Check out our most-read glaucoma stories of 2014.

A recent study published in Science found that drugs that have been used to treat HIV/AIDS for 30 years can also be used to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as other inflammatory disorders, due to previously undiscovered intrinsic and inflammatory activity those drugs possess.

According to a report from GlobalData, the age-related macular degeneration treatment market in the U.S., UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Japan will double in value from $5.1 billion in 2013 to $10.1 billion in 2023.

We recently asked some ODs what they think are the biggest challenges facing the profession in 2015 and beyond. Here’s our list of seven challenges-and we think all are important.

If the poor and disenfranchised cannot receive accurate health information from their doctors or the news media, whom can they trust? The percentage of Americans meeting average micronutrient-rich plant food consumption (vegetables and fruit) in the U.S., remains appallingly inadequate at 15 to 20 percent. It is worse for the poor.

The Optometry Times Editorial Advisory Board takes a look back the most popular contact lens stories of 2014 and discusses why these stories were important to optometry.

You can be the best clinician in the world, but if you cannot effectively run a business, you are likely to struggle. Having the right office manager is a key part of that success.

A recent study found that the first punctum plug developed to treat inflammation and pain following cataract surgery has been shown to be a reliable alternative to medicated eye drops.

A recent study found that cataract surgery of the second eye improves the quality of life and visual function of the patient, above and beyond the benefits of the first eye surgery.

A study recently published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that long-term daily supplementation with selenium and/or vitamin E did not have a beneficial effect on cataract risk in men.

I will tell you, though, my residency year was the most fun I’ve had as an optometrist. I worked the hardest and most hours I’ve ever worked in my life, but man, did it fly by. And when it was all over, I didn’t recognize the same young punk who started the residency.

It’s sort of funny-one of my childhood recollections is a discussion with my mother (the PhD in organic chemistry) regarding the virtues of Phisohex (hexaclorrphene, Septisol), a facial cleaner. “Phisohex is pH balanced,” she said, “so it is better for your skin.” At the time, the pH comment wasn’t important to me. What was important was that my mother said I should use it, and therefore the characteristic 1970s green bottle of Phisohex was standard at each sink in our home.

I believe that residencies give an opportunity to catapult us into our careers. When approached with the right mindset and the fortitude to work your tail off, you will be surprised what one more year of training can bring you. Rarely do we get a guarantee in life, but I’ll give you one here: When you set out to crush it, are willing to work hard, are flexible, and consider failure as a learning opportunity, you are guaranteed to succeed.

When I got my first pair of contact lenses when I was in high school, I thought they were wonderful. Now, they have studies that talk about self-esteem and contact lenses and what a great difference they can make in a young person’s life. But I think I was representative of that philosophy because I thought my contact lenses were wonderful. It made a lifelong impression on me, so that’s what I wanted to do.

Increasingly, many practitioners in today’s practices are using specialty contact lenses. These contact lenses historically have been viewed as hard to fit, difficult to find, and much higher in cost. Let’s look at what’s so special about specialty contact lenses.

Well, here we are, another year behind us, another new start ahead. And what made the cutoff for our list of resolutions? Lose 10 pounds, wake up earlier, save more money, make more family time? But wait-how can we possibly forget everyone’s list topper: To rub your contact lenses every day and replace the solution, to throw your lenses out on time?

Reasons for thin CCT values as independent predictors of POAG have been relatively unclear, and there aren’t nearly as many studies concerning CCT as there are concerning risk factors such as IOP.

SECO International recently launched SECO University, an online education resource center for optometric continuing education (CE).

A year and a half after the Think About Your Eyes campaign launched to bring attention to the need for regular eye exams, the campaign is seeing results thanks to support from industry partners.

At that moment, I thought: What is eye care worth? I know we all have to make financial choices everyday, and we prioritize where we’ll spend our hard-earned dollars.