Years ago, a wonderful ophthalmologist (let's call him
Dr. Anonymous) paid the Medcompare booth a visit in the exhibit hall of the annual AAO meeting. In the oft-fabled “aha” moment, (where the light-bulb went on above his head) he realized we had taken a huge burden off his shoulders. He had been tasked by the partners in his practice to gather information on the broad array of
optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems, an instrument they had plans to purchase immediately. He was confronted with the challenge of racing around the exhibit hall with limited time, trying to find the latest innovations on these fairly complex systems.
Having discovered Medcompare, he realized he could concentrate on learning the latest clinical information at the meeting – arguably the best use of his time. He could handle product research from his own computer, on his own schedule (day or night, year-round), and on his own terms. Using Medcompare, he could easily cross-section the medical marketplace looking for products by instrument type (e.g. “direct ophthalmoscopes”). Instantly, a list is provided showing him each manufacturer and each of their offerings in the selected category. I hear from him periodically; always to thank us for our weekly newsletters, keeping him at the forefront of technological innovations in ophthalmic practice.
Last summer, this ophthalmologist was inspired to send me what has since become a “go to” document for me. It’s a shopping list of essentials for equipping your ophthalmic exam lane. I’m asked on a weekly basis for something of this nature and have passed his list on countless times. Because our emphasis is ophthalmic technologies, we’re expected to be a resource for all things gizmo oriented – a role we happily take on. Most recently, I sent this list off to a non-profit whose aim is to provide ophthalmic care to the homeless population of Boston. The two enterprising young MD’s behind the project were building a mobile ophthalmology clinic; a single exam lane inside a customized van. Using this list as a guide, and with a bit of industry support, they have begun their community outreach efforts.
At the suggestion of Dr. Anonymous, I’d like to share this list with you in the hopes in it may help you set up your practice, office, mobile exam unit, with greater ease and efficiency. The checklist has links to our product directory to enable you to find the currently available products and technologies in each category.
Instruments:
To browse product information for all of the instruments seen in the list above, please click here to visit our Ophthalmic Practice Setup Equipment Directory
Ophthalmic examination drops:
- Mydriatics:
Paremyd; 1% and 0.5% tropicamide; 2.5% and 10% phenylephrine
- Mydriasis Reversal Agents:
dapiprazole, 0.5% topical ophthalmic solution
- Anesthetics:
0.5% proparacaine; a combination of 0.25% sodium fluorescein with a topical anesthetic
(e.g., Fluress, etc.)
- Cyclopegics:
Cyclopentolate 1%; homatropine 5% and/or scopolamine 0.25%
Pharmaceutical samples to keep on hand:
- Acetazolamide (Diamox) 250mg tablets (for acute angle closure)
- Glycerine 5% (Osmoglyn) for sulfa-allergic patients in acute angle closure
- Pilocarpine 2% for acute angle closure
- Beta blocker, brimonidine, prostaglandin samples
- Artificial tears samples for dry eye patients
- Lotemax samples
- Fluoroquinolone samples
- Betadine 5% opthalmic prep solution (for treating acute EKC, epidemic keratoconjunctivitis)
- Ointments: A combination antibiotic/steroid (e.g., TobraDex ointment or generic Maxitrol), and an
antibiotic ointment such as Polysporin or a generic equivalent
Miscellaneous supplies:
- Assorted patient education materials
- Fluorescein strips
- Facial tissue
- Latex exam gloves
- Sterile 4x4 gauze
- Schirmer strips
- Steri-strips
- Lissamine green sterile strips
- Chalazion excision instruments
- Irrigating solution
- Syringe barrels, for use as holders for straight or ASP needles
- Oval eye patches
- One-inch micropore tape for patching
- Sterile and non-sterile cotton swabs
- 25-guage, 5/8in needles for foreign body removal and/or rust ring fragmentation
- Alcohol prep pads
- Post-mydriatic sunglasses (adult and child sizes) with temples, and drop-ins
The wonderful thing about this document being hosted online is that we can always change it based on your feedback. If you have any additional items you feel are essential to the well equipped exam lane, please drop me an email at [email protected]. Together, we can continually improve this list to meet the unique needs of today’s ophthalmology practice.
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