Athens plays host to global CL symposium

The latest thinking on contact lens developments will be revealed at the Bausch & Lomb global symposium in the spring.

The 21st annual event will this year take place in Athens from April 7-10. In addition to a social schedule and eye care poster competition, the four-day symposium promises a wide range of lectures and learning seminars.

The education programme includes round table sessions with opinion leaders on subjects from presbyopia to customised contact lenses and fitting children with ortho-k lenses.

Delegates can choose from a series of topics to attend, including overcoming fear in the contact lens patient, 10 years of silicone hydrogels, and chromatic aberration-controlled contact lenses.

Among the lecturers in Greece will be a strong representation from Britain, including Roger Buckley <2212> professor of ocular medicine at Anglia Ruskin University's department of optometry and ophthalmic dispensing - who will speak on 'Infection and cross infection in clinical practice'.

Elsewhere in the programme, renowned US speaker Professor Dwight Cavanagh, who is chair in ophthalmology at Dallas's UT Southwestern Medical Centre, will discuss 'the biological basis of contact lens safety'.

The entry deadline for B&L's 2005 PureVision European practice of the year competition is nearing (February 10), and the awards will be presented at the Athens symposium.

'This year the awards will focus on innovation in education relating to support for the advanced PureVision 'family' and ReNu with MoistureLoc Multi-Purpose Solution,' said a company spokesman.

'Practices will be judged on a set of criteria including training, support for practice staff, in-practice and patient educational activities to raise awareness of eye conditions and a testimonial from the eye care professional on the business benefits of introducing flexible (continuous) wear lenses into the practice.'