THE OPHTHALMIC JOURNAL

As we went to print with this issue, the optometric industry was coming down from a post-ODMAFair high. The event, hosted by the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association (ODMA) was described by many I spoke to as “amazing” and “the best ever” for writing business – a welcome relief after an “up and down” start to the year.

Perhaps most exciting was the number of attendees researching and buying equipment, stock, and services for their brand-new independent practices. At a time when there has been significant consolidation, which threatens the sustainability of our smaller distributors, this is great news for the industry. And, of course, a choice of practice structures is positive for owners, employees, and patients alike. There is room for everyone.

ODMAFair met recent negative discussion about workplace environments with presentations on how to make personal wellbeing a priority and how to build a strong team culture. You’ll find more on this topic in the following pages.

In this issue, the focus is on myopia, and I thank Dr Kate Gifford for her contributions as our guest editor. Thank you also to the generous ophthalmologists and optometrists who have shared their knowledge on this progressive and potentially sight-threatening condition, which has become a significant global public health concern.

But before we get into myopia, we have a story written by ophthalmologist Dr Tanya Trinh about her incredible experience assisting a passenger during a flight from London to Sydney, via Singapore. The brief story of this encounter that we published online strongly resonated with our readers and I’m sure you’ll be keen to hear more detail about how the life-threatening cardiac emergency was managed.

Enjoy this issue.