May 14, 2020
SAN RAMON, Calif.—This month, CooperVision unveiled an online training curriculum so eye care professionals (ECPs) can certify to prescribe the Brilliant Futures™ Myopia Management Program featuring MiSight® 1 day contact lenses. CooperVision will continue outreach to ECPs who have experience with pediatric populations and myopia management from May through July to invite them to begin their training and complete an online certification exam.
The CooperVision MiSight 1 day contact lens is the first and only product1 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for slowing the progression of myopia in children, who at initiation of treatment are 8-12 years of age*.
During this unprecedented time, CooperVision remains committed to supporting ECPs who are leading the way to provide myopia management to children with myopia. Initially, CooperVision planned in-person trainings at partnering optometry schools throughout the nation but decided to postpone them and provide an online learning option due to the unforeseen circumstances associated with the onset and impact of COVID-19. The online option allows ECPs and their practices to become certified without meeting in-person so they can prepare to offer the program to their patients and parents. CooperVision is also suspending the $1,000 certification fee associated with the training.
“Although we were excited to welcome many of our ECPs in-person, we are confident we have developed an interactive online learning program that provides a robust certification experience that allows ECPs to be successful with the Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program,” said Michele Andrews, OD, Senior Director, North America Professional and Academic Affairs, CooperVision. “The health and safety of our employees, our partners, our customers and their families are of utmost importance to us. We look forward to supporting our ECPs as they build their myopia management practices – even if it’s at a distance as our nation concentrates on the health and well being of everyone.”
The online training program uses an autonomous learning approach that allows ECPs to progress at their own pace, at the time and place of their choice. It includes:
- a five-course syllabus
- optional engagement opportunities with peers, faculty partners and CooperVision’s Myopia Management Team via discussion boards, as well as Ask the Expert conference call sessions on key topics
- An optional opportunity to gain Paragon CRT® certification
Upon successful completion of the curriculum and online exam, ECPs will work with their dedicated CooperVision Myopia Management Specialist to activate their Brilliant Futures account.
Andrew Neukirch, OD, from Carillon Visioncare in Glenview, Illinois, is currently working through the curriculum to become a certified prescriber.
“Pediatric myopia management is a passion of mine and is the quickest growing area of my practice. When I heard about MiSight 1 day receiving FDA approval, I knew it was a lens I wanted to offer in our progressive practice,” said Dr. Neukirch. “The online training has been easy to access and navigate. The content is informative and has provided me with the tools I need to better educate the parents of our myopic patients. I’ve also enjoyed the active discussions and Ask the Expert calls. I’m looking forward to offering the Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program as another option to my pediatric patients soon.”
The first online training session opened on April 20, with several more sessions planned through July. ECPs who are interested in learning more about the Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program featuring MiSight 1 day contact lenses can visit www.coopervision.com/practitioner/myopia-management.
1 MiSight® 1 day (omafilcon A) soft (hydrophilic) contact lenses for daily wear are indicated for the correction of myopic ametropia and for slowing the progression of myopia in children with non-diseased eyes, who at the initiation of treatment are 8-12 years of age and have a refraction of -0.75D to -4.00D (spherical equivalent) with ≤ 0.75D of astigmatism. The lens is to be discarded after each removal.
* When compared to the children in the control group wearing a single vision 1-day contact lens over a 3-year period. Chamberlain P et al. A 3-year Randomized Clinical Trial of MiSight® Lenses for Myopia Control. Optom Vis Sci 2019; 96:556-567.
