of spindles which required the stronger motor taken from his gramophone. With these rudimental devices, in the first four months of 1962 they made 5,500 lenses. The early experimental lenses were called Geltakt and the later production lenses SPOFA. The CSAS inexplicably, and without Wichterle’s knowledge, sold the patent rights to the United States National Patent Development Corporation (and later even consented to cancellation of the licence agreements). Actual mass production of contact lenses took place mostly abroad, mainly in the United States. Professor Wichterle was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in the United States in 2007.

Bangkok floods receding; Hoya’s ‘super laboratory’ still closed

loods largely receded in Bangkok, Thailand, however Hoya’s ‘super laboratory’ there was still closed and is not expected to reopen until 1 April. www.insightnews.com.au

Operations at Hoya’s ‘super laboratory’ at Ayutthaya were suspended on 12 October due to flooding. The company said on 20 January that water has been removed from

the Ayutthaya facility, and based on delivery schedules from machine suppliers and other critical partners, it expects to partially resume production of prescription lenses in Ayutthaya

Feb 2012

“no later than 1 April”. Hoya’s plant in Pathumthani, which resumed operation on 21 November, returned to normal operation in December. FEBRUARY 2014

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1mm2 of harvested tissue restores sight in SEH/UNSW collaboration A

Feb 2012

In the surgery, Vannas scissors were used to remove stem cells from the cornea and from the limbus. After removal, the stem cells were placed into media supplemented with the patient’s own serum in separate containers, each containing a siloxane-hydrogel bandage soft contact lens and which became a substrate for culturing the ocular surface epithelial progenitors, which acted as the device for carrying progenitors to the ocular surface and which was a bandage to protect the transplanted stem cells during transfer thereby promoting corneal repair and regeneration.

the conjunctiva of the patient’s ‘good’ eye and then two weeks later when an enlarged, spawned group of stem cells was placed on the patient’s damaged eye, with a contact lens serving as the ‘carrier’ for the two weeks it took for the tissue to be cultivated in an incubator at UNSW. Insight was present when the tissue was placed on the cornea of the‘bad’ eye after a triple procedure undertaken in sequence – cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation, superficial keratectomy, corneal graft and stem-cell transfer.

Vision impaired by low gravity

Luxottica dropped Budget Eyewear and Just Specs brands; re-branded as OPSM

Feb 2012

stronauts spending significant amounts of time in low gravity conditions appeared to be prone to blurred vision. A questionnaire was sent to 300 people who had spent time in space and the results, highlighted in a paper under review for the journal Ophthalmology, suggest that 60 per cent of those who had undertaken long duration missions had experienced a degradation in distance and near vision. Many remain unresolved. Previous concerns had been raised about the impact of space travel with reports of increased levels of eye conditions, such as cataract, being found in astronauts.Increased exposure to cosmic radiation has been suggested as a possible factor. Seven astronauts studied recently were found to exhibit papilloedema, globe flattening and hyperopic shifts. The NASA researchers suggested that the changes were likely to be due to cerebrospinal fluid changes brought about by extended microgravity exposure. The findings have implications for future space exploration and colonisation.

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The patient’s eye damage was from a chemical injury, causing the condition known as limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). The surgical procedures were carried out at Sydney Eye Hospital by Clinical Professor Stephanie Watson, of the Save Sight Institute and the Corneal Unit, Sydney Eye Hospital, Prince of Wales, and Sydney Children’s Hospital, while the laboratory procedures were carried out at a laboratory headed by Associate Professor Nick Di Girolamo at the UNSW Department of Pathology.

procedure whereby one square millimeter of ‘harvested’ corneal stem cell tissue taken from a patient’s ‘good’ eye, cultured in a laboratory and then transferred to the patient’s ‘bad’ eye via a contact lens, was restoring sight to damaged eyes through a collaboration by Sydney Eye Hospital and the University of New South Wales. Insight attended Sydney Eye Hospital to witness two procedures: first when three pieces of one-squaremillimeter stem cell tissues were harvested from both the limbus and

FEBRUARY 2014

uxottica announced it was dropping the Budget Eyewear and Just Spectacles brands nationwide and re-branding them as OPSM, in a bid to make OPSM “a super brand”, to use the company’s words. The company was also re-branding its Laubman & Pank stores as OPSM in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria and will relocate or close some lowerperforming stores. Laubman & Pank stores in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory were to remain as they were, except one L&P store in Queensland had closed and would become a mini OPSM Eye Hub, along the lines of the

Mar 2012

Eye Hub in Melbourne but smaller. The 100-year-old Laubman & Pank brand has a long history (100 years-plus in SA), strong brand equity and loyal customers. The NSW and Victoria, Laubman & Pank stores were also to be rebranded as OPSM. Some lower-performing stores were to relocate or close. All up, 112 Budget Eyewear, Just Spectacles and Laubman & Pank stores were to be closed over the next two years – close to 20 per cent of Luxottica’s optical stores in Australia. However, over the next two years more than 50 stores were to be added to the OPSM network, increasing it from 368 to 419, and there were to be

50 Laubman & Pank stores. By the end of 2015, there were to be more than 470 OPSM stores in Australia and New Zealand, including 50 new ones. Franchisees of the three brands were invited to remain with the group, either under the same brand or for another in the group. All of the above was subject to working through commercial and legal processes in regard to leases, etc. In its quest to becomes a ‘super brand’, OPSM’s marketing spend was to increase by an additional $5 million that year and its store upgrade and refurbishment capital expenditure program would double to almost $40 million in the period.

VisionCareNSW funding suspended by state government for four months

isionCare NSW, which had been providing no-cost spectacles for persons with proven limited means since 2000, had its funding unexpectedly suspended for four months by the New South Wales government – from 29 February to 30 June 2012. The NSW Department of Family

Mar 2012

and Community Services in late January cited funding shortages when informing VisionCare NSW of the decision. The funds suspension meant an estimated 27,000 applications were affected, most of which could be transferred to the new financial year commencing 1 July, with

inconvenience to some. To date, annual demand had been about 74-75,000 pairs of glasses a year at no charge – NSW being the only state to provide them at no charge, albeit under stringent conditions. Funding was eventually restored after several delays. www.insightnews.com.au

No payments or inducements were to be made for referrals: RANZCO code

o payment or inducement to refer should be made by an ophthalmologist to any party who refers a patient to him or her, according to the new Professional Code of Conduct of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists issued in March 2012. Furthermore, the code says that where co-management is in the best interests of the patient, the fundamental principle is that the patients should always be aware of and responsible for all fees associated with the delivery of the ophthalmic surgical services that he/she receives from the attending practitioner

Mar 2012

including pre-and post-operative care. The code says that it is a breach it to participate in fee splitting or provide recompense, either direct or indirect, in return for patient referrals, or to participate in any program(s) with other health professionals that could be seen as either soliciting referrals for reward or receiving a reward for referring patients. Where co-management is in the best interests of the patient, the following must apply: All responsibility and management decisions remain with the ophthalmologist. 2. The co-managing practitioner

and the ophthalmologist must be able to communicate with each other at every encounter between the patient and the co-managing practitioner. 3. The ophthalmologist is satisfied that the co-managing practitioner has competence appropriate to the tasks involved. 4. An ophthalmologist should reduce his/her fee by an amount commensurate with post-operative services given by the co-managing practitioner. 5. The co-managing practitioner should separately bill the patient for the services he/she renders.

Hoya closed Adelaide and Perth facilities

oya Lens Australia closed its Adelaide and Perth customer-service and lens-fitting facilities. The Adelaide facility was suddenly closed on 20 February and the Perth facility on 21 February. With a few exceptions, all employees had their

employment terminated, including some with up to 30 years’ service. That left the company’s headquarters and laboratory in Sydney and branches in Melbourne and Brisbane. However eight people at the Sydney facility had their employment

Mar 2012

terminated on 22 February, as did one at the Brisbane facility. Hoya Lens Australia was affected by flooding of Hoya’s ‘super laboratory’ in Bangkok late in 2011 and resulting damage to the 189 freeform lens surfacing machines and to the overall operations there.

Myopia: further evidence of the benefits of time spent outdoors Mar 2012

very recent paper by Professor Earl Smith and colleagues at the University of Houston, Texas bolstered support for the claim that high ambient light levels, e.g. daytime outdoors, are helpful and tend to be protective against the development of myopia or retards its rate of progression (Protective Effects of High Ambient Lighting on the Development of Form-Deprivation Myopia in Rhesus Monkeys. The authors modulated the ambient light levels that eight rhesus monkeys were subjected to during their rearing period (23-132 days) after each had had monocular form deprivation imposed on them. Previously, at normal (indoor) lighting levels, monocular form deprivation had been shown (by Prof Smith and associates) to induce monocular axial myopia in the deprived eye. Cage lighting was controlled so that each animal was exposed to normal daylight (high, approximately 25,000 www.insightnews.com.au

lux) levels of light for 6 hours in the middle of their normal 12 hour light cycle (low, 15 to 630 lux). During the study, refractive development was measured by retinoscopy and posterior pole axial dimensions were assessed closely using ultrasonography. Historic data from larger populations of form-deprived and normal monkeys reared under normal laboratory lighting at the same research facility were used for comparative purposes. The historic data showed that 16 of 18 form-deprived monkeys developed monocular axial myopia in the deprived eye when reared in normal laboratory lighting. In this study just two of the eight monkeys reared in high light levels developed myopic anisometropia. Significantly, most form-deprived, high-light eyes proved to be more hyperopic than their fellow eye, i.e. the opposite effect to that shown by form-deprived eyes exposed to normal laboratory light levels (that

developed monocular axial myopia). Furthermore, both eyes of the highlight exposed monkeys were more hyperopic than the historic data from normal monkeys. The authors concluded that high ambient light retards the development of form-deprivation myopia in monkeys (all primates?) and that their results agree with the hypothesis that outdoor activities protect against the development of myopia in children because of their exposure to the high light levels experienced outdoors. Finally they postulated that therapeutic protection against myopia may be achievable by manipulating indoor lighting levels. The infrastructure and energy costs of their proposal may be significant despite the ongoing development of energy-efficient lighting technology. With the possible exception of some far northern European countries, especially in winter, the cheapest option may be simply to ‘step outside’.

AMD drug became thirdbiggest in PBS

Mar 2012

he macular-degeneration-treatment drug Lucentis has became the third-biggest drug in the Pharnaceutical Benefits Scheme in dollar terms. PBS outlays for the drug for the 12 months to the end of June 2011 were $247.6 million versus $187.6 million the year before – an increase of 32 per cent. The 32-per-cent increase was the greatest increase to PBS costs in terms of dollars. As a result the manufacturer of the drug, Novartis, ranked fourth among the highest PBS revenue earners in 2010-11, up from fifth the previous year, accruing $440.4 million in derived ex-manufacturer sales, an increase of $34.5 million on the previous year, when it attracted $405.9 million.

OPSM brand’s trust declined over past 5 years: survey Mar 2012

rust in the OPSM brand has consistently declined over the past five years, according to the latest Brand Asset Valuator report. The brand joins Qantas, Qantas, Dairy Farmers, Kodak, Mr Sheen, Dymocks, Levi’sand Meadow Lea in consistently declining in trust over the past five years, however they are not alone, with one in five of Australia’s top brands being plainly in decline, according to BAV. BAV says Australians place more trust in brands such as Google, Apple, Google, Ikea, PayPal, Youtube, Microsoft, Windows 7, eBay, Dyson, Vegemite and Subway. FEBRUARY 2014

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Another side of the myopia story: anti-muscarinic drops work best

Mar 2012

f all methods of myopia inhibition, anti-muscarinic drops work the best however their use is limited and causes side effects, according to a report in Review of Optometry of 15 January. The report said current treatments to slow the progression of myopia in children either don’t work or cause problematic side effects, according to paediatric ophthalmologists and study methodologists in the United States. The reviewers analysed data from 23 randomised controlled trials, which included a total of 4,696 participants. They considered a number of potential myopia treatments including

bifocal glasses, eye drops, intraocular pressure-lowering drugs and contact lenses: Two studies investigated undercorrection of myopia. 12 studies investigated multifocal spectacles (progressive-power lenses or bifocals). One study investigated bifocal soft contact lenses (BSCLs). Two studies investigated rigid gas permeable contact lenses (RGPCLs). Six studies investigated pharmaceutical eye drops (five of these were of anti-muscarinic medications). One study investigated new lenses designed to reduce peripheral

hyperopic defocus (i.e., lenses that help to focus peripheral vision as well as central vision). One study evaluated both multifocal lenses and pharmaceutical eye drops. The follow-up period was at least one year for all studies. Of all the treatments, antimuscarinic eye drops offered the largest positive effects for slowing myopia progression, the authors found, but they caused either light sensitivity or blurred near vision. Also, those drops are not yet commercially available, so their use is limited and impractical.

‘Buy-one, give-one’ challenge to established optical retailers Mar 2012

‘buy-one, give-one’ program established by a New York retail optical company, Warby Parker, began to challenge established retail optical companies with its growing list of ‘do-good’ clients. Warby Parker’s ‘buy a pair, give a pair’ philosophy aims to help some of the 500 million people in the world who don’t have access to proper vision care. For every pair of $95 prescription

glasses a consumer buys online, the company gives a pair to someone in need, giving that individual the opportunity to read, to work and live a fuller life. Along with charity partner RestoringVision.org, Warby Parker’s ‘give a pair’ glasses have so far been distributed across 24 countries in Latin America, Africa, South Asia and the United States.

20% of consumers use unconventional alternatives for cleaning and disinfection Mar 2012

new study revealed that 20per cent of consumers had occasionally used unconventional, bizarre and potentially-dangerous solutions when they cleaned, disinfected, stored and inseredt their contact lenses. Baby oil, beer, Coca Cola, petroleum

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When the four co-founders of Warby Parker were readying the launch two years ago of their internetbased eyewear venture, they channeled a who’s who list of marketing role models: Apple as a master of design and function; Zappos for customer experience; Nike for building an enduring brand; and Method and Patagonia as trailblazers with clear ‘do-good’ missions.

Opinion still divided on femtosecond laser cataract surgery Mar 2012

lthough femtosecond lasers were already in use in cataract surgery in Australia, opinion on the technology was still divided. Given their very significant purchase and running costs (more than $500,000 plus ongoings) regardless of whether they are purchased outright or purchased at a lower cost and a payper-use (a so-called ‘click fee’) model applied, their benefits need to be tangible to justify acquisition. wa Furthermore, the technique adds to the cost of cataract surgery making it more expensive overall. The devices are complex and highlyautomated devices. Their forté, precise femtosecond laser capsulotomies, are not performed in the sterile environment of an operating theatre, rather they are a separate procedure and a clean room is adequate. Ironically, compared with the manual capsulorhexis performed during cataract surgery for hundreds of years, the new procedure is regarded as less demanding technically. Some surgeons have labelled FLSCS disruptive technology in much the same way that excimer and femtosecond lasers were at introduction. In the view of Dr Mark Cherny a Melbourne cataract and refractive surgeon, femtosecond laser cataract surgery was the most significant advance since the advent of the excimer laser in 1991. To foster interest in this area he had established the International Society of Laser Cataract Surgery (www.islcs.org) with membership (online application, no charge) open to all.

