By Staff
Thursday, July 16, 2020 12:33 AM
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The
Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety (APS) said Wednesday the U.S. House's Committee on Appropriations is moving to delay the effective date and enforcement of the amendments in the recently finalized Contact Lens Rule. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released its updated CL rule late last month, as
VMAIL reported. A number of other companies and optical organizations, including the
American Optometric Association, also have publicly declared their opposition to the FTC's updated CL rule, as
VMAIL reported.
By Staff
Thursday, July 16, 2020 12:30 AM
Jacqueline Evans, OD, has skillfully integrated telehealth into her independent optometric practice in Denver. Colo. In a wide-ranging video interview with
VM's Andrew Karp, Dr. Evans explains how she utilizes ocular telehealth technology to provide comprehensive eye exams remotely, what types of patients are best suited for telehealth and what the learning curve is like for optometrists who want to add virtual vision care to their practice.
By Staff
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 12:33 AM
NEW YORK—The index numbers rose for optical revenues for the week ending July 12, according to the most recent Jobson COVID-19 Practice Performance Tracker. After two weeks of declining sales, the U.S. optical business experienced substantial growth in that period. This sales increase occurred across the board for all service/product categories and all census regions of the country.
Click here to view the complete Jobson COVID-19 Performance Tracker.
By Staff
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 12:30 AM
GENEVA—
Alcon (SIX/NYSE: ALC), a global leader in eyecare, announced that Pataday Once Daily Relief Extra Strength (olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.7%), formerly prescribed as Pazeo, has been approved by the FDA for sale over-the-counter.
By Staff
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 12:27 AM
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.—The
American Academy of Ophthalmology has announced that its
annual meeting will be a virtual-only event in 2020. Those who have already registered for the meeting will receive additional information by Wednesday, Aug. 12.
By Staff
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 12:21 AM
WATERLOO, Ontario—For the first time, the premier searchable contact lens database for eyecare practitioners (ECPs)—the Contact Lens Compendium—is accessible in the U.S. With the launch of the
U.S. version, ECPs now have free access to the most up-to-date listing of contact lens products.
By Staff
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 12:15 AM
NEW YORK—We could not get through these unprecedented times without our health care workers which is why Jobson is highlighting the work of ECPs for continuing to provide essential eyecare during the Covid-19 pandemic. Starting today, Jobson will begin featuring some of these special heroes in an online gallery located on our Eyecare Heroes
site.
By Staff
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 12:05 AM
After two weeks of declining sales, the U.S. optical business experienced substantial growth over the past week ending July 12. This sales increase occurred across the board for all service/product categories and all census regions of the country. On a national level, gross revenue grew at a rate of 12 index points, bringing it to within only 8 index points of where it was in mid-March, when stay-at-home orders began and optical sales started to slide.
Click to view the COVID-19 Practice Performance Tracker for the week ending July 12, 2020.
By Mary Kane
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 12:00 AM
SUNNYVALE, Calif.—For years now, the eyecare sector has been experiencing a steady surge of interest in telehealth options, both from patients and ODs. Fast-forward to the onset of the pandemic, the ensuing lockdowns and phased-in reopenings have only speeded up the popularity of telehealth as ODs find new ways to interact and communicate with their patients and provide them with a more meaningful eyecare experience.
By Staff
Tuesday, July 14, 2020 12:30 PM
Did you follow the optical news last week? Take
VM’s News Quiz to see how much you know. Last week's quiz takes a look at a Google acquisition, flying in the age of COVID-19, and industries with high unemployment rates.
Click here to take the quiz for the week of July 5.
VM's News Quiz is published every Saturday as part of
VMAIL Weekend.
Read More
By Staff
Tuesday, July 14, 2020 12:33 AM
LONDON— Media 10, the organizers of
100% Optical, and the
Federation of Manufacturing Opticians (FMO), the organizers of Optrafair, announced they have reached an agreement that brings the main optical bodies and industry together into one major event for 2021 onwards. In addition to this agreement, the FMO, together with show organiser MA Exhibitions, a member of the Mark Allen Group, said they have made the difficult decision to cancel Optrafair 2020, which was due to take place at the NEC on September 19-21 2020. This action was taken due to the continued uncertainty surrounding delivery of events as a result of Covid-19.
By Staff
Tuesday, July 14, 2020 12:18 AM
DALLAS—
Essilor Vision Foundation (EVF) announced that it is partnering with
FoxFire Systems Group to facilitate charitable donations to
EVF’s See Kids Soar program. EVF is FoxFire’s first charitable partner. FoxFire specializes in ophthalmic-specific electronic health records and practice management software, and is known for industry-leading technology that helps eye doctors see more patients per day. The company stated it is proud to support the See Kids Soar program which raises money to help children across America receive vision care. FoxFire’s technology will make it easier for eye doctors to collect funds by allowing patients to add a donation at checkout.
By Staff
Monday, July 13, 2020 2:52 PM
A
new survey provides a detailed update on consumer behavior and sentiment amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. According to the survey, which was fielded on July 8, safety and hygiene are top of mind for consumers for the upcoming back-to-school season. A little over four in 10 back-to-school shoppers said they will buy face masks and/or other hygiene products/personal protective equipment for their children.
Online remains the preferred shopping channel for clothing and footwear.