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Australian News
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Monday, 18 August 2008 |
Glaucoma Australia’s 20th anniversary year will be marked by a national campaign this week that targets the ‘lack of awareness’ in country Australia about the severe impact of the eye condition, glaucoma.
National Executive Officer, Beverley Lindsell, said Glaucoma Australia was concerned at Australia-wide figures showing that only half of the estimated 300,000 plus Australians with glaucoma actually knew they had the disease. Even more alarming is data putting the awareness level of glaucoma significantly lower in regional and rural areas.
“A study shows that people in rural areas are almost twice as likely to have never been seen by an eye-care provider as their urban counterparts. In statistical terms, this presents as 13 percent of those living in the country compared with only seven
percent of those in the city who have never seen an optometrist or ophthalmologist.
“Looking at the gender factor, the overall figure is 11 percent of males compared with eight percent of females who have never been to an eye-care practitioner,†Mrs Lindsell said.
National Glaucoma Week will be held from August 17 to 23 to promote understanding about glaucoma as a condition commonly referred to as ‘the sneak thief of sight’. It irreversibly destroys vision silently, gradually starting with the side vision. Fortunately, if detected early enough it can be arrested or at least slowed by appropriate treatment. Glaucoma cannot be self-detected.
Leading Sydney ophthalmologist, Dr Allan Bank, sees the rural and regional versus urban glaucoma patient difference constantly.
“In my experience, my patients from areas outside metropolitan Sydney tend to exhibit the worst effects of glaucoma largely because they are diagnosed at later stages of disease. The stories I am told suggest they don’t see it as important to have a regular eye check-up unless they need new glasses or they notice something seems very wrong with their eyesightâ€.
Glaucoma Australia urges all Australians over the age of 40 to have comprehensive eye checks, every two/three years, by an optometrist or ophthalmologist or more regularly if they have a family history of the disease, diabetes, migraines, high blood
pressure, an eye injury in the past eye or past or present prolonged use of cortisone.
“Eyesight is precious. Don’t risk losing it for the sake of not undertaking regular, simple and pain-free checks†Mrs Lindsell said.
National Glaucoma Week will be launched in Wagga Wagga this year to target awareness in regional and rural Australia. It is being sponsored by Pfizer Australia following the success of a pilot campaign on the Gold Coast earlier this year.
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Australian News
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Monday, 11 August 2008 |
Last Saturday, Sydney Morning Herald reported on the first implant of a bionic eye in Australia scheduled for this year.
One of the 2 or 3 persons to receive the implant is Marrickville man Steve Horan (picture), 30. Mr Horan was born with retinitis pigmentosa, for which there is no treatment or cure. As a child he could read a phone book and attend school. Now legally blind, he relies on his guide dog, Casey.
The implant aims to restore basic vision in patients with degenerative eye diseases, allowing them to walk without a cane or guide dog and differentiate between night and day.
Minas Coroneo and Vivek Chowdhury, from Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital, say the visual prosthesis could be the first - and cheapest - to hit the world market.
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Australian News
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Monday, 04 August 2008 |
Australian swimming superstar, Justin Norris (picture), is putting out his yearly call to join him on Sunday 31 August at the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children's (RIDBC) Hunter Splash swimathon.
“I'm always thrilled to be an ambassador for Hunter Splash, and I encourage my fellow Novocastrians to get behind this year's event,†Justin Norris said.
“Getting involved is as easy as finding some sponsors, jumping in the pool and swimming some laps. Or you can always choose to sponsor another swimmer instead. All money raised supports local kids with vision or hearing impairment.“
“Swimmers of all ages and abilities are encouraged to take part.“
2008 will be the fourth year that the dual Olympian, Olympic Medallist and Triple Commonwealth Gold Medallist has supported the event.
Hunter Splash takes place on Sunday 31 August at The Forum Sports and Aquatic Centre, University of Newcastle.
Now in its sixth year, the swimathon raises funds to support RIDBC’s education programs based at Floraville.
RIDBC Hunter's programs include a preschool, early learning program, parent support groups and early learning groups for children with sensory impairment and their families.
RIDBC Hunter currently supports 41 local children. There are some great prizes up for grabs for teams and individual entrants in Hunter Splash's junior and open age categories. To register for Hunter Splash, or to make a donation, please visit www.huntersplash.com.au or contact event coordinator Alan Carter on 4946 1529.
Hunter Splash is proudly supported by Oakvale Wines, Justin Norris Swim Academy, BridgeClimb, McDonalds, Clark Rubber - Warners Bay, Lings Quality Trophies, De Lorenzo and Montage Sound Studios.
The Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) relies heavily on community support and events like the Hunter Splash to continue making a difference in children's lives in the Hunter region.
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Australian News
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Friday, 01 August 2008 |
Vision Australia continues to work with the ANZ Bank on a project to make widely used Product Disclosure information accessible for people with a print disability.