73 new-graduate optometrists join Specsavers; 3-day induction at HQ April 2012

jelly, lemonade, fruit juice, and butter were among the solutions wearers confessed to using in a study recently conducted in the United Kingdom. The research was conducted by the makers of ‘Biotrue’ multi-purpose contact-lens solution.

event-three new Australian and New Zealand optometry-school graduates joined Specsavers at its ‘The G’ headquarters in Port Melbourne for an extensive three-day

‘Graduate Induction’. They were joined by nine regional mentors from Specsavers Australia and New Zealand as well as 12 of the network’s 2010 graduate class. www.insightnews.com.au

Bill to means-test 30% private-health insurance passed by parliament

April 2012

ODMA2013 to be held in Brisbane

April 2012

bill to means-test the 30-percent private-health-care-insurance rebate finally passed through the Senate on 16 March, ending a four-year battle. It was passed despite concern among MPs that it could cause a mass exodus from private health care and place a greater burden on the Medicare system. The federal opposition claimed

1.6 million people would drop their hospital cover over the next five years as a result of the changes, while another fourmillion would downgrade their cover. However those claims were dismissed by the then federal health minister, Ms Tanya Plibersek, who claimed more people were expected to take up private cover than drop it.

Omega-3 may provide protective application for AMD: studies April 2012

Optometrists reinstated to the Skilled Occupations List; shortage acknowledged

ew investigations in age-related and progressive decline in retina function pointed to dietary supplementation of Omega-3 as an effective and broad intervention. In particular, a new study relating to dietary supplementation of DHA Omega-3 fatty acids hresulted in recommendations regarding the Omega-3 and preserved retina function as well as deterring the age-related retina functional losses. A new study by the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, suggested that supplementation of Omega-3 fatty acids has resulted in a protective application against a particular toxin, commonly associated with age-related retina functional losses.

Safilo completed Polaroid purchase

April 2012

taly’s Safilo Group SpA has completed acquisition of the Polaroid Eyewear business, a world leader in optics and polarised-lens technology and a global eyewear manufacturer and distributor.

www.insightnews.com.au

ptometrists reinstated to the Skilled Occupations List; shortage acknowledged Optometrists were reinstated to the Skilled Occupations List, with Skills Australia acknowledging the shortage of optometrists, contrary to what it claimed the year before. However orthoptists remained off the SOL, having also been removed last year and, in the opinion of Skills Australia, because an orthoptist is “a niche occupation not suitable for the SOL and will remain off the SOL”. In its explanation why the removal of optometrists had been reversed, Skills Australia claimed that in 2011:

t was announced that the ODMA2013 optical trade fair would be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on 5-7 July 2013. According to the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association and the newly-appointed organisers of ODMA2013, Expertise Events, the previous location of the exhibition for many years – the Sydney

May 2012

“Removal from the SOL was requested by industry bodies in 2010 on the basis of oversupply, but there was insufficient labour market evidence to support this. Evidence is now available which warrants removal (e.g. decline in occupational growth and aboveaverage unemployment).” However only Optometrists Association Australia was consulted in 2010 on the removal of optometrists (and orthoptists). There was no consultation with any of the major employers of optometrists, even though they employ something like 40 per cent of employed optometrists

Specsavers wins court orders against Buyinvite and director/co-founder June 2012

pecsavers Pty Ltd has won Federal Court orders against online retailer Buyinvite Pty Ltd and its director and co-founder Stephen Patrick Coles for them making the representations “80% OFF Alex Perry Glasses” and “80% OFF Alex Perry Frames” in advertisements placed on the internet. Justice Foster found the two respondents engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct or conduct that is likely to mislead or deceive in

contravention of Section 18 of the Australian Consumer Law. The lesson for online retailers is that Australian Consumer Law applies equally to online advertising as it does to more-conventionaladvertising. Neither any staff member from Buyinvite nor Mr Coles himself appeared in the Federal Court, however a solicitor acting for them appeared during the latter part of the proceedings.

Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour – was scheduled to be demolished late in 2013 and rebuilt, with its replacement opened three years later. The actual dates are uncertain, but could have meant that ODMA would have missed out on a suitable date, hence the decision to move the exhibition to Brisbane to avoid that risk.

TGA OK’d new wet AMD drug June 2012

ylea received Therapeutic Goods Authority approval and was listed on its website. The drug is the first fusion protein approved to treatwet AMD and delivers the benefits seen with the current standard of care but requires less-frequent injections (every two months). Clinician say intravitreal injections markedly improve visual outcomes and prevent many Australians progressing to blindness and fewer injections could substantially improve the quality of life for those patients and help to overcome some of the current barriers to treatment: cost, injection fatigue and waiting times. Furthermore, Eyelea’s secondmonth dosing means specialists should be able to treat more patients and reduce the burden on patients AMD is Australia’s leading cause of blindness and wet AMD is the most severe form of the disease. There are over a million Australians with AMD, with one in seven people over the age of 50 affected.

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Medicare appointed new optometric adviser

he Commonwealth Department of Human Services appointed Dr Stephen Kwok, PhD, as its new health professionals branch optometric adviser. The position assists the Health Provider Compliance Branch of Medicare Australia on claims assessment and compliance matters involving optometrists. Dr Kwok replaces Dr Steve Zantos, PhD, who stepped down after 16 years’ service. Medicare Australia was integrated into the DHS in 2011. The optometric adviser identifies program risks through analysis of practice data, and

assisting audit surveys. When ‘misitemisation’ is identified optometrists can be interviewed under the Practitioner Review Program. If the concerns are not satisfied the optometrist can be referred to the Professional Services Review. The adviser also helps to educate optometrists and represents DHS to provide advice on Medicare program issues in relation to optometrists. Dr Kwok has extensive experience in optometric practice and has taught optometrists in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. He

World first: creation of in vitro, early-stage retinal structures

June 2012

n a world first, scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, Wisconsin) succeeded in creating in vitro, early-stage retinal structures containing proliferating neuroretinal progenitor cells (cells that differentiate into more specific cell type with a greater specificity than stem cell). However, unlike stem cells that can replicate indefinitely, progenitor cells can only replicate a limited number of times) using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from human blood. That is just the next step in a worldwide quest by several independent research groups to develop solutions for several human eye diseases that result in vision impairment or blindness. Dr David Gamm, a paediatric ophthalmologist and the study’s senior author, describes the outcome as: “A solid step forward”. With the greying of the world’s population, age-related macular degeneration is the most obvious target

for stem-cell research and retinitis pigmentosa is a possible application among the non-age-related eye diseases. Diabetic retinopathy in its various forms involves most age groups and there is every reason to believe that it too will add to the demand for solutions to human eye diseases. However, glaucoma, especially late-stage glaucoma, is not a target currently because of the effect it has on neurological tissue to which a transplanted retina would have to ‘connect’. Retinal disease, especially genetic disease, is one of the few remaining areas for which little can be done. Cataracts and corneal issues have surgical solutions but serious retinal diseases are beyond the scope of ophthalmology presently. Unsurprisingly, those diseases are also the target of the various bionic eye projects depending on the prosthetic path taken (retinal implant or direct-to-brain).

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graduated from the University of New South Wales in 1981. After receiving a PhD in corneal physiology, he completed postdoctoral training at the Louisiana State University Medical School Department of Ophthalmology in New Orleans. He then became the first UNSW optometrist to teach in an optometry therapeutics program when he joined the University of Houston, where he received several teaching awards. After teaching at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and La Trobe University in Melbourne, he returned to UNSW as a senior lecturer

June 2012

in the Faculty of Science and then in the Faculty of Medicine. He entered full-time practice in Sydney in 2008. He is a reviewer for a number of eye-care journals and serves on five editorial boards, including three in eye care. He is an editorial board member of the Open Journal of Ethics and has contributed to the Journal of Medical Ethics. He received a 2010 Secretariat Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology for excellence in scientific reviewing. He also chaired an ARVO international committee on research integrity.

TGA OK’d new wet AMD drug June 2012

ylea received Therapeutic Goods Authority approval and was listed on its website. The drug was the first fusion protein approved to treatwet AMD and delivers the benefits seen with the current standard of care but requires lessfrequent injections (every two months). Clinicians say intravitreal injections markedly improve visual outcomes and prevent many Australians progressing to blindness and fewer injections could substantially improve the quality of life for those patients and help to overcome some of the current barriers to treatment: cost, injection fatigue and waiting times. Furthermore, Eyelea’s secondmonth dosing means specialists should be able to treat more patients and reduce the burden on patients

AMD is Australia’s leading cause of blindness and wet AMD is the most severe form of the disease. There are over a million Australians with AMD, with one in seven people over the age of 50 affected. The Macular Degeneration Foundation welcomed the Australian approval of Eylea, saying it means the drug has been approved in Australia for safety (safe to use) and efficacy (effectiveness) and that the foundation looks forward to the drug being available in Australia as soon as possible. Eylea is not yet subsidised by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, however the foundation is working on behalf of clients to have the federal government add the drug to the PBS as soon as possible and has already lodged a formal submission for that purpose.

Company in Taiwan fined $171,000 over counterfeit frames

June 2012

company in Taiwan has been fined $171,000 (5 million New Taiwan Dollars), according to a recent report on Taiwan TV News. The company, Da Xue Eyewear chain store, which belongs to listed company Da Xue Optical Technology Company, was fined the amount for

selling counterfeit Silhouette frames. “We trust that we can demonstrate our determination against infringement and pass on a clear message to the industry,” a spokesman for Silhouette said. “We will keep on protecting our brands and our customers’ businesses.” www.insightnews.com.au

New experiments on lightpowered bionic eye fitted directly in the retina

pair of special glasses and microchips-like solar panels fitted directly in the retina is a technology that in the future could restore sight to people with serious retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration or retinal pigmentosa, Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper reports. The complex device was devised by a group of researchers from

June 2012

the department of ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine in the United States, which had recently published in the journal Nature Photonics the outcome of the first experiments conducted on biological tissue. The results were so promising that the team had already begun experimenting on laboratory rats.

Specsavers’s first ANZ Clinical Conference in Melbourne

pecsavers Australia and New Zealand held the first ANZ Specsavers Clinical Conference (SCC 1) at the Sofitel Hotel, Melbourne. For some delegates it was a warm-up for the Southern Regional Conference commencing the following day. The ANZ SCC was modelled on the established United Kingdom original (the Specsavers Professional Advancement Committee Conference [PAC]), held for the past 17 years. The PAC is open to all optometrists

June 2012

whereas the SCC 1 was essentially an internal affair and was used as an opportunity by all delegates to network, renew acquaintances, establish new friendships, etc. The 250 delegates all paid a registration fee to attend the conference. It is probable that once the meeting is well established and head office feels confident about the standard and reliability of the SCCs as a concept that it too will be opened to all practitioners. The most recent PAC (2011) attracted 1,300 delegates.

Hoya Corp’s lens revenue down 16.1%, but confident

oya Corporation’s health-carerelated products– ophthalmic lenses, intraocular lenses and contact lenses – generated revenue of €32,094 million, down €6,150 million, or 16.1% from a year-ago in the quarter ended 31 March 2012. Medical-related products, including IOLs, posted €13,256 million in revenue, down €118,000, or 0.9% over a year ago. Hoya attributed the significant

www.insightnews.com.au

June 2012

decrease in revenues and profit from last fiscal year primarily to the transfer of its glass media for HDD business in June 2010 and Pentax Imaging Systems business in October 2011, as well as the impact of the flood in Thailand last October on its ophthalmic lens business. In addition to a decrease in sales of ophthalmic lenses, Hoya posted a €5,909 million loss from the disaster in the year under review.

Fred Hollows Foundation provided 282,714 eye operations last year

he Fred Hollows Foundation announced that it had achieved record results in 2011, bringing it closer to its goal of ending avoidable blindness by 2020. During 2011, the foundation provided 282,714 eye operations and treatments; screened 1.6 million people’s eyes; trained more than 10,000 local clinical/ health workers; built or upgraded 50 medical facilities; and delivered $3.38 million worth of equipment for use in developing countries. The late Professor Fred Hollows’ dream of a world where no one is needlessly blind is now closer to

June 2012

reality, with the record results for 2011 being released at the foundation’s annual general meeting in Sydney recently. “In the last financial year 282,714 eye operations were performed with the foundation’s support– up from just over 190,000 in 2010,” its CEO, Mr Brian Doolan, said. “That result means that since 2006, the foundation has helped restore sight to well over 1 million people. They are all people who may not have ever regained their vision, if not for the generosity and support of our Australian supporters.”

Two north-American awards to Hugh Taylor

rofessor Hugh Taylor, who holds the Harold Mitchell Chair of Indigenous Eye Health and who heads the Indigenous Eye Health Unit at the Melbourne School of Population Health at The University of Melbourne and founder of the Centre for Eye Research Australia, received two major awards in May month: the inaugural CNIB Chanchlani Global Vision Research Award from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Howe Medal from the American Ophthalmological Society. CNIB is dedicated to promote vital, world-class research to explore the causes of blindness and vision loss, potential cures, treatments and prevention. The inaugural Chanchlani Award

June 2012

was presented to Professor Taylor, in recognition of his work and advocacy for indigenous health, the elimination of trachoma and the socio-economic implications of vision loss. The award was presented at a gala reception in Toronto, Canada. The AOS is the world’s oldest specialty medical society and presented the Howe Medal to Professor Taylor at its 148th Annual Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina. The medal was presented to Professor Taylor in recognition of his significant contributions to teaching and research in ophthalmology, with particular regard to his work on trachoma and onchocersiasis. He was the first Australian to be so honoured.

Essilor completed 11 Rx laboratory buyouts in 1Q June 2012 ssilor International announced it had completed 11 complete or partial buyouts of laboratories and distributors during the first quarter of this year, the company said when also announcing its latest acquisitions, including a majority holding in Optic Blue, a prescription laboratory based in Lubbock, Texas with annual revenue of around $US3.5 million. The 11 buyouts represented annual

revenue of €52 million. Eight of the transactions were carried out in fastgrowing markets in Latin America, the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East and Asia. In Australia, Essilor increased from 33% to 66% its stake in Wallace Everett Lens Technology, a prescription laboratory with annual revenue of approximately €3.2 million. FEBRUARY 2014

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US FDA warns of OTC eye drop dangers

he United States Food and Drug Administration issued a warning that accidental ingestion by children of over-the-counter eye drops and nasal decongestant sprays could result in serious and life-threatening adverse events.

The eye drop and nasal sprays involved in the cases of accidental ingestion contain the active ingredients tetrahydrozoline, oxymetazoline, or naphazoline. The cases of ingestion reviewed by the FDA occurred in children five years

Deakin University’s building to house optometry school was almost complete Oct 2012

he brand-new Regional Community Health Hub (REACH) building that will house Deakin University’s optometry school was almost complete, with mid-November to see the start of installation of equipment and the second week of December to see the start of the final move-in. It was announced that Optometry at Deakin is to occupy the third floor where there will be eight problembased-learning tutorial rooms each fitted out with a chair and stand, slit lamp, refractor head and other manual equipment. Those rooms will be the students ‘home rooms’. There will also be a 400sqm

clinical skills laboratory which will have ophthalmic equipment such as optical coherence tomography, vision field analysis, electro-retinogram simulators, retinal cameras, topographers, etc. The clinical skills laboratory will provide students with a variety of opportunities to enhance their clinical skills. In addition, there will be a fullyequipped ‘mock’ optometry practice (clinic), with waiting area, reception area, retail frame display and dispensary, adjustments and repairs area, pre-screening room, consulting room, practice management and Medicare billing software stations.

ASIC targeted former federal health minister Oct 2012

ormer federal health minister Dr Michael Wooldridge was targeted by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, which accused him and several other directors of a failed retirement village group of breaching their fiduciary duties. In addition to Dr Wooldrige, ASIC was targeting Messrs William Lewski, Mark Butler, Kim Jaques and Peter Clarke, who heads up the Victorian Government’s Urban Renewal Authority. All served as directors of Australian Property Custodian Holdings, which ran Prime Retirement and the Aged Care Property Trust. More than 9,700 investors pumped more than $500 million into the trust. ASIC suggested all five “failed to act in the best interests of the members of the Prime Trust”.

