Anxiously anticipating building my patient base, I did a very interesting exercise before I started practicing optometry in 1978. I sat down and made a list of all the things I disliked about going to my current doctors’ office visits, including my internist, dentist, and orthopedic surgeons. I didn't critique my optometrist because my father is my optometrist, and this was not a therapy session.

A 56 year-old male patient came into the clinic recently for a second opinion concerning a previous injury to his right eye. A high-powered commercial laser in a physics laboratory was the source of the injury in 2005.

Formication, a sensation that resembles that of insects crawling on or under the skin, is a specific form of the general set of abnormal skin sensations known as paresthesias (prickling, tingling sensation of "pins and needles") and tactile hallucinations; it is a well-documented symptom that has numerous possible causes.

In a recent issue of Optometry Times (July 2013), it was reported that researchers at the University of Nottingham, UK, had discovered a new corneal layer, and the observation was published in Ophthalmology. In the same issue of this journal, a dissenting interpretation of this observation was presented.

An important aspect of any marketing program includes 2 primary aspects. First, and most obvious, is the need to attract new patients. This aspect of marketing includes everything that is done to make people aware of your practice and your services. It includes efforts put into brand recognition. Common aspects of focus in this area include search engine optimization, web page improvements, and traditional advertising.

I'm obsessed with Steven Pressfield's writings. I've mentioned Do The Work before, and now I want to mention the second book in the series: Turning Pro. It spoke to me. In a short 1-sentence summary, the difference between an amateur and a pro: a pro, through hours and years of practice and training, can block out all the clutter and concentrate on the task at hand.

According to research from the University of Waterloo in Canada, abnormal binocular vision dramatically increases with age, but is correlated with a patient’s general health and antidepressant use.

A recent study funded by the National Institute of Health found that the glaucoma drug acetazolamide (Diamox, Duramed Pharmaceuticals), when combined with a weight loss plan, can improve vision for patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH).

According to a study recently published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology from Kochi Medical School in Japan, “tacrolimus eye drops are highly effective in treating allergic conjunctivitis with proliferative lesions and/or corneal involvement, and may reduce or replace topical steroid use.”

More than 300 optometrists and students recently visited every U.S. Senator and House member in Washington, DC for the American Optometric Association’s 2014 Congressional Advocacy Conference in an effort to bring attention to optometry’s top priorities.

According to several presentations given during the American Society of Cataracts and Refractive Surgery 2014 meeting, the investigational Raindrop (ReVision Optics) transparent hydrogel corneal inlay has shown to be consistently effective for the correction of presbyopia, is relatively easy to implant, and has high patient satisfaction.

Shire recently announced its plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for lifitegrast for the treatment of dry eye disease in adults in first-quarter 2015.

The Lousisiana Legislature passed a bill last week that makes the state the third in the nation to allow optometrists to perform certain surgeries. The bill has gone on to Governor Bobby Jindal for his signature.

A recent study found that metformin (Glumetza, Salix), a popular diabetes drug, is associated with a dose-dependent risk reduction for open-angle glaucoma.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recently released results of a poll that found the majority of Americans are unaware of the increased risks to ultraviolet (UV) light exposure that are linked to common drugs and having light-colored eyes.

Medscape has released its third-annual list of the best and worst big cities and small towns in the United States to practice, based on lifestyle, climate, practice conditions, and amenities. So did your city make the list?

The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) has received the Focus Grant from the Allergan Foundation to support ASCO’s “Be a Doctor of Optometry: Put Your Future in Focus” video.

Kansas and Vermont’s legislatures have both recently passed bills, which restrict the leeway managed vision care plans have in contracts with optometrists.

New York is one of the two states that have yet to allow optometrists to prescribe certain oral medications, but the state’s ODs are looking to change that.