There can be no doubt that the topic of sustainability, the term describing the use of resources without causing their depletion, is cropping up in all aspects of our lives. From social conversation to work policy, from domestic arrangements to cost of living challenges, from what we eat to what we wear; the debate about the significance of sustainability is as pervasive as a wild fire. But should sustainability influence clinical practice?

The aim of this initial interactive exercise on the subject is to start a discussion. Over the last few years, the topics that have elicited the greatest response from readers has been where there has been a genuine divergence of opinion. Good examples of this include the need for a clinician to ask about smoking, or whether information about obesity and its impact should be included in any management plan from an ECP.

I think it is a safe bet that many of you might disagree as to the importance of sustainability to eye care practice. That said, it is undeniable that some of our patients are now raising the topic, not least of all in contact lens practice. The aim of this exercise, therefore, is to gauge your views from a discussion about how best to deal with the topic when it does arise.

As well as the preceding feature, there are two further articles to be read as source material. All three are listed here:

Case for Discussion

A 24-year-old IT consultant has attended for a contact lens trial. Their refractive error is as follows:

  • R: -2.25 / -0.50 x 180 (6/4)
  • L: -2.00 / -0.75 x 175 (6/4)

They describe an active lifestyle and find spectacle wear increasingly cumbersome and would like to try contact lenses as a full time correction. Their health history, both ocular and systemic, is good and you find no clinical contraindications to a soft contact lens trial. Indeed, when you ask about health, they are more than keen to tell you about their veganism, their regular exercise regime and the fact that they neither smoke nor use any medicines of any kind.

For your discussions, consider how you would respond to the following questions from the patient:

  • I would like a contact lens option with the minimum environmental impact. What do you recommend and why?
  • What should I do with lenses and related products once I have finished with them?
  • In general, I believe in reuse and avoid disposal where possible. What do you think?

Interactive CPD Instructions

In order to be able to log one provider-led interactive CPD point to your MyCPD account, this is what you need to do:

  • Make sure you have read the articles listed.
  • Arrange a time to undertake a discussion on the subject with a similarly qualified registrant; another optometrist or dispensing optician.
  • Read the case scenario and questions (above) and use them as the basis for the discussion with your colleague. Note, the discussion needs to address each of the questions outlined above and must be for longer than 10 minutes.
  • Remember, there may be a range of responses and all of those considered with a reasonable argument will be taken as evidence of a useful discussion of the topic.
  • When finished, you then need to send an email to ‘opticiancpd @markallengroup.com’ as follows;
    • Subject box should state ‘Sustainability – Interactive’
    • Please state your name and GOC number
    • Please state the name and GOC number of the person you discussed the matter with
    • Please confirm you had read the source material
    • Please include a summary of your discussion, explaining your views and thoughts on each of the three discussion questions
  • Each submission will be read individually and, where needed, feedback will be given directly. Where the submission meets a required standard, you will receive an email confirming this which you can then use as evidence of completion allowing you to log one distance learning interactive CPD point.
  • A summary of the responses and discussions will appear in a future issue of Optician with comment from the authors. 

Source Materials

  • Armstrong A. Sustainability in Practice. Optician, 24.02.2023
  • Clarkson D. Effect of Climate Change on Eye Health. Optician, 13.01.2023
  • Harvey B. The environmental impact of contact lens practice. Optician, 29.10.2021