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In a separate move, Dr Wooldridge had recently become a director of Vision Eye Institute. At the centre of the case was an allegation the directors proposed an amended constitution that would provide fee payments in the event the units were listed, and then directing the company to pay a listing fee of $33 million to managing director Mr Lewski. Prime Trust collapsed into administration in October 2010. Dr Wooldridge was federal health and services minister from 1996 to 1988 and health and aged care minister from 1988 until his retirement from parliament in 2001. Currently Dr Wooldridge sits on several boards, including Vision Eye Institute, Australian Pharmaceutical Industries and the Royal Melbourne Tennis Club.

of age or younger. Whilst no deaths were reported, serious events requiring hospitalisation such as nausea, vomiting, lethargy, tachycardia, decreased respiration, bradycardia, hypotension, hypertension, sedation, somnolence, mydriasis, stupor,

hypothermia, drooling, and coma have occurred. Ingestion of only a small amount (12ml) of eye drops or nasal spray could lead to serious adverse events in young children, the FDA said.

PAI private equity firm buys 79% of Marcolin

AI Partners, a leading European private equity firm, has reached an agreement for the acquisition of 78.93% of the share capital of Marcolin S.p.A. from the company’s major shareholders, including the Marcolin family, the Diego Della Valle brothers and Antonio Abete. Marcolin said on 8 October it was in discussions with PAI, then on 16 October announced agreement had been reached. The transaction, which is expected to be completed by the end of November, will delist the company from the Italian stock exchange and take the company private. The agreement, for an agreed price of €4.25 per share, values the shares purchased at €207 million ($268.42 million). It is subject to approvals by relevant anti-trust authorities and the

July 2012

Oct 2012

drawdown of a loan relating to the transaction. The purchase will be carried out by Cristallo SpA, a company controlled by PAI Funds in which the shareholders, including the Marcolin family, Diego Della Valle and his brother Andrea and shareholder Antonio Abete will take a stake and then hold a combined 15% of the company at the end of the transaction. Marcolin was founded by Giovanni Marcolin in 1961 and is headquartered in Longarone, Italy, with offices across Europe and in the United States, Hong Kong, Japan and Brazil. It had sales of €224.1 million and EBITDA €34.2 million in 2011, up 9% and 14% respectively from the previous year. Healy Optical Group is Marcolin’s distributor in Australia.

Luxottica’s global chief grilled on US TV about retail prices Oct 2012

he global chief executive of Luxottica Group, Mr Andrea Guerra, faced the music when the CBS 60 Minutes television program in the United States on 7 October grilled him over retail prices of frames and sunglasses. Opening the program, titled ‘Sticker Shock, Why are glasses are so expensive?’, the presenter/ interviewer, Lesley Stahl, said if people don’t go to places like Walmart and Costco they could easily be spending “hundreds of dollars for a pair of glasses that cost $30 ten years ago”. “Why? One answer is that because one company controls a big chunk of the business,” she said.

“Never has there been so much choice; you’d think the competition would force the prices down. One reason it hasn’t is Luxottica, the biggest eyewear company on earth.“ Interviewing Mr Guerra in his office, Ms Stahl asked him how many people are wearing the company’s products. “At least half a billion are wearing our glasses,” he said. “Last year, the company made 65 million frames and sunglasses. They can be very expensive,” Ms Stahl said. “They can be,” Mr Guerra agreed. “They are one of the few objects that are 100 per cent functional, 100 per cent aesthetical and they need to fit your face for 15 hours a day; not easy; there’s a lot of work behind them.” www.insightnews.com.au

Advances made in understanding the fate of cone photoreceptors in RP

Oct 2012

genes associated with RP produce proteins that are used specifically in rod cells and it remained a puzzle why and how cones die after rods degenerate despite most appearing to be healthy. It is the loss of cones (colour and high-resolution vision), rather than

the loss of the rods (low-resolution, night vision), that results in the severe vision impairment characteristic of RP. Perversely, cone cell death does not appear to be followed by widespread rod cell death.

esearch studies conducted at the Harvard Medical School’s Angiogenesis Laboratory provided new insights into why healthy retinal cone photoreceptors cells die in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients. RP affects more than 1 million people worldwide and is a genetic

mutation (more than 50 different mutations have been identified already) disorder involving mainly rod photoreceptor cells. An ongoing mystery is why and how cone photoreceptor cell death followed rod cell death almost as if it was collateral damage. Many of the

Cricket Australia signed 5-year partnership contract with OPSM Nov 2012

OBA wanted optometrists to play much larger role in glaucoma

ricket Australia and OPSM on 30 October announced a five-year eye-care partnership at OPSM’s Eye Hub flagship store in Melbourne. The announcement was attended by Australian cricket players, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Matthew Wade. As the official eye-care partner for Cricket Australia, OPSM will provide Australia’s elite cricket players with optometry services and the latest range of sunglasses and spectacles. To highlight the importance of eye protection in the harsh conditions experienced by cricket players, OPSM created a purpose-built cricket net at the Eye Hub store, to simulate the extreme heat and light conditions of an outdoor game.

ptometrists should be permitted to initiate and then maintain treatment of glaucoma without co-management by ophthalmologists, according to a submission by the Optometry Board of Australia to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority. In its submission to AHPRA dated 23 November, the board said: “When a diagnosis of chronic glaucoma is made, or a patient is at high risk of developing the disease, optometrists who hold an endorsement for scheduled medicines must refer the patient for specialist assessment or develop a management plan that includes initiation of treatment and monitoring of the patient’s response. “Instillation of anti-glaucoma eye drops is the preferred primary

Dec 2012

intervention in chronic glaucoma management, however, in certain cases, patients will need initial assessment by an ophthalmologist for possible surgical intervention or laser treatment. Optometrists must be able to identify those cases and refer where appropriate.” The submission goes on to say: “Optometrists should familiarise themselves with and refer to the NHMRC Guidelines when setting target intra-ocular pressures and when making decisions about glaucoma management plans and monitoring cycles.” Later, in a section headed ‘Emergency management of acute primary open angle closure’, the submission says: “Individuals suffering from an acute angle closure

event may present to an optometrist or, rarely, an angle-closure event may be induced through routine pupil dilation. “The standard management of such a patient is emergency referral to an ophthalmologist or hospital. However, both the nature of the condition and therapeutic endorsement place the optometrist in a position that he or she can initiate treatment for such patients to stabilise their ocular state before referring them.” The OBA was accepting submissions on its proposal until 4 February 2013. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, the body responsible for training ophthalmologists and responsible for glaucoma treatment overall has prepared a submission, but had not released it by press time.

VSP claims it’s not-for-profit; courts disagree M Dec 2012

aterial freely circulated to persons expressing interest in a program being promoted to practitioners by the largest healthservices company in the United States, VSP Vision Care, the largest private health insurance company in Australia, Medibank Private and VSP’s 51-percent owned wholesale company General Optical in Australia, claimed VSP www.insightnews.com.au

is a not-for-profit vision-service company. However VSP had been found by three courts in the United States to be a for-profit company. As recently as June 2010, a court found that VSP was a forprofit company and made summary judgment against the company, reflecting the court’s view that its case

was considered not to have merit. The United States Internal Revenue Service revoked VSP’s section 501(c) (4) tax-exempt status effective 1 January 2003 on the grounds that it operated primarily for the benefit of subscribers rather than the community as a whole. According to Mr Peter Lewis, the head of General Optical, “more

than 300” practices had signed up to participate in the program, each one having agreed to purchase a minimum of $1,800 worth of frames and lenses from his company ($21,600 a year) and agreeing to provide 20-per-cent discounts for glasses and 15-per-cent discounts to members of Medibank Private under its no-gap Members Choice Optical Plan. FEBRUARY 2014

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Refracting by dispensing opticiansin UK ‘isn’t going away’ Dec 2012

efracting by dispensing opticians in the United Kingdom is “a big issue that won’t go away”, according to the general secretary of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, Sir Tony Garrett, Optician reported. Sir Tony was adamant that opposition from the College of Optometrists and the Association of Optometrists would not deter the ABDO from taking the proposal forward. “The big issue on the table for the ABDO board is the refraction issue,

which isn’t going to go away. We’ve got to decide how to proceed. Our strategy is currently to get people trained,” he said. “All our students have to have a thorough knowledge of refraction. They’re fully trained in the theory but not in practice. It’s a bit like saying you can do the theory driving test but you can’t do the practical. “Those who have the refraction qualification can’t practise in the United Kingdom, but they can abroad.”

Timely warning to contactlens wearers about Acanthamoeba Dec 2012

International trial for world-first laser treatment of earlystage AMD Dec 2012

ccording to a recent article appearing in Optician a lecture delivered at the British Science festival in Aberdeen, Scotland by Dr Fiona Henriquez of the University of West of Scotland warned of the dangers of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) in the United Kingdom’s 3.7 million contact lens wearers. The lecture, Microbes in contact lenses, (huge microbes?) was featured in the UK’s Daily Mail. While the article quoted recognised authorities, the newspaper has a track record of choice headlines in its MailOnline health section including the following: I swam with my contact lenses in now I’m blind in one eye (2012) Why going to sleep in your contact lenses can blind you (2011) A parasite from my contact lens is gnawing into my eyeball: The gruesome truth about a scarily common bug (2010) The common theme would appear to be eye infections and two of those article involved the protozoan, Acanthamoeba sp., which suggests that too many UK contact lens wearers and probably elsewhere as well, are still using tap water as part of their lens-care regimen or are exposing themselves to water unnecessarily in other ways.

esearchers at the Centre for Eye Research Australia in Melbourne were attempting to halt the progression of AMD in its early stage, before it progresses to the vision-threatening late stage, using an Australian-designed-and-built ‘nanosecond laser’. The researchers were about to begin an international clinical trial for the new world-first laser therapy, offering hope for the hundreds of thousands of Australians at risk of age-related macular degeneration. The laser, the minimally invasive, nanopulse laser Ellex 2RT (Retinal Rejuvenation Therapy) developed by Ellex Medical Lasers in Australia, emits a tiny pulse of energy into the back of the eye, to remove the deposits that build up with age and contribute to AMD. It uses 500 to 1,000 times less energy than conventional retinal photocoagulation, is indicated for treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) also termed clinically significant macular edema (CSME), and is TGA approved and CE certified.

Hoya buying 50% of Seiko Optical Products

Dec 2012

oya Corporation announced it was buying 50% of Seiko Optical Products, the subsidiary of Seiko Holdings Corporation that sells eyeglass-related products. A 30% shareholding in Seiko Optical Products was to be bought by Hoya Corp on 1 February 2013 and an additional 20% on 31 March 2014. According to Hoya Corp: “With the accumulated expertise and knowledge of the development, manufacturing and sales of eyeglasses and related

products, which are generated uniquely by Epson, Seiko and Hoya, Hoya will commit to improve the satisfaction of consumers and customers throughout the world by enlarging the range of products as well as our services. “That is the follow up of the announcement of the 10 April that Hoya entered into the basic agreements between Epson and Seiko to announce definitive agreements have been executed.”

Two $850,000+ grants from NHMRC for CERA researchers

Dec 2012

wo major multi-year project grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council worth $850,000-plus each were received by researchers at the Melbourne-based Centre for Eye Research Australia The head of CERA’s newlyestablished Drug Delivery Unit, Dr Hong Zhang, chief investigator of one of the projects would be collaborating with researchers at Monash University, CSIRO andAustralian Regenerative Medicine Institute, as well as CERA’s own executive director of research, Professor Gregory Dusting. Dr Zhang’s project will investigate novel, less-invasive methods of delivering anti-VEGF medication to the eye. Currently, anti-VEGF treatment is administered via regular injections (typically about four to eight weeks) to the back of the eye and carries the risk

of blinding complications. Dr Zhang’s team will be using nanotechnology to administer the drug which is hoped to deliver anti-VEGF more safely and less frequently. The second major project to receive NHMRC funding this year was within CERA’s Health Services and Ocular Epidemiology Research Unit. Unit head Associate Professor Ecosse Lamoureux is chief investigator of the project, which will develop a new comprehensive eyecare model for people in residential care, to improve both their vision and quality of life. Prof Lamoureux will be collaborating with fellow CERA researchers Prof Tien Wong and Dr Jing Xie, along with researchers from the University of Sydney, Duke University (Singapore) and the National Ageing Research Institute.

OBA now wanted optometrists to ‘independently manage’ glaucoma Feb 2013

he Optometry Board of Australia stated in a communiqué following the last meeting it held for 2012 (on 13 December) that it now wanted optometrists to ‘independently manage’ patients with chronic glaucoma or at risk of devel-

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oping the disease. That went further than what the board said in its submission of 23 November to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. In its 23 November submission, the OBA

said to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority that optometrists should be permitted to initiate and then maintain treatment of glaucoma without co-management by ophthalmologists. The National Law empowers the OBA to

develop and approve codes and guidelines to provide guidance to the optometrical profession profession. It requires the board to ensure there is wide-ranging consultation on the content of any proposed registration standard, code or guideline. www.insightnews.com.au

Save Sight Institute was awarded more than $5 million for research in previous year

ave Sight Institute was awarded more than $5 million research funding last year, Professor Peter McCluskey, professor of clinical ophthalmology and eye health and director of Save Sight Institute said at an end-of-year celebration at its premises in Macquarie Street, Sydney on 5 December. Of the $5 million research funding, $2.5 million was Category 1 funding, Professor McCluskey said. “We’ve had an extremely successful year in terms of grant funding. Our

Feb 2013

research groups are all outstanding, and whilst I don’t have time to go through each of the groups, suffice it to say that our researchers are focused on all of major blinding diseases in our community,” he said. “We’ve had four research students complete their PhD’s this year. “We’ve spent the last two years restructuring the clinic, completely overhauling all of systems to better look after our patients. However, as you can see by looking around, the clinic still desperately needs a

refurbishment! “In partnership with Sydney Eye Hospital we have built up a very large Lucentis clinic, providing around 200 injections a month. That is a very busy and very important service, one of the few places in NSW where public hospital patients are able to access the sight saving treatment that really does change the outcome of a terrible disease. “This year, we completely reequipped and refurbished our electrophysiology department “The

Trachoma: our national disgrace revealed

n a national disgrace, in indigenous communities, a blinding yet curable disease that disappeared from mainstream Australia over 100 years ago. And never mind the developed world, that meant Australia joins 53 other third world countries that have active trachoma in their Indigenous populations. Trachoma rates in Australia are significantly above the World Health Organisation’s acceptable rates for developing countries. The World

Health Organisation utilises trachoma rates as an indicator of Indigenous health care, so as a country we should be ashamed of the state of our Indigenous population’s healthcare. A recent survey conducted by the Indigenous Eye Health Unit at Melbourne University, estimated 20,000 people are at risk of trachoma in Australia, with 5,000 being children. The Roadmap to Close the Vision Gap for Vision produced by Professor Hugh Taylor, the Harold Mitchell chair of the Indigenous Eye Health

Unit, states that two-thirds of remote communities surveyed have endemic trachoma, with endemic meaning over 10% of the population are infected. This rate can be twice as high among children at 25%. The trachoma results in our country are despite the establishment of the Indigenous Eye Health Unit and its 42 recommendations, and despite the previous work of the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program that ran 1976 – 1978 with Fred Hollows at the helm.

