Specialist Club for Contacts In Practice

The CIBA VISION^® Specialist Club is returning to Coombe Abbey for its meeting on October 16 th. This magnificent venue in the Warwickshire countryside proved a popular location with Specialist Club members at the meeting held there in 2003.

On the agenda are a variety of topics, with something to appeal to all eye care practitioners with a keen interest in contact lenses. Attendees can gain up to 6 contact lens CET points from the lectures and photographic quiz. Delegates will have the opportunity to participate in some interactive feedback sessions as The Club always values the opinions and experience of its members.

Opening the meeting is Andrew Symons, a contact lens consultant at CIBA VISION, who will talk about silicone hydrogel soft toric lenses. Andrew will introduce a new product from CIBA VISION, AIR OPTIX^® for Astigmatism, as well as reviewing other products in this category. He will be joined by Mike Broadhurst, a practitioner from Lancashire and well known to Specialist Club members, who will relate his experiences as a trialist of AIR OPTIX for Astigmatism.

We are delighted to have the company of Ken Pullum, Senior Optometrist in the contact lens service at Moorfields and Oxford Eye Hospitals, who will speak on fitting the keratoconic patient. Ken spends the majority of his time dedicated to medical applications of contact lenses, in particular in the management of keratoconus, and in the development of modern scleral lens clinical practice methods. After lunch Antonia Chitty will address the question “Do you want to reach more patients and boost your practice takings”. A former optometrist, Antonia graduated from Bradford in 1991 but has since spent her time developing a range of media and PR skills to help small businesses and entrepreneurs with practice promotion. Antonia is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Dr Lynn Winterton, Global Head of Research for CIBA VISION, will speak about moisture release technology, with particular reference to daily disposables. Dr Winterton gained his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering in 1984 and has since published over twenty three refereed publications and numerous presentations on these and other topics. Finally, Dr Trusit Dave will cover orthokeratology: fitting & problem solving. Dr Dave is a leading expert in this field and is currently research co-ordinator for the British Orthokeratology Society.

The meeting is open to club members only, though membership is free and open to all practitioners with an interest in contact lenses. To apply please go to http://cibavisionacademy.co.uk/specialist/register.shtml to join the Specialist Club. The meeting is free to attend and we look forward to welcoming both new and existing members to an exciting event at Coombe Abbey.