www.opticians.ab.caAlberta Opticians AssociationoptabThursday, October 29, 2009 9:45 AMhttp://www.contentmanagementstudio.net/images/rss_cms.jpghttp://www.contentmanagementstudio.net/Content Management Studio™October 28,2009 College of Opticians of British Columbia Vancouver – The College of Opticians of British Columbia (COBC) today welcomed the decision of the Court of Appeal on The College of Opticians of British Columbia v. Coastal Contacts Inc. and Clearly Contacts Ltd., which found that contact lenses should not be treated as ‘over the counter’ products and that a prescription is required in order to dispense contact lenses.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 28, 2009 College of Opticians of British Columbia Court of Appeal Decision About the Safe Dispensing of Contact Lenses Vancouver – The College of Opticians of British Columbia (COBC) today welcomed the decision of the Court of Appeal on The College of Opticians of British Columbia v. Coastal Contacts Inc. and Clearly Contacts Ltd., which found that contact lenses should not be treated as ‘over the counter’ products and that a prescription is required in order to dispense contact lenses. “We are pleased with the Court’s decision that protects consumer safety and requires accurately dispensed contact lenses,” said COBC Chair Kent Ashby. “Protection of one’s eyesight and buying contact lenses should never be a ‘buyer beware’ proposition.” The decision found that the respondents, both sellers of contact lens over the Internet, had failed to comply with the regulations governing the safe dispensing of contact lenses, but has also given the companies six months to establish a business model that does conform to the regulations. “The goal of the COBC is to have the respondents operate within the law and the standards of practice. We regulate to ensure that that individual practitioners and companies provide the highest standard of vision care and accountability, “said Ashby. “Our hope is that both companies come forward with a method of operation that meets the regulated standards for safe practice so that they may continue to serve customers”. In BC contact lenses may be obtained, with a prescription, from a regulated health professional such as an optician, optometrist, or ophthalmologist. The College of Opticians of British Columbia regulates and improves the practice of opticians in the public interest by ensuring that BC Opticians provide quality professional care to help people achieve better vision. optab10/29/2009 2:45:06 PMhttp://www.employment.alberta.ca/documents/WHS/WHS-PUB_bp002.pdfBest Practice Guideline For Workplace Health & Safety Including employment standards rights and obligationsI would like to thank all who have been able to attend meetings with Alberta Health and Wellness (AHW), Health Workforce Policy & Planning Branch regarding pandemic planning. Your questions and possible solutions to particular issues have been very valuable to the Ministry as well as to your counterparts in attendance. As discussed at the meetings, Alberta Health Services (AHS) would be very grateful if the organizations responsible for the Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses, Pharmacists, Respiratory Therapists, Social Workers, Psychologists, Medical Laboratory Technologists, Medical Radiology Technologists and Combined X-ray Laboratory Technologists professions could provide names and contact information (as well as areas of competency if appropriate - e.g., gerontology versus critical care) of members who would be eligible for expedited licensure in the event a pandemic requires a recall of those persons to the employment setting. AHW will keep you informed if more professionals are identified as a priority by AHS. Also, kindly provide information regarding what is required for one of your members to be re-licensed under expedited licensure situations so that AHS is not making job offers to someone who cannot be re-licensed. Please send answers to both of these questions/information requests immediately to Karen Boros, AHS (karen.boros@albertahealthservices.ca or 780-735-4259). Again, thank you for all your efforts related to pandemic planning. AHW will be organizing a future meeting to allow for direct communication between you and AHS as well as with Occupational Health & Safety, at Alberta Employment & Immigration (AEI). For your information, AEI has released the document "Best Practice Guideline for Workplace Health and Safety during Pandemic Influenza". It is to help planning for your own organization and for looking after your own employees. It is available at by clicking at this link. Copies are also available by calling 780-415-8690 or 866-415-8690. Please note that the team at AHW Health Workforce includes myself, Roberta Parker, Sukhpreet Khroad and Arlynn Neuman. Thanks again for all your efforts, Linda Mattern Executive Director | Workforce Policy and Planning Branch Health Workforce Division | Alberta Health & Wellness linda.mattern@gov.ab.ca optab10/21/2009 4:40:16 PMIn Japan, as in France and in other European countries, the cosmetic contact lenses are not considered medical devices. Their distribution are not regulated, they are particularly sold in cosmetic stores and on the internet. Following a series of eye damage observed among the young users, many in Japan, Tokyo has decided to legislate the sale of these products before the end of this year. A study carried out by the Japanese Ministry of Industry reported 170 cases of eye infections contracted these last two years, some had generated hospitalizations, or even loss of vision. "The current laws assume that the cosmetic lenses are manufactured by the same companies that manufacture the corrective lenses, whose sale is regulated. But this is not the case. Many of them, cheap, come from South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, and are not subject to any control. More than 30 of 170 cases of injuries have been caused by flaws on the quality; including a leak '' of the color of lenses" the report says. To address this phenomenon, which in Japan a true public health problem, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Industry have decided to integrate, this year, the cosmetic contact lenses cosmetics in the class of medical devices. In the West, the European Union could also change its laws. The European Commission proposes extending the scope of the guidelines relating to medical devices, and to include, among others, the lenses of contact cosmetics. The European Commission organized in this sense a wide public consultation, asking the stakeholders concerned if such a regulation would be "necessary