Vision Care Institute coming to UK in 2008

Europe's first Vision Care Institute was opened by Johnson & Johnson in Prague last week, bringing to five the global number of VCIs.

It represents a $2m investment for J&J and is the latest step in a project to open Vision Care centres around the world. A centre is due to open in the UK in 2008.

The first delegates using the Institute will come from Eastern European countries but the first British delegates could make it to the centre before the end of the year.

The Institute will hold two courses a week for groups of up to 36 delegates. Teaching will be conducted by teams from the individual national countries in their native language by a mixture of practitioners and academics. The first course will be on the diagnosis and treatment of astigmatism.

Opening the centre, vice-president Ian Davies said Prague was chosen as the venue because the Czech Republic was the home of the soft contact lens and Prague was at the centre of Europe.

'The role of the VCI isn't to sell Acuvue lenses, it is to help eye care practitioners across the region, it's about education.'

Phil Keefer, the worldwide president of the VCI project, said: 'The VCI is here to enhance patient satisfaction and the best way to do that is to improve the skills of the people who fit contact lenses.'

The Institute is equipped with state-of-the-art learning facilities, including a high-tech lecture theatre which is linked by video to six consulting rooms. Each room is fitted with a one-way mirror to allow small groups of delegates to watch and learn the best clinical techniques.

The original VCI in Jacksonville, Florida was followed by institutes in Brazil, Taiwan and Korea. New centres in Japan, India, and southern Europe are planned. Davies said a UK centre would ideally form part of a new office for J&J's UK subsidiary.