BlephEx

Introducing new tools

The practice had become a part of the Hakim Group earlier in 2019. Having previously spent 17 years at a large multiple, the freedom that the Hakim Group provides has been really refreshing. I’ve gone from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ environment to being part of a group that gives you the advantage of being able to cherry pick the intricacies that fit your practice.

Whether it be the pricing, the services we offer or back-office support, we’re given the freedom to choose what works for us personally. That level of flexibility is just fantastic.

We’ve had BlephEx in Pinder & Moore Opticians since January this year. Prior to acquiring BlephEx, there were many instances in which I wished that I had the instrument to hand due to the signs and symptoms of the patient.

With a lot of common blepharitis and dry eye conditions in that age bracket, I quickly realised that BlephEx could be a real asset to the practice

Its portability and simplicity are its main selling points; the spinning of a medical grade micro-sponge head along the edge of the eyelids and lashes removes the debris and bacteria of the biofilm.

It only takes a few minutes and the fact it is pain-free is really an important factor.

I liken its appearance to an electric toothbrush, which means it doesn’t look daunting from a patient’s perspective. Sometimes when you put a patient in front of a large imposing machine it can put a sense of fear into them. Every health care professional will know that there are certain patients who just don’t enjoy the experience of an eye examination or ocular procedure, no matter how much you sign post them. Anything that can assist in reassuring the patient is always useful.

Prior to acquiring BlephEx, there were many instances in which I wished that I had the instrument to hand due to the signs and symptoms of the patient

BlephEx benefits

Before BlephEx, we were restricted to treating blepharitis by relying on the patient’s ability to manage their lid hygiene through heat masks and eye lid wipes. While these might relieve the symptoms, the benefit of BlephEx is that this instrument really gets to the root cause of the problem and helps to sort the issue at its core.

Locally, a massive draw of being able to offer BlephEx is that it gives us an advantage over our competitors. It’s something niche, not overly expensive, and pain-free for the patient.

Being a premium independent practice, we need to offer services like this that differentiate us from those around us. With all new investments, it had to be affordable and viable for us as a practice. It also had to be something that would likely have an uptake from patients. So, introducing a device like BlephEx, which has already become such an important part of my day-to-day, was a no brainer. I think it’s something that, due to the demographic of the local population, will really make a big difference to patients as they can enjoy a life free from the chronic and irritating symptoms that are associated with blepharitis.