"Our production teams at Kooyong and Enfield have done a great job to produce the accessible format materials to the high standard required by the ANZ Bank, meeting all the challenges involved" says Tricia Cooney, Strategic Business Development Manager.
ANZ is the first Bank in Australia to provide such a service and Vision Australia supports and applauds this initiative.
People with a print disability now have independent access to the terms and conditions of their arrangements with the Bank.
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Australian News
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Thursday, 31 July 2008 |
The Minister for Human Services, Senator Joe Ludwig, has praised Medicare’s anti-fraud operations after the conviction of a doctor in the Brisbane District Court early this month.
The 40-year-old doctor received a 12-month suspended sentence for illegally prescribing drugs under the Australian Government’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
“The doctor will also have to repay the money her activities cost the Australian taxpayer,†Senator Ludwig said.
“The Government’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme saves Australian patients billions of dollars each year, by subsidising medicine that would otherwise be too expensive for many to buy.â€
“This case shows Medicare is working hard to protect the integrity of the public health system, which helps millions of Australians each year,†Senator Ludwig said. The South-East Queensland doctor pleaded guilty to prescribing drugs to patients not entitled to receive them at the PBS subsidised rate.
The doctor has been ordered to repay $27,821.93, the total of PBS benefits given to patients as a result of her incorrect prescribing of restricted pharmaceuticals, Anastrozole and Selegiline.
Anastrozole is restricted for the treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer in post menopausal women, while Selegiline is restricted for late stage Parkinson’s disease.
The Brisbane court was told the doctor prescribed Anastrozole for elderly men to increase testosterone levels and prescribed Selegiline for anti-ageing purposes.
A Medicare investigation found the illegal prescribing took place in Renew You medical clinics at Broadbeach, Ashgrove and Redland Bay between August 2002 and November 2004.
The sentencing follows last month’s jailing of a Queensland pharmacist for deliberately defrauding the PBS, the result of another Medicare Australia investigation.
The pharmacist from Clermont, in central Queensland, was sentenced to four and half years’ jail after pleading guilty to fraudulently obtaining $400,000 worth of PBS benefits to which he was not entitled.
“These cases send a clear warning to anyone thinking about abusing the PBS or other vital Government programs,†Senator Ludwig said.
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Australian News
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Wednesday, 30 July 2008 |
Just five months after opening its first Australian store, revolutionary optical retailer Specsavers is celebrating on three fronts: the opening of its 100th store; strong retail sales growth; and securing the number two place in the Australian retail optics market.
The opening of the 100th Specsavers store, at Westfield Geelong, is the culmination of one of the fastest retail roll-outs in Australian history, starting when the company opened its first store in Melbourne’s CBD this February.
Specsavers Optometrists is two-thirds of the way through its ambitious roll-out plans for 2008, with150 stores planned by the end of the year.
Peter Larsen, Managing Director of Specsavers Australia said, “People talk about how quickly Starbucks and Subway open new stores, but I don’t think many retailers could match our store opening schedule.”
Specsavers entry has brought a significant shift to the landscape of Australian retail optics, which has until now been dominated by one player – Luxottica. The monopoly player owns most of the big brands familiar to consumers, including OPSM, Budget Eyewear and Laubman & Pank and also supplies products to many independent optometrists.
“Specsavers has become the number two player in the Australian retail optics in just five months and already, more than 600 people are employed across our network, including at our state-of-the-art glazing laboratory in Port Melbourne,” continued Larsen.
Specsavers is truly an optometry led company, which has built its international success and local reputation by entering into joint venture and franchisee relationships with community based optometrists. Its Australian market entry has seen the company join forces with high end, high turnover independent practices, who convert their business and operate under the Specsavers brand.
With harsh economic conditions having a negative effect on retail takings across the board, Specsavers partners have been bucking this trend, experiencing an average sales growth of around 40% percent when measured against their pre-conversion figures.
“I believe that customers are paying less than they were before, our franchisee optometrists are taking more money through the till than they were before and we are working to reduce cost of goods even further. It’s a golden scenario” said Mr. Larsen.
“Taking into account current economic conditions, what this growth tells us is that the Specsavers offer is very quickly being understood and adopted by consumers – they are attracted to our transparent, clear pricing model and the very obvious value for money on offer.
”Once customers see that they can come to Specsavers, receive the very highest professional attention and enjoy a shopping experience that affords them both fashion and affordability, they move across to our store” he said.
Specsavers, started by optometrists Doug and Mary Perkins in the UK in 1984, is the number three retail optical company globally and arguably the fastest growing in the world. The couple still head up the company and last year, Specsavers and its partners dispensed 9 million pairs of spectacles to 16 million customers across nine countries.
Specsavers Optometrists always offer two pairs of glasses for one price, on all frames valued at $199 and above. The price always includes single vision, hard coated Pentax lenses as standard and there are more than 1000 styles to choose from.
Source: Specsavers Australia
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