The Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) has given the go ahead for contact lens opticians to prescribe a groundbreaking new therapy, enabling ~1,700 new practitioners to offer the treatment to their patients.
NuVision Biotherapies, a UK based tissue-therapy company with a global footprint, develops, manufactures and deploys bespoke ophthalmic treatments based on 15 years of research at the University of Nottingham. These treatment options use placental tissue (amniotic membrane) donated by women undergoing elective caesarean section. The dried amniotic membrane is applied to the eye’s surface and held in place using a specialised bandage contact lens, eliminating the need for surgery.
The combination of NuVision’s amniotic membrane (‘Omnigen®’) and contact lens (‘OmniLenz®’) has been used for over five years in more than 140 UK hospitals and 30 private centres. The therapy is used to treat inflammation and damage to the eye’s surface following traumatic injury, eye surgery, and in chronic diseases.
ABDO has confirmed that contact lens opticians will be covered under their existing professional indemnity insurance to prescribe NuVision’s Omnigen® and OmniLenz® as an out-patient application to treat corneal trauma and ocular surface disease. This gives opticians a new option to support their patients’ natural healing process in various ophthalmic conditions, including corneal damage and ocular surface disease.
NuVision will provide a training programme and certification process for contact lens opticians which takes around 45 minutes. This will equip professionals with the knowledge they need to confidently supply Omnigen® and OmniLenz® for treatment and apply the bandage contact lens in an outpatient setting.
Andy Hill, CEO at NuVision, said: “The decision by ABDO to allow its members to prescribe our therapies highlights their robustness and extensive clinical research behind them. We are looking forward to supporting contact lens opticians with their training and seeing the positive impact that Omnigen® and OmniLenz® will have on more patients across the UK.”
Andy Hill, CEO at NuVision.
Ed Fox, head of membership, said “We are delighted to confirm that our CLO members who are part of the ABDO professional indemnity insurance scheme will be fully covered to deliver this type of treatment after completing their training and accreditation."
ABDO clinical lead, Max Halford, added: "We are now working with the NuVision team to deliver a training programme for CLOs at the ABDO National Resource Centre in Birmingham."
Omnigen is currently available in 140 UK hospitals, 30 UK private hospitals and eight countries.
To find out more about NuVision’s products and how they can support contact lens opticians in their patient care, please visit www.nu-vision.co.uk.