International Opticians Association Conference in Perth

epresentatives from the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia gathered in Perth for the 32nd Biennial Conference of the International Opticians Association in October. The main topics of discussion were education and the scope of dispensing practice.

It was agreed by participating countries to have a common standard of competency for optical dispensing and it was further agreed that the United Kingdom level of education be adopted by all countries. Australia wouldneed to add just one or two modules to its current program. It was pointed out by the UK

Feb 2013

representatives that they have two levels of competency – one for entry onto the UK General Optical Council list for practice in the UK and a lesser degree of competency for overseas dispensing opticians. Australia it is hoped will educate to the higher level of competency which it was suggested should be the international standard.

other big area for us is education. We currently have 71 Masters of Ophthalmology students, and we’ve commenced distance learning with the International Masters of Ophthalmology in Vietnam. We deliberately capped enrolments in this the first year to ensure that it works well, which it has, very successfully. It looks like we will have between 8 and 10 students in our Masters course in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia next year, another very successful program.”

Call to name recipients of pharma perks Feb 2013

edicines Australia was being called upon to disclose the names of individual medical practitioners who receive fees and other benefits from pharmaceutical companies. A petition signed by 300 medical practitioners, researchers and consumers called for major changes to Medicine Australia’s draft code of conduct, which has been provisionally approved by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. If the petition was not acted upon, its signatories were take it to the Australian Competition Tribunal. The code, which came into effect on 1 January, requires companies to publish aggregate details of speaker and director fees, education-program funding and other payments made to people in the health-care professions and industry, but stops short of requiring details of individual payments, which was requested in many submissions to Medicines Australia when it reviewed its code.

Vision Eye Institute sought $27.2m in capital raising from investors Feb 2013

isted ophthalmology practices company Vision Eye Institute Limited sought $27.2 million from investors in a fully-underwritten capital raising announced on 11 December. The aim of the capital raising was to strengthen the company’s balance sheet by providing working capital and to www.insightnews.com.au

reduce bank debt by $15 million. According to the company, it had scope to invest in growth and the capital raising provided a pathway to potential dividend payments. No dividends had been paid to shareholders for several years. Guidance for 2012-13 earnings

before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation was reaffirmed by the company at $24-25 million. The capital raising was at 34c a share, consisting of a $4.4 million in placement to institutional and ‘sophisticated’ investors and a two-for-three nonrenounceable entitlement issue to eligible

shareholders of about $22.8 million. The offer price of 34c per share represented a 10.5% discount on the closing price of 38c on 6 December, a 15.2% discount on the 30-day volume weighted average price of 41c and a 5.8% discount on the theoretical exrights price of 36c. FEBRUARY 2014

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Luxottica buys 36% stake Proposed changes unlikely to alter detection rate: Glaucoma in 500-outlet Italian retail Australia group for €45 million Feb 2013

uxottica announced that it had agreed to pay €45 million ($58.3 million) for a minority 36-per-cent stake in Italian eyewear retail group Salmoiraghi & Vigano. In a filing with the Italian stock exchange, Luxottica said it would buy newly-issued shares of Salmoiraghi & Vigano representing a 36% stake in the eyewear retailer. Salmoiraghi & Vigano owned

approximately 500 stores across Italy and its net sales for the fiscal year ended 30 September 2012 were €170 million. Luxottica’s third-quarter sales grew 17% on the year to €1.78 billion, while third-quarter net profit totaled €138.6 million. According to Italian daily La Repubblica Luxottica had options to increase its share in coming years.

Easier access to eye checks for people with diabetes

Feb 2013

mproving access to vital eye checks for people with diabetes were the focus of two Australian research groups. Diabetic retinopathy caused by diabetes remained a major cause of visual impairment in working-age Australians despite the availability

of testing for early detection and treatment of the degenerative disease. Two new studies, published in the latest edition of the Medical Journal of Australia, investigated possibilities for improving the uptake of available testing in both rural and urban settings.

Feb 2013

he changes to the the ‘Guidelines for Use of Scheduled Medicines’ proposed by the Optometry Board of Australia would not alter the outcome for those who don’t attend; will not alter the detection rate in those who attend but are not checked for glaucoma; and would be unlikely to alter the detection rate in those being checked currently but being missed, Glaucoma Australia said in its submission to the OBA on 4 February.   “Glaucoma is known as a ‘difficultto-diagnose’ disease, with up to 70% of neurons being lost before an individual notices vision loss themselves – hence the term ‘the sneak thief of sight’” Glaucoma Australia said. “A high number of patients remain likely to be missed; an Australian study indicated up to 59% of subjects whose glaucoma was previously undiagnosed had visited an eye-care provider in the previous year. “The public needs to be seen by eye health professionals who can diagnose glaucoma by:

Undertaking a thorough history, followed by a comprehensive examination and only finally tests and investigations to confirm and document a diagnosis.   “Once diagnosed, a treatment regime and management plan, based on an assessment of likely progression, risk of visual disability and many other medical and social factors is required, followed by rigorous follow-up to ensure treatment strategies are safe, tolerable and effective.   “Glaucoma Australia contends it is the ophthalmologist who is able to recommend and initiate all types of glaucoma treatment, whereas the proposed OBA changes to the guidelines recommend optometrists be able to initiate eye drop therapy, only. “This is somewhat limiting for the patient, who usually wants to know the risks and benefits of all therapeutic options (drops, laser or even incisional surgery), as they are unlikely to be covered meaningfully by an optometrist who can only prescribe one type of therapy.

Aspirin could be contributing to AMD: Sydney-based research

spirin could be contributing to the development of agerelated macular degeneration, according to researchers at the Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research in Sydney. The institute’s Centre for Vision Research studied 2389 people over a 15-year period and discovered 63 developed neovascular, or late-stage, AMD. According to the centre’s director, Professor Paul Mitchell, 9.3% of regular aspirin users in the study developed the condition after 15 years, compared with 3.7% of those who did not take aspirin regularly. That translated to a 2.5-fold risk for regular aspirin users, Professor Mitchell said on 22 January. Aspirin is used widely to prevent heart attack and stroke but the research at the Centre for Vision Research has raised concerns that aspirin could be contributing to eye disease. Professor Mitchell said the study, published in the journal JAMA

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Internal Medicine, could not conclude aspirin was the cause of the AMD. It would therefore be premature for clinicians to change their practice around recommending aspirin use, he said. “But this is another possible adverse event of aspirin. Aspirin has been put forward as something that just about everyone should take. “It’s findings like this that suggest we should be cautious about going down that path.” Professor Mitchell said three other international studies had found similar results suggesting a link between regular aspirin use and AMD and that it could be that conditions such as heart problems for which people took aspirin were associated with macular degeneration. “More vigorous studies are needed to test the findings further,” he said. Aspirin has been shown to be beneficial in the prevention of recurrent heart disease, including heart attack and stroke, and is one

of the most widely used medications worldwide, with more than 100 billion tablets consumed each year. The objective of the study was to determine whether regular aspirin use is associated with a higher risk for developing AMD by using analysed data from a 15-year prospective cohort. A prospective analysis was conducted of data from an Australian population-based cohort with four examinations during a 15-year period (1992-1994 to 2007-2009). Participants completed a detailed questionnaire at baseline assessing aspirin use, cardiovascular disease status, and AMD risk factors. Age-related macular degeneration was graded side-by-side from retinal photographs taken at each study visit to assess the incidence of neovascular (wet) AMD and geographic atrophy (dry AMD) according to the international AMD classification. Of 2389 baseline participants with follow-up data available, 257

Mar 2013

individuals (10.8%) were regular aspirin users and 63 of these (24.5%) developed neovascular AMD. Persons who were regular aspirin users were more likely to have incident neovascular AMD: the 15year cumulative incidence was 9.3% in users and 3.7% in nonusers. After adjustment for age, sex, smoking, history of cardiovascular disease, systolic blood pressure, and body mass index, persons who were regular aspirin users had a higher risk of developing neovascular AMD (odds ratio [OR], 2.46; 95% CI, 1.25-4.83). The association showed a dose-response effect (multivariateadjusted P=.01 for trend). Aspirin use was not associated with the incidence of geographic atrophy (multivariateadjusted OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.591.65). The researchers concluded that regular aspirin use is associated with increased risk of incident neovascular AMD, independent of a history of cardiovascular disease and smoking. www.insightnews.com.au

Attempt to force wet-AMD drug off the Australian market

case was back in the Federal Court that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars whereby Genentech – a subsidiary of Roche – was attempting to force wet aged-related macular degeneration drug Eylea out of the Australian market. Bayer’s Eylea drug was listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits

Mar 2013

Scheme in December 2012 and is in direct competition with Genentechdeveloped Lucentis, with Lucentis being licensed to Novartis in Australia. Lucentis and Eylea have both been shown to be effective in treating patients with AMD, however Eylea comes at a lower cost and has been found to require fewer treatments, at

Eye & Ear hosted street party to mark its 150th anniversary

he Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital hosted a community street party on Sunday 7 April, to celebrate its 150th year as Australia’s only specialist eye, ear, nose and throat hospital. Everyone was invited to join in the celebrations and enjoy the food, fun and festivities. They could bring their kids along for a day of family entertainment, including guide dogs courtesy of Guide Dogs Victoria and plenty of food, music and games. Guided tours weree held throughout

Mar 2013

the day, including areas of the thirdoldest hospital in Melbourne not normally open to the public, with commentary from hospital staff. The Eye and Ear’s chief executive officer, Ms Ann Clark, said the event was part of a year-long celebration of the hospital’s extensive history caring for Victorians. “The 150th anniversary is a significant milestone and an exciting chance to look back and celebrate our role in caring for the Victorian community,” Ms Clark said on 22 January.

Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Trust to focus on avoidable blindness

he Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce, launched the Diamond Jubilee Trust Australia on 11 February at Admiralty House, Sydney. The trust was established in the United Kingdom in 2012. It is a charitable trust that will celebrate the Queen’s 60-year contribution to the Commonwealth and her life of public service by investing in projects that will make a real and lasting impact on the lives of people of all generations throughout the Commonwealth. A total of $30 million in

www.insightnews.com.au

Mar 2013

government funding and donations from the public is being sought from Australia, which will be sent to the UK for decisions on how, where and when it and other amounts collected throughout the Commonwealth will be allocated towards the stated goal of focusing on treatable blindness. It does not necessarily mean that the contribution from Australia will all be used here. The Diamond Jubilee Trust Australia is chaired by former governor-general, Major-General Michael Jeffery.

least in the first year of use. Lower cost and less frequency of Eylea would now appear to render Eylea as many ophthalmologists’ first choice in the treatment of AMD. Bayer initiated infringement action against Genentech last year in an effort to forestall patent action from the Lucentis originator. Genentech has responded to Bayer’s allegations

with a cross-claim for infringement, ultimately seeking to have Eylea taken off the Australian market through a permanent injunction that would stop the company “importing into, marketing, supplying or offering to supply in Australia the medicine Eylea or any other therapeutic good for treating wet-form age-related macular degeneration”.

Device Technologies: from zero to $220 million-plus in 20 years!

Mar 2013

evice Technologies, based at Frenchs Forest, a northern Sydney suburb, reported sales growth from zero when the company was established in September 1992 as an orthopaedic joint replacement specialist company to $220 million-plus today, with the first year’s total sales being $262,000. Of the $220 million-plus sales, about 15 per cent came from the ophthalmic professions. In a feature on the company, Insight reported that it has achieved such impressive growth by a combination of a sound philosophy, a lot of hard work, good leadership and a loyal staff. With a solid background in surgical supplies with Ramsay Surgical, the four founders’ philosophy was simple from the very beginning and reflected the health-care equipment background of the four people who kicked it all off in modest premises (a garage-based office known as the ‘Dungeon’) in nearby Seaforth. In essence the philosophy was (and still is) that rather than simply sell and deliver medical equipment, the company ensures that purchasers and their staff are properly trained and understand the equipment they bought from it. It is a form of ‘partnership’ with the purchaser, that has been maintained since the beginning. The last thing the company wants to see is a piece of equipment it sold

sitting disused in the corner of a hospital or practice because its use is not understood, because that’s a customer who won’t come back. Hard work was simply part of the game, with many long hours, lots of travel and lots of blood, sweat and tears, but also lots of satisfaction as the company grew from its very modest beginnings to become the largest independent importer and distributor of medical devices in Australasia, with offices in every state of Australia as well as in New Zealand. The company’s credo remains the same to this day: to be commercially viable with sustainable earnings for all stakeholders’ benefits; to make a difference in market response with outstanding people and outstanding technology; and to have fun. Since commencing in 1992, the company has grown from just the orthopaedic area of health care to embrace 17 different fields, ranging from cardiac and oncology to ophthalmology and optometry – it bought OPSM Instruments in 2003 and Optical Manufacturers three years later. The company has been responsible for introducing some of the most innovative medical products to Australia – including the first artificial heart (2010) and the first daVinci robotically-assisted surgery system (2004). FEBRUARY 2014

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Deakin Optometry moved into brand-new premises D Mar 2013

eakin University’s optometry program moved into its brand-new home, at the Regional and Community Health Hub (REACH) building on the university’s Geelong campus in Victoria. The building, which cost on the order of $55 million to complete, was handed over to Deakin late last year after an 18-month construction. Optometry occupies an entire floor in the complex, which is shared with the Exercise and Sports Science program, and the Office of the ProVice Chancellor (Health). The third floor is actually divided into two sides – one for faculty and the other for students. The faculty office area is spacious and openplan – with plenty of private meeting

Vision Eye Institute rights issue fell $4.4 million short of target

Mar 2013

capital raising non-renounceable rights issue offered to its shareholders by listed ophthalmology practices company Vision Eye Institute Limited fell $4.4 million short of the target. The issue offer, which was announced to the market on 11 December 2012 and closed on 14 January 2013, raised $22.8 million (before expenses) of the $27.2 million (67,009,250 shares) being sought on the basis of two fully-paid ordinary shares in the company for every three shares held at an issue price of 34c per share. Eligible shareholders applied for 52,434,895 fully-paid ordinary shares under the rights issue, representing 78.25 per cent of the fully-paid ordinary shares offered. The issue was underwritten and the shortfall of 14,497,870 new shares not taken up by shareholders will be dealt with by the underwriter, Bell Potter Securities Limited, in accordance with the terms of the underwriting agreement.

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areas, and a small boardroom. Each member of the staff sits in the open plan, including foundation director, Professor Harrison Weisinger. The REACH building was designed by Melbourne architects, DesignInc, who worked to accommodate the range of ‘special requests’ put forward by Deakin academics. Some of the highlights of the building include: • 200-seat lecture theatre with adaptable seating to accommodate team-based learning tutorials. The back wall of the lecture theatre concertinas away to create a connection with the atrium. • Large atrium and catering facility to allow exhibitions and cocktail functions – with easy access to the adjacent lecture theatre.

• Student ‘pods’ on every floor to give students a comfortable space to lounge, workshop ideas and prepare presentations. • A fully-functional optometry practice complete with retail floor space and display, cash register, practice management software integration, state-ofthe-art consulting room, fields and photography. The practice has several remotely-controlled cameras and microphones, as well as a hidden observation deck, so that students’ activities can be recorded and reviewed. • Eight problem-based learning tutorial rooms, each with a complete vision-testing set-up (chair and stand, trial lenses,

colour and binocular vision), slit lamp, hand-held diagnostic equipment (such as direct and indirect ophthalmoscopes from a range of suppliers) and multimedia capability. • A 400m2 clinical-skills laboratory replete with four video-conference units, 20 large LCD TVs, interactive lectern, and a suite of ophthalmic equipment including electrophysiology, HRT, OCT, several automated perimeters, digital retinal cameras, Optos scanner, digital video enabled slit lamps and BIO simulators. The REACH building was opened by Premier Baillieu on 22 February, though Deakin Optometry announced its own ‘launch’ function on 7 March.

