Take 5 with Ian Pyzer

Ian Pyzer, professional education and development manager for Johnson & Johnson Vision

As ABDO welcomes Johnson & Johnson Vision as its first Gold CPD Partner (Contact Lens Opticians), Nicky Collinson asks Ian Pyzer, professional education and development manager for Johnson & Johnson Vision, what members can expect to gain from the initiative…

NC: What inspired you to work with ABDO on a bespoke support programme for contact lens optician (CLO) members?

IP: CLOs are of vital importance when it comes to providing contact lens patients with the best possible wearing experience. As a CLO, I know how their specialist knowledge, along with their clinical and communication skills, are key to their patient’s success and Johnson & Johnson Vision is committed to supporting them and maintaining their expertise throughout their career.

NC: What can dispensing opticians and/or CLOs expect to gain from this investment?

IP: We know that all CLOs started their journey as a dispensing optician (DO), with some having progressed from being optical assistants – and that aspiration to progress within their career is just amazing. ABDO College and Bradford College provide members with the opportunity to make that leap – and Johnson & Johnson Vision’s STEP Trainee CL Optician programme is designed to further equip the students with both the confidence and knowledge required to pass both their theory and practical examinations.

As well as the CPD, we will deliver at the ABDO regional CPD events throughout the year. We also aim to inspire DOs to consider becoming a CLO, where there is a growing demand from employers for their skills and it makes for a highly fulfilling career.

NC: How will CLOs benefit from the 360˚ programme that Johnson & Johnson Vision is delivering in partnership with ABDO?

IP: The CLO 360° Programme will offer a breadth of educational touchpoints which are all bookable directly from the ABDO website. This will include: the 12 ABDO regional CPD events, where we deliver a discussion workshop titled ‘Astigmatism mysteries: a Cluedo inspired adventure’; six online CPD evenings with different formats such as forums, webinars and discussion workshops covering topics from complex fitting to complications management; and in November a Multifocal MasterClass day at the ABDO National Resource Centre in Birmingham.

NC: How will members be able to take their learning back to practice to enhance their role in the multi-disciplinary primary eyecare team?

IP: Johnson & Johnson Vision understands the importance of continually innovating their education and training initiatives and as a group, CLOs are all about practical application of their skills and knowledge to the benefit of their patients. To that end, we are laser focused on sharing knowledge that is truly informative, engaging and applicable to their everyday practice.

NC: How else is Johnson & Johnson Vision supporting ABDO’s CLO members at all stages of their career?

IP: At the very heart of our organisation are an amazing team of independent practitioners called professional affairs consultants. The reason Johnson & Johnson Vision invests so heavily in this team is because we strive to meet the educational and training needs of the professionals who look after patients each and every day. Through this talented team, we create and deliver, the sort of meaningful education that will make a real difference to ABDO’s CLOs – and ultimately to their patients too.

View and book onto the Johnson & Johnson Vision CLO 360° Programme.