Immersion into dry eye

Maggie Martin

The Hakim Group welcomed almost 80 delegates to its second Dry Eye Immersion Day last month, bringing together practice partners, clinicians, dispensing opticians (DOs) and their teams from across the family of independent practices.

The programme focused on building clinical confidence and commercial capability in dry eye management.

The event was designed to support practices at every stage of their dry eye journey, from understanding the opportunity within practice and local communities, to successfully launching and scaling dedicated dry eye services.

Led by Maggie Martin, category lead at the group, the day combined a dual-track agenda spanning both clinical excellence and business implementation.

A clinical track focused on hands-on learning, including slit lamp assessment, in-practice treatment techniques, and refining patient pathways, supported by partners the Body Doctor, Scope, Théa and Positive Impact, which each hosted specialist sessions.

The business track focused on translating clinical expertise into sustainable services, supporting delegates to understand how to launch a dry eye clinic, create a compelling patient proposition and build a commercially viable model. Sessions were delivered by SharkLink, Practice Partners and the Hakim Group’s marketing team.

Maggie said: “We hosted this Immersion Day to accelerate confidence and consistency in how dry eye is delivered across our practices. The opportunity here is significant, not just commercially, but in the difference we can make to patients’ quality of life. By bringing together clinical expertise, practical training, and real-world business insight, we’re helping our teams to truly elevate the category across the group.”

A key theme throughout the day was bridging the gap between clinical care and commercial success, ensuring practices feel confident in positioning and pricing their services.

Amit Sharma, director at 10 Hakim Group independent practices, said: “One of the biggest barriers for practices is knowing how to price and position dry eye services with confidence. What we’re showing is that when it’s done properly, with clear clinical pathways and strong communication, patients see the value, and practices can build a service that is both impactful and sustainable.”

The group plans to continue developing category-focused immersion events to strengthen capability and unlock new opportunities across its network.