So near and yet so far: myopia’s US President genetic connections April 2013 presents high British-led team of scientists particularly in the developed world, honour to LASIK announced it had identified 24 and the known adverse outcomes of genes that they implicate in the myopia, especially in its more extreme inventor Mar 2013 manifestations, the elimination of, or development of myopia.

resident Barack Obama awarded LASIK eye surgery inventor Dr Gholam Peyman, MD, the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honour bestowed on an American innovator, during a ceremony at the White House. Dr Peyman is a long-standing member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. He is a professor of optical sciences and engineering at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix and is among 12 researchers to receive the honour.

The hope ultimately is to develop a drug that can counter such influences and prevent myopia developing. The discoveries cast a shadow over research seeking answers to the aetiology of myopia from environmental, behavioural, and optical causes. That is not to say that such factors have no influence on the development of myopia but, if nature is true to form, the answer may turn out to be ‘all of the above’ or ‘most of the above’. Seeking a silver bullet would now appear to be a pointless pursuit, rather a belt of ammunition or even a whole box of ammunition may now be required. Given the number of people affected,

at least a considerable reduction in, myopia would be a giant step forward for mankind. Given our knowledge that myopia often runs in families, the findings should not come as a surprise because they simply confirm and formalise what we already knew. Lead researcher, Prof Chris Hammond (Frost Chair of Ophthalmology, researcher in the Department of Twin Research, and himself one of twins) and his team at King’s College London first published data linking myopia and genetics some three years ago (Solouki AM et al, 2010).

RANZCO appoints new chief executive officer April 2013

he Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists appointed Dr David Andrews, PhD, as its chief executive officer effective 18 February. Dr Andrews replaced acting CEO Mr

Laurie Pincott, who served as interim CEO of RANZCO from September 2012, after Ms Susi Tegen resigned from the position.   “Dr Andrews brings extensive experience to his new role, having previously served as chief operating

officer of the Woolcock Institute. We welcome his experience and leadership to RANZCO,” the president of RANZCO, Dr Stephen Best, said. Dr Andrews holds a PhD in agricultural chemistry, and an MBA.  www.insightnews.com.au

Physics may contribute to post-surgery scarring: CERA

esearchers at the Centre for Eye Research Australia announced that they had found a new potential cause of scarring after glaucoma surgery – that physics, not just biology, may be to blame, the Australian and New Zealand Glaucoma Interest Group meeting in Hobart last month was told. If standard treatments fail when treating glaucoma, surgery is undertaken to lower intraocular the pressure. For

April 2013

many people those operations don’t last forever because scar formation prevents the aqueous fluid from leaving the eye. It has long been thought that biological components in the aqueous may have inflammatory effects, which contribute to the scarring. However, the CERA researchers showed for the first time that there is more to the story, and the mechanical action and hydraulics of aqueous passing

through tissue may also contribute to scar formation. The researchers, led by Associate Professor Michael Coote and Professor Jonathan Crowston, conducted glaucoma surgery in animals using a specially-designed implant, which acts like a stent to keep the ‘hole’ open longer. In the experiment, the implant was inserted into the eye but not quite far

enough to let aqueous leak out of the eye. Once the eye had fully healed, the researchers injected sterile saline solution through the implant. Saline was chosen because it is similar to the fluid inside the eye but doesn’t have any inflammatory biological components. The researchers found that only three days after the saline was injected, the implants were working much less effectively.

Writs flew in legal battles in US over Meeting fails to settle glaucoma dispute between two professions May 2013 progressive-lens patents April 2013

wide-ranging patent battle over digital progressive lenses broke out, with leading lens manufacturers, an optical laboratory group and a major managedvision-care company taking sides in lawsuits and countersuits filed in two different federal courts. On 20 February, Younger Optics, Indizen Optical Technologies, Indizen Optical Technologies of America, Vision Service Plan,VSP Labs and VSP Optical Groupfiled suit against Essilor International and Essilor of Americain United States

District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division. The companies are seeking a declaratory judgment stating that the manufacture and sale of their progressive lenses, including VSP Unity PLxpression lenses, does not infringe three Essilor International patents on digital progressive lenses, either directly or indirectly. In their suit, the companies are also seeking to invalidate all three Essilor patents because they claim the patents fail to comply with US patent laws.

Coaching fails to boost medical-school performance

edical students coached to pass UMAT tests end up performing more poorly during every year of their medical-degree course compared with students who were not coached, according to a recent study. With students paying upwards of $2,000 for commercial coaching, there has been a long-running row over whether the courses work and www.insightnews.com.au

May 2013

whether they give rich kids an unfair advantage. But researchers say among a group of 83 students who graduated from the University of Western Sydney in 2011, the 50% who admitted they had been coached had a significantly lower grade point average than students not coached. They also performed more poorly in every year of their degree.

meeting failed to settle the dispute between the ophthalmology and optometry professions over the Optometry Board of Australia’s decision to amend the guidelines for the practice of optometry to permit independent diagnosis and management of glaucoma by optometrists. The failed attempt was made at a meeting of interested parties at the headquarters of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency in Melbourne on 24 April. Those present at the meeting included representatives of the AHPRA, the OBA, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists, the Australian Medical Association, Optometry Association Australia and

Glaucoma Australia. The meeting, which was attended by 17 people, was called in an attempt to test whether mediation could lead to an end to the dispute, but that was not achieved. Speakers from both sides of the dispute (medicine versus optometry) spoke at length and with conviction, however the nearest the meeting came to any form of compromise leading to possible settlement of the dispute was when a representative from the OBA suggested that rather than optometrists referring patients to ophthalmologists in cases where there was doubt in regard to diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, they should refer them to GPs. That was immediately rejected by those representing medicine, with the meeting ending shortly afterwards.

US state withdraws bill to permit optometrists to do surgery May 2013

ouisiana Republican representative in the United States, Frank Hoffmann, on 2 May withdrew House Bill 527, which would have expanded the scope of practice for optometrists, allowing them to administer medication by injection as well as perform many eye surgeries, including several eye-laser and incisional procedures. Introduced in April, the bill had already passed the Louisiana House

Committee on Health and Welfare,by a vote of 12-7 on April 17, but its scheduled vote by the Louisiana House of Representatives on April 24 was then postponed, as reported on 26 April. The bill will not be reintroduced for the present session, according to Dr James Sandefur, OD, executive director of the Optometry Association of Louisiana. FEBRUARY 2014

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Specsavers ‘a clear winner’ in optical brand-visibility ‘gut-feel’ survey May 2013

pecsavers was a “clear winner” in brand visibility in the optical category of a ‘gut-feel’ quarterly survey covering 18 retail categories in which 800 people participated, according to MSI Global Alliance, which conducted the survey. The Specsavers brand name was

nominated as ‘most visible brand’ in the optical retail category by 72% of participants over the past 12 months versus OPSM 21%. Participants were asked to select the ‘most visible’ and ‘least visible’ brands from a named group of wellknown businesses across the 18 categories. They were asked to base

their selection on gut feel as to which brands had been more visible to them personally over the past 12 month period. Clear winners nominated as the ‘most visible’ brands over the past 12 months in their categories included Myer in the department stores category (60% of nominations

vs. David Jones 38%), Specsavers in the optical retail category (72% of nominations vs. OPSM 21%), Qantas in Airlines (63% vs. Virgin Australia 35%), Commonwealth Bank (55% vs. ANZ 15%) and eBay easily taking out the Online Retail category (64% vs. Amazon 18. Coke (89%) was a very clear winner over Pepsi (5%).

University of Melbourne’s Department of Myopia: Being outdoors is an advantage, but reason(s) elusive June 2013 Ophthalmology celebrating 50 years May 2013

ccording to separate papers published by Taiwanese and Danish researchers in the May edition of Ophthalmology, schoolaged children who spend more time outdoors are less likely to develop myopia than those who prefer to remain indoors (Taiwanese paper) or if myopic already, exhibit slower progression of the condition (Danish paper). The Taiwanese researchers (Wu et al., 2013) targeted the behaviour of urban school children at class recess time, those that remained indoors and those that went outside to play. School students aged 7 to 11 years were recruited from two schools in the same suburb in southern Taiwan. Children from one school acted as test subjects while children from the other acted as controls. The intervention consisted of running programmes during recess (80 minutes per day) that encouraged the children outdoors. The control school had no such programmes on offer. Both schools had 2 hours of outdoor physical education per week. The outcomes were assessed by a parent questionnaire and ocular evaluations that included axial length and cycloplegic autorefraction at the beginning of the study and after 1 year. Of the 571 students recruited in total, 333 participated in the interventional programme, and 238 were in the control group. Baseline data showed no significant differences between the schools for age, gender, baseline refraction, and myopia

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prevalence (47.75% vs. 49.16%). At 1 year, new onset myopia was significantly lower among those encouraged outdoors than in the control group (8.41% vs. 17.65%, p<0.001). Furthermore, the changes in existing myopia measured in the outdoor group were also significantly lower compared with the control group (−0.25 D/year vs. −0.38 D/year, p= 0.029). A multivariate analysis demonstrated that the variables of intervention (being outdoors more) and being in a higher school grade proved to be protective against myopia in non-myopic subjects (p= 0.020 and p= 0.017 respectively). However, for myopic subjects, school grade was the only variable associated significantly with myopia progression (p= 0.006). The authors concluded that outdoor activities at school recess have a significant advantageous effect on myopia onset and/or myopia progression, especially myopia onset in non-myopic children. In an interview with Medscape Medical News, lead author Dr PeiChang Wu of Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital said: “Myopia has become very high in the last 30 years in Taiwan. It is a very severe public health problem. Ninety percent of college students in Taiwan have myopia. But in previous generations, the prevalence was about 10%”. He went on: “These outcomes demonstrate how small changes might be able to expose children to the bright, natural light that their eyes apparently need to grow normally”.

he University of Melbourne’s Department of Ophthalmology celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2013 and announced it would hold a birthday party in August. In 1963 Professor Gerard Crock became the foundation Ringland Anderson Professor at the University of Melbourne and created Australia’s first specialist ophthalmology department. His successor Professor Hugh Taylor established the Centre for Eye Research Australia 30 years

later to complement and build on the department’s strength. Together, the University of Melbourne’s Department of Ophthalmology and CERA have grown into a powerhouse for ophthalmology teaching, scholarship, innovation in patient care and into one of the top five research groups in the world today. Countless people living with eye diseases and vision loss are enjoying better lives because of the work they do.

UMel opens new glaucoma clinic

July 2013

he University of Melbourne opened the University of Melbourne Eyecare Glaucoma Clinic in Swanston Street, Parkville. UMEG Clinic was established following the recent changes to the Optometry Board of Australia’s Guidelines for Use of Scheduled Medicines 2013 allowing suitably trained and equipped optometrists to independently diagnose and treat

glaucoma. The clinic will serve as a referral centre and teaching resource. Dr Graham Lakkis, lead optometrist at UMEG, emphasised the new clinic will provide for the needs of the optometrical profession and their patients by enabling accurate assessment using state-of-theart clinical equipment and glaucoma treatment protocols consistent with the NHMRC glaucoma guidelines.

88% of practitioners read INSIGHT! www.insightnews.com.au

RANZCO and ASO launch Qld Supreme Court action over OBA

egal action was launched in the Supreme Court of Queensland “to protect patient safety and wellbeing from changes to the role and responsibilities of optometrists”. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) and The Australian Society of Ophthalmologists (ASO) jointly brought an application to the Supreme Court seeking to set aside decisions of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Optometry Board of Australia (OBA) which attempt to extend the scope of practice by allowing optometrists to diagnose and treat glaucoma without oversight by ophthalmologists. In a 119-page affidavit filed in

the Supreme Court in support of the application, Mr Kerry Gallagher, chief executive officer of ASO, stated: “ASO holds grave concerns that patient safety will be compromised by optometrists treating glaucoma without medical and specialised supervision and in circumstances where optometrists are not sufficiently trained to do so.” In bringing the action, RANZCO and the ASO are seeking a reversion to the collaborative co-management regime of treating glaucoma that was in place before the OBA amended the optometrical scope of practice. Guidelines approved by the OBA in March overturn traditional medical practice in which ophthalmologists have overseen patient diagnosis and

Tasmania prepared to mark 100 years of its optometry legislation

July 2013

asmania prepared to mark the centenary of its optometry legislation, that fell due on 5 December. The state’s Opticians Act 1913 was the first such legislation in Australia as well as in the whole of the then British Empire (now the British

Commonwealth) and the first outside the United States, where there were Acts in 31 states. The Bill that became the Act was largely the result of the efforts of Newham Waterworth on behalf of the Tasmanian Optical Association, of which he was honorary secretary.

Essilor International buying 51% of Transitions for $US1.73 billion

ssilor International and PPG Industries announced on 29 July that the companies had reached an agreement for Essilor to acquire PPG Industries’ 51% stake in Transitions Optical, with the acquisition expected to be completed in the first half of 2014. Essilor has held a 49% share of Transitions Optical since the joint www.insightnews.com.au

July 2013

venture company’s formation in 1990. The transaction, valued at $US1.73 billion at closing, also includes the acquisition of Intercast, a leading supplier of sun lenses. There is also to be a deferred payment of $125 million over five years The acquisitions will significantly strengthen Essilor’s position in both the photochromic and sun lens segments.

treatment for glaucoma. The concern of both RANZCO and ASO is that optometrists with minimal therapeutic training have been approved to assess medical conditions that are beyond their learning and experience. By contrast, the two organisations say, ophthalmologists study for seven years to become doctors and then spend another five years to become medical eye specialists, whereas ophthalmologist acquire 12,000 hours of clinical training in treating eye disease before being authorised to responsibly initiate treatment for patients. The Australian Medical Association has described the initiative as out of

July 2013

step with the experts on best patient care for those suffering glaucoma, which affects 300,000 people in Australia. RANZCO and the ASO state that it is essential for patient safety and wellbeing that scope-of-practice extensions by health practitioners are only implemented if endorsed by expert clinical review. The matter was set down for mention in the Supreme Court on 29 July and for confirmation of a hearing date in November, however that has now been delayed due to counsel for the OBA challenging the standing of RANZCO and the ASO, which will be decided on 30 August in an expected two-hour hearing.

ACCC denied ophthalmologists the right to collectively set fees

ompetition watchdog the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission delivered a major rebuff to the nation’s ophthalmologists by denying those who work in shared practices permission to collectively set fees. Just three months after giving the  green light for GPs working in the  same practice to collectively set patient

July 2013

charges, the ACCC has knocked back a similar request from the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists. The ACCC said the reason GPs had been given permission for joint-practice fee-setting where ophthalmologists had not was the relative scarcity of the latter, with only “a small number in any given area within Australia ... unlike the larger number of GPs”.

