In life and in work, change is a given. Andrew McKinnon reminds us of the importance of keeping up to date in practice and dares you to be different in your approach.

Goodness, where did that quarter of the year go? The sunscreen ads have faded, to be replaced by cold-and-flu remedies – and the cycle repeats.

Optometrically, there are now just a few weeks to go until Super Sunday (24 May) once again graces our educational space, and we’re hoping to see many of our colleagues from across the country (and the ditch) basking in the May sunshine at Jones Bay in Ultimo. We think we have lined up one of our best ever programs – why not have a look and see if you agree?

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

Across the sector, it’s obvious that many are still feeling the pain of a slow retail market and general economic malaise. It is a very mixed market. Colleagues from ProVision tell us some of their practices are doing ‘OK’, but some are having their best several months in a long while. As we unpack the feedback, what comes out is the value and impact of innovation in how practices are run and promoted.

I was talking to a member the other day who told me he was running a promotion giving away ‘free glasses’. Assuming to correct him, I asked whether he meant no gap or something similar? “No”, he said,

“I’ve opened a new practice and to generate local awareness, I’m giving glasses away free, within a specific range of styles and lenses, no strings attached, for a short while.” And apparently, he’s been swamped!

My initial (typically conservative) reaction was disbelief: why would you give something away completely free? But having thought about it, it fell into my ‘dare to be different’ basket. Limited time, limited range, apparently everyone in the local area has heard about it – worth a try.

And what about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing? I know that AI is everywhere at present, but AI-based search engine results are now the first to come up – and many search engine optimisation companies are talking about the need to ensure that businesses feature in those AI-based results. Might be worth a look.

AN APPETITE FOR BUYING AND SELLING

On another topic, have you been thinking about either buying into a private practice or selling out and cruising the waterways of Europe?

We are seeing growing interest among younger colleagues in getting into their own practices – more so than we have encountered in quite a few years. And, fortuitously, this is coming at a time when a number of our more established practice owners are seriously turning their minds towards retirement and life after the slit lamp.

If, as a practice owner, you’re thinking about the next stage of life, please give us a call at the office. We are happy to act as a go-between for buyers and sellers, giving both parties a chance to assess what’s in the market without revealing their hands. There really are interested buyers waiting – it’s a good time to think about that move.

DON’T BE CAUGHT OUT

I’m going to end this piece with a bit of a diatribe – but it’s important, so please bear with me.

Over the past few months, we’ve assisted several members with Medicare audits and complaints. Not unusual. However, the odd thing this time around has been that, once we started digging, we found several cases in which members, through omission rather than intent, had allowed their clinical skills to atrophy to the point where they were no longer practising at a contemporary standard. Their core skills were still OK, but their understanding of what now constitutes an acceptable standard of care had slipped – in one case quite markedly.

There’s no doubt that compulsory CPD can be a pain in the behind. And the requirement for interactive hours is even more so. But there is a point to the pain. If we don’t actively endeavour to stay up to date, to understand where the profession is headed clinically, and to try, as far as we can, to stay with the pack, then come audit (or complaint) time, we are going to be found wanting. And if the gap is too big (as it has been a couple of times recently), then the answer we give you might just be “have you considered retiring?”. And we won’t be joking.

Hope the rest of 2026 is great for you – looking forward to seeing you out and about, especially at Super Sunday!

Andrew McKinnon is the Chief Executive Officer of Optometry NSW/ACT.