The World Council of Optometry (WCO) and Alcon officially launched a new practical tool to help with the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye disease concluding an initial series of complimentary global dry eye disease education initiative online events.

Videos are now available on demand at dryeye.worldcouncilofoptometry.info. The WCO Alcon Dry Eye Wheel, developed by world-renowned educators Professors Jennifer Craig, Lyndon Jones, and James Wolffsohn, is an at-a-glance, interactive tool designed to easily reference the three pillars of mitigation, measurement, and management, and to be accessible for broadest possible use.

World Council of Optometry President-Elect Dr. Sandra S. Block, O.D., M.Ed., MPH, FAAO, FCOVD said, “We are deeply grateful to Professors Craig, Jones and Wolffsohn for their amazing insight on the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye disease during this initial series of webinars. The WCO Alcon Dry Eye Wheel will allow clinicians to integrate mitigation, measurement and management of dry eye disease into practice immediately.” 

Alcon Global and US Head of Professional Education and Development Carla Mack, OD, MBA, FAAO, FBCLA said, “The WCO Alcon Dry Eye Wheel is a fantastic tool that aims to deliver a great deal of knowledge and an easy-to-apply approach in eye care practices worldwide.”

From the University of Auckland (New Zealand), Head of the Ocular Surface Laboratory within the Department of Ophthalmology Jennifer Craig, Ph.D., FCOptom, FAAO, FBCLA, FCLS explained, “The tables within the wheel represent different complexities within what we do. The bronze outer ring shows the simplest, most common things to do to mitigate dry eye disease that are easy, don’t require additional equipment and can help the majority of affected individuals. The silver ring represents slightly more complex versions of the disease that we may be managing and describes basic tools and skills we can use to help at this level, and the gold bullseye reflects the smaller, more complex group of patients that may be in need of more advanced techniques for dry eye disease management.”

Lyndon Jones, DSc, FCOptom, FAAO, Director of the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) in the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Waterloo (Canada) said, “Once you’ve performed one or more management strategies, the level of dry eye disease hopefully changes and it’s important at that point to re-evaluate where the patient now lies on the spectrum, so that the treatment and mitigation strategies can be adjusted accordingly. The concept of using the wheel from the outer to inner layer, keeping things simple wherever possible, and then continually following it around is a great way of thinking about how to manage patients with dry eye disease.”

Aston University (UK) School of Optometry and Audiology Head James Wolffsohn, BSc, MBA, Ph.D., FCOptom, FAAO said, “As a duty of care, we need to manage our patients’ dry eye disease at whatever level we’re able to, keeping in mind that only a small number of patients will need the highest level of practice.”

The dry eye disease education initiative website also features other evidence-based, practical tools that eye care professionals can use regardless of their geographic location or available resources.

WCO and Alcon partnered to develop the dry eye disease education initiative to raise optometrists’ understanding of dry eye and deliver resources on practical management. 

Click HERE for the full press release.

CooperCompanies released its 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report. It highlights the company’s progress on social and environmental issues most important to its businesses and stakeholders, including employees, shareholders, customers, and global communities.

In 2022, CooperCompanies manufactured a record number of products while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 7%. A big contributor to this success was the start of the operation of a combined heat and power (CHP) facility in Puerto Rico. The company expects the CHP system to help significantly reduce its carbon footprint in the coming years.

“At CooperCompanies, we are committed to working diligently to positively impact the world around us,” said Al White, President and CEO of CooperCompanies. “In 2022, we continued making great progress and we’re proud of the success we’ve had, and the direction in which we’re moving. Conducting business in a socially and environmentally responsible manner is important to our long-term business success, and to the future of our planet.”

The 2022 ESG Report includes expanded and updated ESG performance data and provides stories across the company’s ESG pillars: People, Planet, and Partnerships. The report is aligned with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Standards, a leading framework that identifies important ESG issues most relevant to investors.

Cooper 2022 ESG Report: https://coopercos.com/esg/.

Click HERE for the full press release.

The Optical Vision Group is taking its next big step by focusing on continuing the Canadian expansion of its Optical Warehouse/Entrepôt de la Lunette optical stores, with a franchising concept carefully developed to attract optometrists, opticians and other qualified investors.

“Our Everything You Need, Simply Less Expensive™ concept, which was developed in Quebec, resonates with glasses wearers in all provinces,” says Daniel Beaulieu, President and CEO of Optical Vision Group. “In and outside of Quebec, we see the public’s anticipation of our arrival in major cities across Canada, and we wish to build a national network to cater to the increasing demand for affordable eyeglasses that we see from coast to coast.”

The franchising opportunity is based on the retail strategy that has been developed and perfected by the group over the past 10 years. “Investors are very interested in the low-cost franchising proposition and the potential return on investment over a five-year period,” Beaulieu says.

“Our high quality product assortment and offering, which includes a Best Price Policy on all lenses, frames starting at just $20, and a complete pair with anti-glare starting at $70, are exciting for independent practice owners who have an option that allows them to be very competitive.”

Franchisees benefit from associating themselves with a growing brand that has a customized marketing program, established supply chain, ongoing training support, and a concept that has won the Radisson award presented by the Trois-Rivières Chamber of Commerce for New Business in 2016 and been recognized by the Quebec Chamber of Commerce as a Mercuriades finalist for Successful Business Strategy in 2018.

To learn more about the Optical Warehouse franchise opportunity, email franchising@opticalwarehouse.ca .

Click HERE for the full press release.