Patient died after cataract surgery; allergic reaction to prescription drug

patient in Western Australia died hours following cataract surgery after an allergic reaction to a sulphur-based prescription drug, an inquest into her death has been told. The Meckering woman died despite her allergy being noted in medical documents and the fact

July 2013

that she was wearing two bracelets alerting hospital staff that she suffered from allergies. The woman died at Northam Hospital on March 6, 2008 – just hours after having surgery to remove a cataract from her left eye and the insertion of an artificial intraocular lens. FEBRUARY 2014

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RANZCO: be aware in training OBA set out its case for use optometrists about glaucoma of scheduled medicines

July 2013

t is important that ophthalmologists continue to provide the usual high level of expected education to all allied health professionals ensuring everyone works within their scope of clinical competencies, the president of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, Dr Stephen Best, said in a communication to members on 18 June. However, that is now questionable with respect to diagnosis and management of glaucoma, Dr Best said. “You should be aware that in signing off on therapeutic training for optometrists you are endorsing a course developed by optometrists, for

optometrists. It has not had RANZCO input or endorsement. “We believe it’s in patients interests for ophthalmologists and optometrists to continue to work in a collaborative integrated manner, as they have done for many years, and as recommended by the recently published NHMRC Guidelines. “I hope that you can continue to work closely with our colleagues in optometry. RANZCO will continue to advocate at all appropriate levels for the OBA to have guidelines that promote collaborative integrated care with patient safety as the ultimate objective.”

Government backs down on $2,000 cap on claims for CPD expenses August 2013

he federal government has backed down from its plan to impose a $2,000 cap on the amount that can be claimed for expenses incurred in obtaining required levels of continuing-professional-development education. The cap was to apply to members of all professions, including ophthalmologists and optometrists. The plan has been shelved until at least July 2015, removing what was likely to become an issue during

the campaign leading up to the 7-September federal election. The federal government says it would delay the introduction of a $2,000 cap on tax deductions for work-related, selfeducation from the original start date of 1 July 2014 to 1 July 2015. Imposition of the $2,000 cap, which was to apply to all professions, was meant to save the taxpayer $520 million over four years and be applied to the cost of the Gonski education recommendations.

Glasson failed to topple PM, but there may soon be a by-election October 2013

he former president of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, Dr Bill Glasson, failed in his attempt to topple the now former prime minister Mr Kevin Rudd in the federal election held on 7 September. However it was speculated he might soon have another opportunity to win the seat of Griffith in Queensland if Mr Rudd decides to leave parliament, following his government’s defeat at the election – and if he (Dr Glasson) decides to run again. At the time of going to press, there was no indication Mr Rudd intends to stand down – far from it – however some, mainly nondescript, members of the

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parliamentary Labor party are understood to be pressing for him to do so. The electorate of Griffith recorded a 3.4-per-cent swing against Labor and Mr Rudd had to go to Greens’ preferences to hold the seat. In the primary vote, Mr Rudd was outpolled by Dr Glasson by 29,000 to 28,000 votes, as Dr Glasson engineered a 6.6-per-cent swing to the Liberal party – more than four times the national 1.4-per-cent swing to the Liberals. (Since then, Mr Rudd has resigned from parliament and Dr Glasson has announced he is contesting the seat at the by-election to be held on 8 February 2014.)

July 2013

n 8 July, the Optometry Board of Australia set out its case for the development and application of the Guidelines for use of scheduled medicines:

The current guidelines

On 21 March 2013, the board) released a revised version of its Guidelines for use of scheduled medicines (the 2013 Guidelines). Those guidelines allow optometrists whose registration is endorsed for scheduled medicines (endorsed optometrists) to initiate therapeutic management for patients with chronic glaucoma. One of the requirements in the guidelines is that endorsed optometrists must refer a patient to an ophthalmologist when: • laser/surgical intervention should be discussed, and • treatment does not stabilize the patient’s condition.  Since 2000 in Victoria and since the mid-2000s in most other jurisdictions, endorsed optometrists have been authorised to prescribe eye drops for chronic glaucoma.

Endorsed optometrists Endorsed optometrists approximately 35% of

constitute registered

optometrists.  To be eligible to have their registration endorsed, optometrists must meet the board’s core mandatory  registration standards as well as the Endorsement for scheduled medicines registration standard. Once their registration has been endorsed by the board, those optometrists must complete 20 of the  minimum 40 continuing professional development points in activities related to their endorsement.

Developing the 2013 Guidelines

The 2013 revised Guidelines were developed on the recommendation of the board’s Scheduled Medicines Advisory Committee (SMAC) – an expert, multidisciplinary group that includes optometrists, a pharmacologist, pharmacists and an ophthalmologist.  As it is required to do under the National Law, the Board consulted widely on these guidelines, including: • releasing them for preliminary consultation and discussion with government, the optometry professional association and RANZCO, and • releasing an updated version of the guidelines for public consultation on 23 November 2012.

ASO sought $2,000 from each member to help fund court action

ACO and UMel’s DOVS sign affiliation agreement – until 2022

September 2013

he Australian Society of Ophthalmologists sought a $2,000 contribution from each of its members to help fund the court action it and The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists have commenced in the Supreme Court of Queensland. The ASO’s seeking of $2,000 contributions had the support of RANZCO, although it considers it is a matter for Australian fellows of the college as the action concerns them. However, as the cause has wider ramifications, financial support from New Zealand fellows will be welcomed.

ong-time ‘friends’, the Australian College of Optometry and the University of Melbourne’s Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, have signed an agreement, which lasts until 31 December 2022. was announced by both parties last month. The agreement was signed by Prof Janet Hergt, dean of UniMelb’s Faculty of Science and Ms Maureen O’Keefe, chief executive officer of the ACO. The DOVS is a department within the Faculty of Science. Ms O’Keefe was appointed as ACO’s CEO in March this year.

www.insightnews.com.au

Specsavers increased its ANZ sales to $670 million total in 2012-13

October 2013

rivate company Specsavers’s retail optical stores in Australia increased to 276 as at the end of the company’s 2012-13 financial year (28 February) and increased to 53 in New Zealand. All up, its optical store numbers worldwide increased to 1,505, the largest number being in the United Kingdom (686 stores), followed by Australia (276) and the Netherlands (115). Total revenue in the UK was £981 million ($1,681m), Australia £346m ($A594m), Sweden £85m ($A146m) and New Zealand £44m ($A76m). Globally, there were 2,500-plus partners and 30,000-plus employees, with 13 million frames and 340 million

contact lenses sold during the year. That works out at an average of $2.1m annual sales per store in Australia and $1.4m in New Zealand. The company launched 463 new frame styles during the year, including Armani across all markets and Collette Dinnigan in Australia. During the 2012-13 year, the company commenced offering new silicone hydrogel contact lenses at lower prices, which have proved so popular that they now account for more than 80% of monthly contact lenses sales. Digitial retinal photography for no charge was introduced during the year in stores in Australia and New Zealand, UK, Republic of Ireland and Spain.

The supply chain was expanded in 2012 with the opening of a state-ofthe-art, purpose-designed, lens-coating facility in Kidderminster. Adjoining one of the company’s existing sites, the facility has doubled capacity there and now coats in excess of 50,000 lenses a week. All manufacturing and distribution sites operate on a joint-venture partnership basis for better control over quality assurance and swifter responses to changing market conditions. Six of the company’s eight sites have been accredited with the Carl Zeiss Vision three-star standard of operational excellence. Continuous improvement in the

supply chain processes and services has led to 99.4% of stock now being delivered to stores on time. The Specsavers Partnership recorded customer service levels up across all of the company’s markets and an increase of 11.6 per cent in customer volumes worldwide. The Port Melbourne laboratory in Victoria manufactures and despatches more than 55,000 pairs of glasses each week to the Australian and New Zealand  store networks, while about 2.5 million frames were despatched from a frame warehouse in Hong Kong in its first full year of operating as the distribution centre for stores in Australia and New Zealand.

UNSW dropping MB BS in favour of MD; equal to postgraduate degree

he University of New South Wales announced it is dropping its MB BS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor or Surgery) degree course and replacing it with a BMed MD (Bachelor of Medical Studies, Doctor of Medicine) course. It is doing so so after conducting a detailed investigation into its MB BS

October 2013

degree, which has revealed its doubledegree medical students have been “studying at a level equivalent to a post-graduate degree”. So in response to that, Professor Peter Smith, dean of the UNSW’s medical school, has declared it Australia’s first ever undergraduate MD qualification, to be known as a

BMed MD. “We believe by introducing the MD we will more appropriately recognise our students efforts — without any need for curriculum changes,” Professor Smith said. Offering an MD course appears to be similar to the University of Melbourne’s masters-level MD, which

OP’s Optical Products went into liquidation October 2013

holesaler OP’s Optical Products went into voluntary liquidation, with its offices and phone lines closed. The liquidation brought to an end one of the biggest names in optical wholesaling, being established in the early part of the last century, estimated to be 1935. In a letter to customers, the company’s managing director, Ms Diane Quaife, said: “It is with deep sadness I wish to advise I have had to place our company into liquidation. “As OP’s was the sales and marketing agent for Charmant Australia we are unable to advise at this time the future direction of Charmant Australia or who you should contact with queries or orders. Charmant Japan will advise the market in due course. OP’s offices www.insightnews.com.au

and phone lines are now closed. “I would like to thank you personally for the support you have given OP’s and all our staff over the nearly 20 years I have been with the company.” All stock of Charmant products had been shipped back to Japan. The liquidator is currently in discussion with Charmant Japan how they will proceed with Charmant Australia. Diane Quaife’s husband Mike Quaife will be continuing with his shop-fitting business, IntelligentStyling, which is not affected by the OP’s liquidation. Originally named Wilmot and Hopkins after its founders, it later became Optical Products. At its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, the company was the biggest optical wholesalers in Australia (apart from OPSM’s own

wholesale business), at various times having prescription laboratories in every state except South Australia, with those in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane the largest in their respective states by far – about double the size of their main competitors Australian Optical Co and Arthur Cocks & Co. Optical Products’ Brisbane operation was bigger than the rest of the company’s branches put together. Over those years, Optical Products developed an intensely-loyal clientele, particularly in rural areas, through its financial backing of new graduates in particular who were opening their own practices. That backing paid off handsomely, as it included an obligation for the practitioners concerned to obtain almost all of their prescription-lenses and frames from the company.

it describes as “a new benchmark in 21st century medical education”. Entry to the MD course at UNSW commences this year (2014), however current medical students at the university will also be able to move onto the new program, allowing them to form the first MD cohort that was due to graduate in December 2013.

AHPRA meeting considered OBA’s medicine guidelines: no change

October 2013

meeting held at the national office of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency in Melbourne to discussed concerns raised following the publication of the Optometry Board of Australia’s Guidelines For Use of Scheduled Medicines failed to produce any change. As a consequence, the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists and The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists launched their legal action in the Queensland Supreme Court. FEBRUARY 2014

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Vision Eye Institute’s $25.8m reversal after $16.9m loss in 2012-13 October 2013

isted ophthalmology practices company Vision Eye Institute Ltd had a reversal of $25.7 million after a net loss of $16.9 million in the 2012-13 financial year from a profit of $8.9 million the year before. The company has again failed to pay a dividend to shareholders, as has been the case for a number of years. However it managed to reduce its debt from $85.m to $47.5m, to leave bank debt of $42.5m. Earnings per share were down from 10.2c to a loss of 11.4c. Operating revenues for the company were $107.1m, a 3.7% decrease on the prior year, which the company says was due to: • the impact of the change in banding level upon which health funds fees are paid for intravitreal injections from 13 September 2012; • the continued decline in discretionary refractive revenue; and • the planned exit from its Mackay day surgery business.

Education of orthoptists in NSW is at crossroads; no intake in 2014

t was confirmed that the postgraduate, two-year, coursework Master of Orthoptics degree normally offered by the University of Sydney’s (USyd’s) Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) will skip an intake year in 2014 due largely to factors outside the control of the Discipline of Orthoptics. According to Assoc Prof Kathryn Rose, head of discipline and course director, the factors relate to a reduction in the diversity of courses offered across the FHS affecting some of its disciplines

major study looking at the effectiveness of two anti-VEGF drugs used in the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration has reported that after two years there is little difference between them. The two-year results of the IVAN study published in July issue of the Lancet Journal suggested ranibizumab, more commonly known by the trade name Lucentis, and bevacizumab, also known as Avastin, have similar efficacy.

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with a credit average or better. A large number of eligible applicants demonstrated an overwhelming preference for physiotherapy and speech pathology that resulted in all other faculty offerings being squeezed because of the faculty’s limited capacity (and budget?). Because that situation was not conveyed to the orthoptics discipline in a timely manner, the opportunity to recruit more potential students and counter the intrafaculty pressure to accept low numbers, was missed.

November 2013

he United States Patent Office awarded patent no. 8,433,417 to Newcyte Inc for a self-powered carbon nanostructure artificial retinal implant. “There are several other patents for artificial retinas,” Dr Dennis Flood, Natcore’s chief technology officer and inventor of the device, said.

A reduction in the frequency of retreatment, a measure that might represent significant cost savings, resulted in a small loss of efficacy irrespective of drug during the study. The findings suggested that the cheaper drug, Avastin, currently not licensed for use in AMD treatment, might be a viable alternative to Lucentis which is licensed. The study went onto say that “the choice of anti-VEGF treatment strategy is less straightforward than previously thought”

Formal opening of ACO-housed Deakin Optometry Training Centre November 2013 he newly-built Deakin Optometry Training Centre, housed within the Australian College of Optometry’s Melbourne-based facility, was formally opened on 31 October. The brand-new training facility for Deakin University’s optometry students was designed and built by Specsavers in a major sponsorship undertaking and is the most advanced

while retaining a focus on its large programmes such as physiotherapy, speech pathology, exercise and sports science, medical radiation sciences, and occupational therapy. A contributing factor to the orthoptics situation was a relatively-recent event that saw a record low enrolment that was a direct consequence of a FHS guarantee of entry into a Graduate Entry Masters (GEM, orthoptics is a GEM) course if an applicant’s ‘feeder’ course (prerequisite degree) was completed

Patent issued for self-powered artificial retinal implant

Study finds little difference between AMD drugs November 2013

November 2013

of its type in Australia or New Zealand. In addition to the Specsavers sponsorship, each of the 10 Test Lanes incorporated into the training centre have been fully equipped by Specsavers and Luxottica. Each has taken responsibility for equipping five test lanes. In addition, Specsavers has equipped the main demonstration lane.

“But all of them have limitations. Some require the patient to have sight. Some restore only limited acuity, or the ability to detect motion or to distinguish between light and dark. Some are bulky and/or require prosthesis. “Ours is a self-powered implant that doesn’t require a camera, a

transmitter, or any other external device. It would work as long as the patient’s nerves are alive and only the rods and cones are affected. And it has the potential to be wavelength selective, so that color vision could be reintroduced to people whose only prospect now is a cloudy black-andwhite.”

Death by misadventure finding over post-cataract death; drug reaction November 2013

he Western Australia Coroner on 23 September delivered a finding of death by misadventure when Mrs Carol Freda Whiteford, a 68-year-old retired woman, died the day after undergoing surgery to remove cataract and implant an intraocular lens in her left eye at Northam Hospital on 6 March 2008. After an inquest held on 9 and 10 July, Coroner Hugh Mulligan found the cause of death being consistent with anaphylaxis in a woman with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and emphysema in the following circumstances: That Mrs Whiteford was given a single 250 mg tablet of Diamox [a nonantibiotic sulphonamide commonly used by ophthalmologists to reduce intraocular pressure] despite her being known to be allergic to Sulphas (an abbreviation for a group of medications known as sulphonamides), on the written post-operative instruction of

the operating surgeon, Dr Andrew Stewart. Coroner Dominic Mulligan found that at the time of the operation Mrs Whiteford was in very poor health; she suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (emphysema) and undiagnosed, but severe heart disease; her prognosis was very poor and it was expected, on the basis of her diagnosed emphysema, she would not live for more than a year after the eye operation. Her significant breathing difficulties and was rendered largely immobile and housebound because of her ill-health and that as a consequence of her ill-health, lack of mobility and very poor eyesight there was very little Mrs Whiteford could do to occupy her time. She normally enjoyed doing crafts and watching movies. The surgery was meant to restore her ability to enjoy those small pleasures. www.insightnews.com.au

OBA and AHPRA sign 2013-14 New treatment for dry eye and health profession agreement November 2013 blepharitis developed at UniSyd

he Optometry Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority on 16 October published the health profession agreement that outlines the services that AHPRA will provide to the OBA in the 2013-14 year. Under the National Law, the two bodies work in partnership to implement the National Scheme, each with specific roles, powers and responsibilities set out in the National Law. ‘Publishing the agreement demonstrates our commitment to transparency and accountability in implementing the National Scheme,’ OBA chair Mr Colin Waldron said. “The guiding principles of the National Law require the National Scheme to operate in a ‘transparent, accountable, efficient, effective and fair way’, and for registration fees to be reasonable ‘having regard to the efficient and effective operation of the scheme’.

