editor's perspective

Current Events in Contact Lenses and CLS

BY CARLA J. MACK, OD, FAAO, EDITOR

The contact lens industry has experienced many changes in the last year, mostly positive and some that we're still learning from. We've seen a flurry of new products and expanded contact lens parameters, which allow us to better prescribe and care for our patients. We've seen some misfortune (or what some might call tragedy) regarding contact lens care products that has heightened our sense of responsibility to educate our patients and hopefully heightened our patients' awareness that compliance can't be ignored.

Contact Lens Spectrum is also experiencing change this year. The journal has evolved over the last 20 years under the guidance of Joe Barr, OD, MS, FAAO, editor since 1987. It has remained true to its mission as a clinical journal that provides current, quality and comprehensive contact lens information written by contact lens practitioners for contact lens practitioners. It has remained true to its goal of providing a forum that is open and welcomes the opinions and expertise of a wide array of contributors including practitioners, academics, researchers and those in industry.

I'm honored to be involved with this well respected publication that has attained an average issue readership of almost 38,000. I'd like to thank Dr. Barr for his guidance in this transition and for all he has done to further the contact lens field in the last 25 years, both as an educator and researcher at Ohio State and as editor of Contact Lens Spectrum. I wish him the best in his new endeavors and look forward to more great contributions from him to this field in the future.

The great staff at Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Visioncare Group and I would like to introduce your new editorial team. As CLS readers you probably know Edward Bennett, OD, MSEd, as a long-time contributing editor. Many of you are also familiar with his many contributions to the contact lens field as an author, editor and presenter of numerous articles, books and lectures as well as his leadership positions within the American Academy of Optometry and the Section on Cornea and Contact Lenses and through his contact lens research. I am pleased Dr. Bennett has accepted the position as our clinical features editor.

Jeff Schafer, OD, MS, FAAO, has accepted the position of clinical columns editor. Dr. Schafer is currently on faculty at The Ohio State University College of Optometry where he's involved in contact lens teaching and research and has held the position of chief of the Contact Lens Service for two years. He has written feature and continuing education articles for CLS and has also served as a contributing editor for our Contact Lens Materials and The Contact Lens Exam departments.

We look forward to an exciting future of providing you the latest and best contact lens information.