Myopia Management and Contact Lenses - Past, Present, and Future

Course overview

This two-hour technical contact lens course is designed to enhance the dispensing optician and his or her understanding of modern myopia management, with particular emphasis on contact lens-based approaches, emerging technologies, patient education, and the expanding role of eyecare professionals in addressing the global increase in myopia prevalence. As myopia rates continue to rise worldwide, opticians and contact lens professionals are becoming increasingly involved in patient counseling, product selection, compliance reinforcement, troubleshooting, and ongoing support related to pediatric myopia management programs. The course will examine the historical evolution of myopia theories and treatment philosophies, current scientific understanding regarding axial elongation and refractive progression, and contemporary management strategies including multifocal soft contact lenses, orthokeratology, spectacle-based interventions, pharmaceutical therapies, and environmental modifications. Participants will analyze the design principles, fitting considerations, benefits, limitations, and clinical evidence associated with current myopia management modalities while also exploring future technologies and evolving treatment philosophies. Special emphasis will be placed on the practical role of the dispensing optician and contact lens professional in patient communication, expectation management, compliance reinforcement, adaptation support, and ethical evidence-based recommendation strategies. The course will further examine current research trends, controversies, and emerging technologies likely to influence the future of pediatric eyecare and contact lens practice. This course contributes to the advancement of professional knowledge and contact lens dispensing skills by strengthening ECPs and their understanding of contemporary myopia management concepts, improving patient communication abilities, enhancing product knowledge, and promoting evidence-based participation within modern myopia management programs.