“The board is accountable to the optometry profession and the community. “We are responsible for using practitioners’ registration fees wisely in regulating the profession in the public interest,” he said. ‘The board is pleased to provide more detailed information about how registration fees are allocated to regulate the profession in Australia.” The chief executive officer of AHPRA, Mr Martin Fletcher, said the OBA and AHPRA are committed to increasing transparency and accountability in financial reporting. “As AHPRA’s reporting capability strengthens, we are publishing moredetailed information about each national board’s financial operations and AHPRA’s performance, Mr Fletcher said. “That complements the audited data and performance reporting included in each year’s annual report.”

Men delay addressing presbyopia for average of 20 months: study

BOC now 100% owned by Cosentinos; HGL sells its 50% shareholding

December 2013

ustralian men are living with presbyopia for an average of 20 months before consulting with their ophthalmologist or optometrist, according to recent research by Essilor Australia. The nationwide study showed that men and women both begin to notice presbyopia symptoms at around age 44, but women are seeking advice far earlier than men. On average it takes Australian males two years to make an appointment with an eye-care practitioner after first noticing the signs of presbyopia, while females are seeking help in almost half the time.

December 2013

ony and Luisa Cosentino, owners of 50 per cent of the issued shares in ophthalmic equipment supplier BOC Ophthalmic Instruments since 1994, bought the other 50 per cent shareholding from listed investment and management company HGL Limited. The buyback was announced on 6 November in a statement by HGL to the Australian Securities Exchange. The 50-per-cent shareholding of HGL was bought by A&L Cosentino as trustees for the Cosentino Family Trust. Luisa and Tony Cosentino are the principals.

Darwin optometrist won national business award

December 2013

Darwin-based optometrist who delivers vision care to reduce preventable blindness in the Northern Territory’s regional and remote communities won the Business Owner Award at the 2013 Telstra Australian Business Women’s Awards. www.insightnews.com.au

Helen Summers, who launched her practice Helen Summers Optometrist Eyecare Plus Darwin 15 years ago, has continued to grow her Fannie Bay state-of-the-art practice while also providing an outreach service to some of Australia’s most remote and regional areas in the Territory.

December 2013

esearchers at Save Sight Institute, a centre of the University of Sydney, have developed an eye drop which uniquely addresses all underlying aspects of blepharitis, an inflammatory eye condition found in 40 per cent of routine eye consultations. In the United States alone it is estimated that 7.1 million people over the age of 40 suffer from dry eye, most

experiencing ongoing irritation and pain. Principle inventors Dr Kenneth Ooi and Clinical Professor Stephanie Watson conducted a four-week clinical study with ten patients, finding that the topical therapy clearly decreased signs and symptoms of blepharitis. Now available for licensing, a provisional patent has been filed by Sydnovate, the commercialisation arm of the University of Sydney.

Sydney-based research confirmed the role of sunlight in myopia control December 2013

he topic of myopia occupies a lot of mind-space in a good many ophthalmic researchers but few probably have it so fresh in their mind as Dr Amanda French from the University of Sydney’s Discipline of Orthoptics at its Lidcombe campus. Dr French has had her PhD thesis on Associations with Prevalent and Incident Refractive Error in Australian School Children accepted recently and has since spoken with Insight about myopia. Despite its title her research (on 2,700 children at 55 primary and secondary schools in Sydney) had myopia as its main focus, particularly its risk factors and environmental drivers. The focus was mostly away from other factors or treatments, e.g. genetics and orthokeratology

although the former cannot be ignored (see later). Within the topic of myopia the trilogy of time outdoors, education, and near work were studied in detail. The key environmental factor in the genesis of myopia is light intensity or rather its lack and her findings reinforce the findings of others in that regard, i.e. time spent outdoors is the most important single factor in ‘combating’ myopia. However, in view of the large differences in light intensity between indoors (200 – 500 lux) and outdoors (30,000 – 100,000 lux) it would seem that ‘falsifying’ indoor light levels to match that of the outdoors is going to be difficult, expensive, or most likely, both (with or without a carbon tax and rising energy costs).

FLEYE celebrated launch of its frame collections

December 2013

ouse of Brands celebrated the launch of its collection of Danish-designed FLEYE (Fine Looking Eye) frames in Australia by exhibiting at the Sydney Opera House from 25 October to 11 November. On the evening of 28 October, guests enjoyed the hospitality of House of Brands at a champagne supper after a packed-Opera House black-tie function for the ‘Crown Prince Couple’s Awards 2013’ in the presence of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. The launch was part of the ‘Danish Design at the House’ exhibition, a showcase of Danish design

held in the western foyer during the celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of the Opera House. Products on show included examples from a variety of industries in Denmark, such as electronics (Bang & Olufsen), medical technology (Novo Nordisk), homewares, furniture (Cane-line), carpets (ege), lighting (Lightyears), engineering (Steensen Varming), toys (Lego), shoes (ECCO), kitchenware (Bodum), water pumps (Grundfos), jewellery (Ole Lynggaard Copenhagen), silverware (Georg Jensen), lingerie (Viola Sky), tourism (VisitDenmark) and of course FLEYE spectacle frames. FEBRUARY 2014

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Three-year jail sentences for frame counterfeiting in China T Dec 2013

wo men in China have each been sentenced to jail terms of three years after being found guilty of manufacturing 20,272 counterfeit frames bearing the ‘Silhouette’ registered trademark and ‘Made in Australia’. Each of them has also been fined RMB60,000 ($A11,100), with one of them to also be under four-year probation. All of the 20,272 frames

(which cost RMB121,632 ($A22,500) have been confiscated. The case was brought against the two by Silhouette International Schmied AG, of Austria. The Wenzhou Ouhai People’s Court on 12 November 2013 ruled the following: 1. The two defendants used a mark identical to a registered trade mark

$166,000 costs awarded against company and manager in Taiwan for counterfeiting Dec 2013

ilhouette International Schmied AG, of Austria, on 8 November 2013 was awarded $US$166,000 costs after losing a an appeal by Universal Vision Biotechnology Co Ltd and the manager of that company, Mr Wang Chong Hua, heard by the Fifth Tribunal of the Supreme Court in Taiwan. The court’s final judgments require: 1. UVB and Wang shall jointly pay Silhouette NT$5 million (around US$166,000) plus 5% interest (per annum) calculated from 2 April 2011. 2. UVB and Wang shall publish the subject title, case number, name of the parties and main text of the second-instance judgment in the China Times for one day and shall be responsible for the publication fee. 3. The court fees (including the court fees that Silhouette advanced in the first instance) shall be jointly borne by UVB and Wang. In its reasons for decision, the court said: “The appellee, Silhouette, registered the trademark of ‘Silhouette’ in Taiwan for its eyewear products.

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“Appellant Wang Chong Hua is the optical department manager of UVB and is in charge of the eyewear procurement business. When Mr Wang purchased eyewear from Hong Kong Shang Gao Yun Trading Company (who is not included in the lawsuit), he did not notice the source of the eyewear products, which were defined as the counterfeit Silhouette eyewear. “Hereby the appellee should take responsibility for the negligent tort. UVB and Wang Chong Hua shall jointly pay Silhouette NT$5 million. “Our court thinks that the IP Court’s second-instance judgment was in accordance with the laws/ provisions and thus sustained the first-instance and second-instance judgments. “Hereby the third-instance appeal filed by UVB and Mr Wang is dismissed. Summarizing all the abovementioned, this appeal is unreasonable and should be turned down. According to Rule No. 481, the 1st item of Rule No. 444, Rule No. 95 and Rule No. 78 in ‘Civil Procedure Law of Taiwan’, the sentence is summarised as stated in the main text.”

without the authorisation of its owner on the same commodity; their conducts constituted the especially serious situation in the crime of counterfeiting a registered trade mark; 2. The defendant Wu Huajin committed the crime of counterfeiting a registered trade mark and is sentenced to 3-year imprisonment

with a fine of RMB60,000 (no probation); 3. The defendant Wu Huafei committed the crime of counterfeiting a registered trade mark and is sentenced to 3-years imprisonment with a 4-year probation and a fine of RMB60,000; 4. All of the seized 20,272 pairs of counterfeit frames are confiscated.

Luxottica increased wholesale and retail revenues in 3Q Dec 2013

taly-based Luxottica Group SpA reported total net sales of €1.8 billion for the third quarter, along with a record-setting quarterly free cash flow of €295 million, according to the company’s consolidated results for the three-months and nine-months ending 30 September. Wholesale division sales worldwide jumped to €686 million from €647 million in the yearago period, with Luxottica’s chief executive officer, Mr Andrea Guerra, citing in particular, strength in the United States as well as a particularly strong period for European sales. Luxottica’s retail division revenues were €1,099 million for the period, reflecting a 3.3% decline from €1,137 at current exchange rates, but an improvement in net income for the period, Mr Guerra said, citing strong double-digit comparable store sales for Sunglass Hut and single-digit improvement for North American retail. “We are very satisfied with the third quarter’s performance and the systematic growth we have been pursuing with determination since the beginning of the year, recording

a 7.4% increase in sales at constant exchange rates and increased profitability supported by constant efficiency gains,” Guerra said. “We have further reduced our net debt due to excellent free cash flow of €295 million generated in the quarter. “Europe is in excellent shape with results exceeding expectations (+15.1%) and with outstanding performances in Germany, France and the Nordics. Italy continued its positive growth trend and Spain is back to growth, recording an increase of 11.3%. Emerging market countries continue to be a source of enormous satisfaction, recording sales increases of 19% at constant exchange rates. North America is also a structurally growing market as a result of an excellent brand portfolio and our efficient organisation.” Net income for the third quarter of 2013 increased by 7.9 to €148 million, compared to €137 million in the third quarter of 2012. In the first nine months of 2013, adjusted net income reached €525 million, growing 10.5% compared to €475 million in the same period of 2012. www.insightnews.com.au

Essilor posts 7.1% increase in year-todate revenue Dec 2013

ssilor International has reported consolidated revenue for the nine months ended 30 September totalled €3,813.0 million compared with €3,759.1 million in the year-earlier period. Revenue growth, reflecting like-for-like plus bolt-on acquisitions, rose 7.1%. “The third quarter saw a number of initiatives that will shape the company’s future,” Mr Hubert Sagnieres, chairman and chief executive officer of Essilor International, said. “First, Essilor signed a major agreement to acquire Transitions Optical, the world leader in photochromic lenses. Second, we made significant advances in sun lenses. The 7.1% revenue growth, excluding the currency effect, reflected a very dynamic acquisitions policy and more robust demand, driven in particular by the first steps of innovation in the midrange segment. “Essilor is actively positioning itself to benefit, in 2014, from growth in the optical market, where global demand for improved visual health remains largely unfulfilled.” In the third quarter, Essilor International’s consolidated revenue totalled €1,237.3 million, a 0.7% increase. That reflected like-forlike growth of 3.1%, which Essilor attributed to “a very good performance in equipment and an improvement in lenses and optical instruments compared with the first half, both in developed countries and fast-growing markets.” In particular, Essilor said it benefited from the introduction of midrange products such as Intuitiv, the first progressive lens adapted for both

left- and right-handed wearers. Other factors influencing Essilor’s third quarter performance included a 4% impact from changes in the scope of consolidation resulting from the large number of partnership agreements recently signed in fast-growing markets and North America, and a negative 6.4% currency effect caused by the sharp depreciation of numerous currencies against the Euro, including the United States dollar. In North America, third-quarter revenue from lenses and optical instruments totaled €439.5, down 2.2% from year-ago but up 0.6% likefor-like. Essilor said it experienced good trends for polarised lenses, sales to independent laboratories and contactlens distribution. However, the company’s performance with optical chains was affected by the loss of two contracts in the first half, though it declined to name the chains [one was VSP in the United States: Ed.]. Essilor said its previously announced agreement to acquire PPG Industries’ 51% in Transitions Optical, resulting in 100% ownership of the photochromic lens maker, and its agreement to acquire 100% of Intercast, a premium sun lens manufacturer based in Parma, Italy, are on track to become finalised in first half, 2014. Based on current estimates, the transaction should have a positive impact on Essilor’s financial indicators, Essilor said. In particular, the acquisitions are expected to be accretive from year one and will add at least 5% to earnings per share in subsequent years, according to the company.

Safilo’s 3Q net sales of $326 million in line with forecasts Dec 2013

taly-based eyewear maker Safilo Group posted third-quarter net sales of €243.4 million ($326.26 million), the company announced on 13 November. That was 2.3% lower year-on-year but in line with a mean estimate from three analysts. Safilo, which manufactures for brands including Kering’s Alexander McQueen and Bottega Veneta, said net profit for the period was €1.7 million ($2.28 million). Safilo’s newly instated chief executive Ms Luisa Delgado, said in a statement that the company is “about on track” to off-set the loss of a licence to produce sunglasses and frames for Armani, which moved its eyewear business to market leader Luxottica from the beginning of this year. Offsetting the loss of the licence to make glasses for Italian fashion house Armani by focusing on its other licences and brands is Safilo’s main objective for 2013, Ms Delgado said. Safilo gave no forecasts of its own for the full year, but a mean estimate from analysts polled by Thomson Reuters points to 2013 net profit of €32.3 million for the company. Ms Delgado did not say exactly how much the loss of the Armani licence had cost Safilo, but Luxottica chief

executive Andrea Guerra told Reuters in July the licence contributed around 3.5% of its second-quarter wholesale revenue – translating to roughly €30 million. Safilo said that had been the first positive third quarter it recorded since it agreed a debt restructuring in 2009 and was rescued by Dutch investment company Hal Holding. As well as investing in its portfolio of brand licences, Safilo is now focusing on the eyewear names its owns, which include Polaroid and Carrera. “The unique equity potential of those brands is not leveraged right now,” Ms Delgado, who took over from former chief Roberto Vedovotto a month ago, said. “I think it would be fair to say that we would see over time potential to double our business in our house brands. The question of course is how fast and what it takes to do that.” Safilo said Europe, where it makes around 40% of its sales, was the only market where sales grew in the third quarter, by 6.3% percent at current exchange rates, although its home market of Italy remained weak. “Outside Italy – even in Spain and Portugal — we are seeing some signs of recovery,” chief financial officer Vincenzo Giannelli said.