to ensure full and complete protection of public health The South Australia crossed the threshold last year. Following an incident occurred in New-Zealand (a young man has lost sight by wearing lenses plan during three consecutive days), the country decided to ban the sale of lentils cosmetics by traders not professionals of the vision. optab9/29/2009 9:54:19 PM\\COASRV1\Users\Kristina\My Documents\warning.htmOTTAWA - Health Canada, in consultation with the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, the Canadian Association of Optometrists, the Opticians Association of Canada, the Retail Council of Canada and the Canadian Association of Chain Drugstores, is warning consumers of serious safety concerns with the use of non-corrective coloured contact lenses, also commonly known as "cosmetic" contacts.OTTAWA - Health Canada, in consultation with the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, the Canadian Association of Optometrists, the Opticians Association of Canada, the Retail Council of Canada and the Canadian Association of Chain Drugstores, is warning consumers of serious safety concerns with the use of non-corrective coloured contact lenses, also commonly known as "cosmetic" contacts. Health Canada recognizes that all contact lenses, whether prescription or non-prescription, might present the same potential health hazards with respect to adverse effects and damage to the eye. The potential risk of serious eye injury with prescription contact lenses is considered minimal because the lenses are manufactured from approved materials, are properly fitted and are used under professional supervision. However, cosmetic contacts that are being obtained off-the-shelf are not fitted and are used without professional eye-care supervision. Cosmetic contacts are currently not subject to the same health assessment as prescription contact lenses. As a result, they may pose a greater risk of injury. These risks include, but may not be limited to, the following: These lenses are being sold in various retail outlets. Consumers of "cosmetic" contact lenses should discontinue use and consult an eye-care professional immediately should they experience or have experienced any pain, irritation, redness, haziness or visual disturbance. Health Canada recommends that these cosmetic lenses be used only under the supervision of an eye-care professional. In addition, wear time should be limited to the shortest duration possible. The lenses must never be worn while asleep, and cosmetic contact lenses should not be shared with others. For more information, consumers should contact their eye-care professional or the nearest regional office of Health Canada listed below: Burnaby (604) 666-5003 Edmonton (780) 495-2626 Calgary (403) 292-4677 Saskatoon (306) 975-4502 Winnipeg (204) 983-5490 Hamilton (905) 572-2845 Scarborough (416) 973-4705 Longueuil (450) 646-1353 Québec (418) 648-4327 Moncton (506) 851-6638 Dartmouth (902) 426-8300 St. John’s (709) 772-4050 optab9/29/2009 9:41:57 PMhttp://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/PublicHealthNotifications/ucm062171.htmThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to receive reports that non-corrective, decorative/cosmetic contact lenses are being distributed directly to consumers without a prescription or proper fitting by an eye care professional. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to receive reports that non-corrective, decorative/cosmetic contact lenses are being distributed directly to consumers without a prescription or proper fitting by an eye care professional. These products present significant risks of blindness and other eye injury if distributed without the involvement of a qualified eye care professional. Because of these safety concerns, FDA has cautioned consumers against using decorative contact lenses that have not been prescribed and fitted by a qualified eye care professional. FDA is requesting that healthcare professionals report adverse events resulting from the use of decorative/cosmetic lenses distributed to consumers without appropriate professional involvement. Background FDA is aware of injuries related to the use of contact lenses distributed directly to consumers and intended solely to change the appearance of the eye. These products can cause corneal ulcers, which can progress rapidly, leading to internal ocular infection if left untreated. Uncontrolled infection can lead to corneal scarring and vision impairment. In extreme cases, this condition can result in blindness and eye loss. Other risks associated with use of decorative/cosmetic contact lenses include conjunctivitis; corneal edema; allergic reaction; abrasion from poor lens fit; and reduction in visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and other visual functions, resulting in interference with driving and other activities. Because of the safety concerns these products present, FDA is taking a number of actions. In addition to communicating with the public and with the healthcare community concerning the dangers of using decorative/cosmetic contact lenses, FDA has issued an import alert instructing FDA personnel and officials of the United States Customs Service to detain automatically all decorative contact lenses presented at United States ports of entry. FDA will also seize decorative contact lenses currently on the market in violation of federal law. FDA is responding separately to those eye care professionals who have individually contacted the agency expressing interest in the regulation of these products. In addition, in order to fully assess the extent of the problem associated with these products, this notification is requesting that all healthcare professionals continue to report adverse events associated with decorative/cosmetic lenses sold without a prescription. Reporting Injuries and Complaints If you become aware of a problem associated with these decorative/cosmetic contact lenses, please contact MedWatch, the FDA’s voluntary reporting program. You may submit reports to MedWatch one of four ways: online at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/; by telephone at 1-800-FDA-1088; by FAX at 1-800-FDA-0178; or by mail to MedWatch, Food and Drug Administration, HF-2, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Getting More Information If you have questions about this Notification, please contact James F. Saviola, O.D., F.A.A.O., CDRH, Office of Device Evaluation, HFZ-460, 9200 Corporate Blvd., Rockville, MD 20850 or FAX 240-276-3356. Additionally, a voice mail message may be left at 240-276-3357 and your call will be returned as soon as possible. optab9/22/2009 5:37:19 PM