Given the recent adjudication by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) as reported in Optician on June 1 2007, I was surprised to read your article ‘The clinical performance of two daily disposable contact lenses’ in the July 6 issue detailing a study comparing the performance of 1-Day Acuvue with Focus Dailies with AquaComfort.
The ASA adjudication deemed that this study, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, as well as three other studies submitted by Johnson & Johnson, were not sufficient to substantiate claims of superior comfort and from the information provided lacked scientific rigour.
In the above study, two separate groups of patients wore only one contact lens type, however no details of previous lens brand or wearing experience, occupation or lifestyle for each group of subjects have been presented. The ASA took advice from an independent expert in the field who expressed concern that this study was likely to produce questionnaire bias and that it would have been more appropriate to conduct a cross-over study where each patient wore both types of lenses.
In a cross-over study of 317 patients sponsored by CIBA Vision, where each patient wore both lens types, no superiority of 1-Day Acuvue was found. In fact there was a significant preference for Focus Dailies with AquaComfort, which also rated significantly higher for overall comfort.
CIBA Vision prides itself in presenting well collected clinical data in a way which is most meaningful to the eye care practitioner, and will continue to raise standards in this area.
Howard Barnes
Managing Director
CIBA Vision (UK & Ireland)
Further to Anthony T Clarke’s letter (July 6), as someone whose application for registration was lost (in the post?) in two of the previous three years and having been threatened with removal from the register, I wanted to be sure that my application had arrived this year. I therefore sent it by recorded delivery and telephoned the GOC to make sure that it had been received.
It was then quite reassuring to receive my ID card as confirmation of my renewal, albeit three months after the event.
Having received my ID card I thought I would remove it from the sheet to which it was attached so that it could be stored with my AOP membership card.
Unfortunately despite carefully following the instructions for the removal of the card, the lamination is of such poor quality it has come apart in my hands. The ID card now looks as though it has been fed to my dog.
Geoffrey Brown
Billingshurst, West Sussex
The Lumen column on July 6 calls on the professional bodies to decide how to relate to the RNIB. Good news – we have, and it is working very well!
Referring as he does to the role of Eyecare UK and its core membership of the four optical bodies and the GOC only serves to confuse. EUK can be no more than a co-ordinating body and it has had some notable successes by sticking to that role.
On the other hand the UK Vision Strategy, which is being co-ordinated by the RNIB, is being developed by a very widely based partnership, and represents a significant attempt by the wider eye care and vision loss sectors to work jointly to achieve significant change in the way our issues are viewed by government.
This is a major and significant project, and the profession should be re-assured that the very best from optometry and optics is involved in every level of the work. There can now be no doubt that we are a significant influencing factor in shaping the process and inevitably the outcomes.
The good news is that the attitudes Lumen demands from the RNIB are precisely those that are guiding this work, and we should thank the RNIB for its leadership and the generous way it has bank-rolled the whole project.
Bob Hughes
Chief Executive
Association of Optometrists
We have been asked if we can assist with a programme, perhaps in the form of a Powerpoint presentation, for serving police officers.
The aim would be to improve their awareness of difficulties associated with low vision or blindness, either as it might impact on their understanding or handling of victims or suspects. Has anyone any ideas or material? Please contact me on 01268 767711 or teamglick@btconnect.com
Derek Glick
Wickford, Essex