Optometrist appointed chair of Notre Dame’s Medical School Advisory Board

ydney optometrist Mr Paul Sheehan has been appointed chairman of the Medical School Advisory Board at Notre Dame University in Sydney. Mr Sheehan is the first optometrist in Australia to be appointed to such a position. He has held a variety of positions since graduating in optometry from the University of New South Wales in 1979. including heading up NIB Eyecare in Newcastle, being a co-founder and www.insightnews.com.au

Jan 2014

director of Union Optical in Melbourne, and a co-founder and director of Mylens, a contact-lens supply company based in Sydney. Through his contacts within the union movement and government, in 1993 Mr Sheehan played the major role in preventing benefits for optometrical consultations being dropped by Medicare, a role that has never been acknowledged by Optometrists Association Australia. He was a member of the New South Wales Board of Optometrical

Registration in the early 1990s. Currently he is a director of Metro Dental in Melbourne (from January 2011) and a director of Mylens Optical, based in Artarmon, Sydney, which is an online optical business selling contact lenses, prescription glasses and sunglasses. He has been a director of Smart Eyes Melbourne and Charlestown since January 2006 and a director of Yangoda for 22 years. Yangoda is an ancillary health advisory company which

established medical, optical and dental services primarily for health-insurance funds and universities around Australia. His consultancy work has included AHM, HCF, NIB, Teachers Health, Peoplecare and Rt Health Funds over 29 years. He was managing director of Optifashion Australia (August 2007-November 2009). Optifashion Australia was the company through which Safilo SpA of Italy established 68 retail stores in Australia. FEBRUARY 2014

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Franchisors could be fined up to $50,000 for breach of code F Jan 2014

ranchisors could be fined as much as $50,000 for breaches of the Franchising Code of Conduct if the federal government picks up where the former government left off. The franchise sector has been regulated by the compulsory code since 1998, but to date it does not include penalties for breaches. According to small business minister Mr Bruce Billson on 6 January, “the government advocates penalties to help enforcement of the code”. The government also plans to extend unfair contract provisions to protect small businesses as well as consumers. In 2013, the Wein review of the code made 18 recommendations to update it, which were not implemented due to the federal election. Mr Billson said the federal

government wants to ensure that franchisors who breach the code face consequences; that franchisees which are harmed have the resources to seek remedy; and that there is a nationally-consistent regulatory framework rather than a fragmented state-by-state approach. The government wants to stamp out ‘jurisdiction shopping’ by national franchisors looking for more-favourable states and territories to conduct legal action. A regulatory impact process is expected to be completed by midyear. Mr Billson said the potential fines of $50,000 will be for “serious but less egregious [shocking]” breaches of the code, while there will still be full legal avenues and major fines for those found to be conducting “egregious” breaches. He said the aim is to ensure a

level playing field for franchisor and franchisee. Franchise Advisory Centre principal Jason Gehrke <http:// www.smartcompany.com.au/growth/ franchising/32672-can-rudd-sreturn-as-pm-provide-certainty-forfranchising.html> said penalties are less about the treatment of franchisees, and more of a matter of adhering to the code. For example, Mr Gehrke said if a franchisor fails to give a disclosure document, a fine could be relevant. “What would be a concern is the extent of the fine and the cause of the penalties – if it is an innocent or insignificant breach, a fine could be disproportionate,” he said. “If they are required to provide a list of franchisees, and that list doesn’t include the franchisees that just joined the network, or if there are franchises in a state of transition,

Founding director of MDF retires

he founding director of the Macular Disease Foundation Australia, Dr Paul Beaumont, was announced at the foundation’s annual general meeting in Sydney on 10 December. “It was with great regret that I reached the mandatory retirement dictated by the MDF constitution that only allows a Board member to server for a maximum of 12 years,” Dr Beaumont told Insight. Dr Beaumont has given 12 years of service to the foundation and has played a key role in raising awareness and understanding of issues surrounding macular disease

among health-care professionals and the general public. Over the period of his 12-year tenure, his roles have included chairman of its board and medical committee, New South Wales state chairman, and member of the research committee. The foundation’s patron, Ms Ita Buttrose, on behalf of the foundation and the wider macular degeneration community, thanked Dr Beaumont for his outstanding commitment and dedication to improving the eye health of Australians”. Ms Elizabeth Carr, chairman of the foundation, said: “Thank you

with one being sold to another, that inaccuracy could result in a fine.” Mr Gehrke said most franchisors won’t be worried about the potential of penalties, as most adhere to the legislative requirements implemented in 1998. “Most are not concerned about fines, providing the extent of the fines or penalties are limited, clear and unambiguous,” he said. “As part of the government’s preelection policies, it also promised to take a ‘root-and-branch’ review of the competition law policies <http://www.smartcompany.com. au/legal/34565-former-accc-headcalls-on-government-not-to-targetbig-business-in-competition-review. html> . “Anything from the Wein inquiry that is adopted, they would want to make consistent with the competition law reviews.”

Jan 2014

Dr Beaumont for your foresight and courage to establish a foundation with the aim of reducing the incidence and impact of macular degeneration in Australia. Your commitment to those living with macular degeneration, their families and carers, will have a long-lasting and far-reaching effect.” Dr Beaumont is one of Australia’s international experts on diseases of the retina and has published benchmark papers on diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions and macular degeneration in world journals. Having commenced his career as a consultant neuro-ophthalmologist

at Prince of Wales and Royal Prince Henry hospitals in Sydney, Dr Beaumont established a highlysuccessful private practice in Macquarie Street, Sydney, while remaining actively involved in teaching and clinical research. He is a regular guest speaker at international meetings, and has trained both national and international medical retina fellows in his approach to the assessment and treatment of retinal diseases. Dr Beaumont practises on Sydney’s northern beaches as well as in Macquarie Street.

Contact lens can deliver glaucoma medication for at least a month Jan 2014

esearchers in the United States are one step closer to the often-speculated concept of continuously delivering drugs to the eye via contact lenses. For nearly half a century, contact

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lenses have been proposed as a means of ocular drug delivery that may someday replace eye drops, but achieving controlled drug release has been a significant challenge. Researchers at Massachusetts Eye

and Ear/Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are closer to an eye drop-free reality with the development of a drug-eluting

contact lens designed for prolonged delivery of latanoprost, a common drug used for the treatment of glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. “In general, eye drops are an www.insightnews.com.au

inefficient method of drug delivery that has notoriously poor patient adherence. This contact lens design can potentially be used as a treatment for glaucoma and as a platform for other ocular drug delivery applications,” Dr Joseph Ciolino, MD, Massachusetts Eye and Ear cornea specialist and lead author of the paper said. The contact lenses were designed with materials that are FDA-approved for use on the eye. The latanoprosteluting contact lenses were created

by encapsulating latanoprost-polymer films in commonly used contact lens hydrogel. Their findings are described online and will be in the January 2014 printed issue of Biomaterials. “The lens we have developed is capable of delivering large amounts of drug at substantially constant rates over weeks to months,” Professor Daniel Kohane, director of the Laboratory for Biomaterials and Drug Delivery at Boston Children’s Hospital, said. In vivo, single contact lenses

Pupil reflection could help ID some criminals

ew research led by a psychologist at the University of York is using advances in the level of detail available in digital photography to harness this human ability for use in forensics. As the most commonly photographed objects are faces, there is potential in mining detailed facial images for hidden information. Until now, photographers might reasonably have assumed that their own face was absent from the image. But the research, led by Dr Rob Jenkins, of the Department of Psychology at the University of York and published in PLOS ONE, overturns this assumption. By zooming in on high-resolution passport-style photographs, Dr Jenkins and co-researcher, Christie Kerr, of the School of Psychology, University of Glasgow were able to recover the faces of bystanders from reflections in the eyes of photographic subjects. The recovered bystander images could be identified accurately by observers, despite their low resolution. To establish whether these bystanders could be identified from the reflection images, the researchers presented them as stimuli in a face-

Jan 2014

matching task. Observers who were unfamiliar with the bystanders’ faces performed at 71 per cent accuracy while participants who were familiar with the faces performed at 84 per cent accuracy. In a test of spontaneous recognition, observers could reliably name a familiar face from an eye reflection image. Dr Jenkins said: “The pupil of the eye is like a black mirror. To enhance the image, you have to zoom in and adjust the contrast. A face image that is recovered from a reflection in the subject’s eye is about 30,000 times smaller than the subject’s face. Our findings thus highlight the remarkable robustness of human face recognition, as well as the untapped potential of high-resolution photography.” The researchers say that in crimes in which the victims are photographed, such as hostage taking or child sex abuse, reflections in the eyes of the photographic subject could help to identify perpetrators. Images of people retrieved from cameras seized as evidence during criminal investigations may be used to piece together networks of associates or to link individuals to particular locations.

Sunglass Hut flagship for Sydney Jan 2014

unglass Hut on 21 November opened its biggest and most innovative store, in George Street, Sydney. The Sydney flagship follows openings in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and London, featuring exclusive brands with specialised stylists trained on international fashion www.insightnews.com.au

trends and face shaping to select the right sunglasses for Sydney’s fashionisti. Located at 413 George Street, the 300-square-metre store is the largest Sunglass Hut store globally, with over 1,400 pairs of sunglasses – the largest collection of sunglasses in Sunglass Hut Asia Pacific!

were able to achieve, for one month, latanoprost concentrations in the aqueous humor that were comparable to those achieved with daily topical latanoprost solution, the current firstline treatment for glaucoma. The lenses appeared safe in cell culture and animal studies. This is the first contact lens that has been shown to release drugs for that long in animal models. The newly designed contact lens has a clear central aperture and contains a

drug-polymer film in the periphery, which helps to control drug release. The lenses can be made with no refractive power or with the ability to correct the refractive error in myopic or hyperopic or eyes. “A non-invasive method of sustained ocular drug delivery could help patients adhere to the therapy necessary to maintain vision in diseases like glaucoma, saving millions from preventable blindness,” Dr Ciolino said.

TGA imposes sanctions on ‘glaucoma-drug’ advertiser

he Complaints Resolution Panel of the Therapeutic Goods Administration has imposed sanctions on a company for its advertising of ‘Bright Eyes Drops for Glaucoma’ on the internet that makes false claims about the drug in breach of the Therapeutic Drugs Act and its Regulations and Code. However at the time of going to press the drug was still being advertised on the internet by ‘Ethoseyesite.com’ in seeming defiance of the sanctions imposed by the panel. Also, there had been no response to the complaint by the advertiser. The panel investigated the advertising after a complaint was made, the complainant requesting anonymity. The advertisement was headed “Bright Eyes Eye Drops For Glaucoma” with a subheading “Control and medicate ‘The Sneak Thief of Sight’, followed by representations as to the product’s use for glaucoma including: “Glaucoma affects over 310,000 people in Australia alone, that is one in eleven Australians who will develop glaucoma.”; “Glaucoma

Jan 2014

is the leading cause of vision damage and blindness in Australian’s (sic)”; “If you don’t treat your eyes with eye drops You may or will develop nerve damage at a relatively low pressure”; It continued: “Early diagnosis can help slow the progression of the condition using Ethos Bright eyes to minimise loss of vision”; “The recommended course of treatment is to use one box containing 2 x 5ml bottles a week, for a period of six weeks with 80% of patients report seeing significant improvements within this time frame”; “Eye drops as a course of medication is recommend (sic) on all major Glaucoma websites including: Asian-Oceanic Glaucoma Society Australian and New Zealand Glaucoma Interest Group Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Opthalmologists”; “Bright Eyes drops are safe to use....”; and many others. The panel on 17 October determined that the advertisement to be in beach of the Therapeutic Goods Act and its Code on a number of counts. The panel was satisfied that the advertisement promoted a product that was represented to be for therapeutic use.

OneSight has an eye out for indigenous creative talent Jan 2014

uxottica’s not-for-profit organisation OneSight is on the look-out for creative indigenous artworks by emerging artists to transform into unique eyewear as part of their broader mission to continue to reduce the gap between indigenous and nonindigenous Australians’ eye health. OneSight is encouraging indigenous Australians to submit artworks which

have an overarching story relating to vision, sight and culture to be featured on an exclusive Ray- Ban Indigenous special edition Wayfarer sunglasses – in collaboration with OneSight. The collection will be sold at OPSM, Sunglass Hut, Laubman & Pank and specialty stores, with $50 from each sale helping to fund OneSight programs across rural and regional indigenous communities in Australia. FEBRUARY 2014

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Perth reunion of 13 DipOpt(WA)qualified optometrists A Jan 2014

s part of a history project to uncover the whole DipOpt(WA) story, a reunion of course graduates was held in the same University of Western Australia building that hosted some of the original courses offered – the School of Physics. The adjacent Geology Annex was also used during the course but it was not accessible on the day. A total of 13 graduates attended. The team pursuing the story consists

of WA project co-ordinator and optometrist Mr Ian Sim (a University of New South Wales graduate) and Insight writer and photographer Dr Lewis Williams (a Queensland Institute of Technology and UNSW graduate). Quite some time ago WA optometrist Mr Gary Crerie started an oral history project with the same aims in mind. Several other graduates are participating in the history gathering but due to location (out of town,

interstate, or overseas), health (some are in their 80s and 90s), or other reasons they were unable to attend on the day (Wednesday 4 December 2013). Some three or four are believed to be deceased and it was the passing of Mr Don Noack in 2012 and the preparation of his obituary for Insight that resurrected the issue of the untold story of the diploma first heard from Mr Noack in late 1973.

The Diploma in Optometry (WA) was run under the auspices of the Western Australian Optometrists Registration Board with significant help from the University of Western Australia. It ran as a three-year parttime course from an initial intake in 1947 (first diplomas conferred early 1951) until completion of its last course at the end of 1968 (last diploma conferred early 1969).

Optometrist-only CL manufacturer returns to Australasia market T Jan 2014

he Australian and New Zealand contact lens market is set to see a new development with the availability of the world’s only silicone hydrogel daily disposable family of contact lenses from Sauflon. The award winning lenses enable practitioners to fit the healthiest

material in the most convenient modalities in a range of correction types including spherical, toric and multifocal contact lenses. Alan Wells, founder of Sauflon, a privately-owned company told Insight: “We believe we have a product and service offering ideally

suited to the Australian and New Zealand market, allowing latest technology products to be delivered at an affordable price point to both the eye-care practitioner and the consumer, providing practitioners with an opportunity to protect and grow their contact lens business.”

It is a tailored approach to each market that has seen Sauflon become the world’s fastest growing contact lens manufacturer and pioneers in daily silicone lenses, experiencing 20 percent year-on-year growth for the past four years and expanding to service the needs of over 50 countries globally.

IDEAS van to help prevent avoidable blindness in Qld communities Jan 2014

ueensland Health has provided $5 million to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in a world-first project aimed at treating and preventing avoidable blindness in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Queensland. With Queensland Aboriginal Islander Health Council as a major partner in this pilot project, it will be helping to reduce preventable blindness from diabetes by providing education, equipment and specialist clinical support to 27 Aboriginal

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Medical Services in Queensland. Facilities will be located in Toowoomba, Charleville, Mt Isa, Townsville, Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, Hervey Bay and Morayfield. In partnership with the Royal Flying Doctor Service the scope will be expanded beyond those nine hubs, helping to tap into the more rural and remote areas. Queensland health minister Lawrence Springborg said: “Diabetes affects one in three adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in

Queensland and can have a debilitating impact on the sufferers’ vision. However, most blindness caused by diabetes can be prevented, which is why this project is so important.” Diabetes affects one in three adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland which can cause preventable blindness. The project enables the delivery of enhanced diabetes care through improving aboriginal health workers’ knowledge of diabetes and diabetesrelated illnesses.

Clients will be managed through appropriate referral pathways to receive treatment, including specialist eye care at the regional specialist centres or at a purpose-built, fullyequipped and specially-designed ophthalmic 60-foot truck – the IDEAS van – Indigenous Diabetes Eyes and Screening van. Device Technologies has supplied much of the screening equipment for this world-first initiative at discounted prices as well as providing staff to help with screenings. www.insightnews.com.au

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