Guidelines for Supply Triage During Visudyne (Verteporfin) Shortage

July 16, 2021

Visudyne is an essential therapeutic agent for the treatment of specific sight-threatening retinal and choroidal diseases, including choroidal tumours, anti-VEGF resistant neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and centroserous choroidopathy (CSR). There is an active global shortage of Visudyne, and the next resupply is not expected to be available in Canada until the end of January 2022 (see: www.drugshortagescanada.ca).

The Canadian Retina Society (CRS) and Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) are working with Health Canada’s Drug Shortages Unit on this issue. Further, the CRS and the COS are suggesting the following mitigation strategies and suggest that the remaining supply of Visudyne be prioritized as follows:

• Priority 1: For the full course of treatment and management of sight threatening Ocular Tumours
• Priority 2: For the treatment of non-resolving CSR
• Priority 3: For the treatment of anti-VEGF resistant nAMD

The CRS and COS provide this information for guidance and urge all treating Ophthalmologists to collaborate with their local and regional oncology and retinal specialist groups to ensure careful triage of this agent to those patients in most dire

Learning Webinar Available on Demand

A medical education program for a broad Canadian medical audience focused on inherited retinal diseases and gene therapy. It will include 6 short talks (~ 10 min each) on IRD patient journey + Panel discussion on the Multidisciplinary Management of a IRD patient.

Archived Webinar Content

• When to suspect an inherited retinal disease (IRD) – the first consultation – Dr. Ana Juricic
• The complexities of identifying a genetic diagnosis: a team approach – Dr. Ian MacDonald, MSc, MD, CM and Leslie Colvin James, B.Sc., M.Sc
• The significance of finding the causal gene in a patient with IRD – Dr. Robert Koenekoop, MD, PhD
• Treatments for IRDs in the era of gene therapies – Dr. Ajoy Vincent, MBBS, MS
• Role of retinal specialists in the IRD landscape – Dr. Peter Kertes, MD, CM, FRCSC
• Optimizing remaining vision and adapting to new vision – Dr. Ana Juricic
• Panel discussion- All faculty – Chaired by Dr. Ana Juricic

Access Details

Please click below to register for the archived webinar content:

https://inheritedretinaldiseases.ca/ Available Online until October 17, 2021

This program is supported by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.

Description
This 12-month online series organized by The Ophthalmology Foundation will address the needs of anyone that is interested in teaching ophthalmologists in training and allied ophthalmic personnel. The series consists of 12 individual modules that will cover the foundational principles of instructing adult learners. Topics will include adult learning principles, principles and tools for assessment and online learning, teaching critical thinking, and more

Modules in This Series

Module 1: Applying Adult Learning Principles to Maximize Your Teaching
Module 2: Giving Effective Feedback to Enhance Any Teaching Activity
Module 3: Assessment Drives Learning: Principles & Tools to Embrace
Module 4: Teaching & Assessing in the Clinic
Module 5: Teaching & Assessing in the Operating Room
Module 6: Tips to Enhance Your Lectures
Module 7: Designing an Effective Flipped Classroom
Module 8: Fostering Critical Thinking
Module 9: Professionalism & Communication Skills: Teaching & Assessing
Module 10: Technology Assisted Teaching & Learning
Module 11: Creating Effective Continuing Professional Development Programs
Module 12: Generational Teaching: Tips to Increase Learning

Learning Objectives
By the end of the series, participants should be able to:

• Apply adult and generational learning principles to training.
• Give appropriate feedback to learners.
• Use appropriate tools and strategies to assess learners.
• Teach effectively in the clinic, operating room and in the classroom.
• Help learners develop critical thinking, professionalism and communication skills.
• Use technology for teaching and learning.
• Apply flipped classroom strategies.
• Develop continuing learning programs.

Course Format
This is a self-led series with 12 independent modules. Participants can choose to participate in the entire series, or choose to join the modules that will be most useful to them. Modules are self-paced. Each module in the series will be released consecutively on the first week of each month. Modules consist of a recorded asynchronous presentation with activities and assessment with a live (synchronous) meeting at the end of the month. Each module will offer a certificate and CME credits after completion of the mandatory activities. The estimated time to complete each module is 3-4 hours.

Access Details

Description

This is an Educational Webinar Series available on demand. There are Series of 3 webinars focusing on inherited retinal disease presented by Canadian experts discussing inherited retinal dystrophies from symptoms, to diagnosis and treatment options. The role of genetic screening and genetic counseling as part of the patient journey are also presented. Each of the webinars lasts approximately 60 minutes inclusive of Q&A.

Target Audience

This program is open to retina specialists, general ophthalmologists, and pediatric ophthalmologists.

Learning Objectives

The objectives for each of the webinars are as follows:

1. Reimagining the Treatment of Inherited Retinal Dystrophies
• Recognize the signs and symptoms of IRD
• Describe the IRD patient journey to diagnosis, and referral pathway
• Understand the value of genetic screening in patients who present with an inherited or a
suspected genetically-based ocular disease

2. Advances in Inherited Retinal Dystrophies and Gene Replacement Therapy – The Future is Now
• Understand the mechanism of action of gene replacement therapy and its potential application
in various genetic diseases
• Gain knowledge in various clinical studies for IRDs: therapeutic, gene editing and stem cell
treatments
• Define the clinical end-points and measurements used in different trials

3. Best Practices for Virtual Genetic Counselling and Testing for Inherited Retinal Dystrophy
• Gain knowledge about virtual ocular genetic counselling and testing clinic
• Understand the patient journey from referral to genetic confirmation for individuals with a
suspected IRD
• Recognize the value of genetic counselling and/or testing for patients who present with an
inherited or suspected genetically based ocular disease

Access Details
The series of webinars can be accessed via the following link, IRD Learning Series

This program is supported by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.

The first-ever APAO 2021 Virtual Congress will be held from 5 – 11 September 2021.

The APAO Virtual Congress will be a seven-day online meeting with a highly-focused Scientific Program chaired by Prof. Charles McGhee, for ophthalmologists and visual scientists to explore new medical technology and other virtual options in the era of pandemic.

22nd ISGEDR Meeting, will be held hybrid (virtual and in person) from September 2nd to 4th 2021 in Lausanne, Switzerland, jointly with the European Retinoblastoma Group (EURbG), the Société de Génétique Ophtalmologique Francophone (SGOF), and the European Reference Network dedicated to Rare Eye Diseases (ERN-EYE).

The scientific program promises to be outstanding, covering the hotest topics in ocular genetics and retinoblastoma. This will include three named lectures, the Jules-François Lecture by Jean Bennett and Albert Maguire, the Franceschetti Medal and Lecture by Ian MacDonald and the Ellsworth Lecture by David Abramson. Looking forward to meeting you soon.

Please download the Lausanne 2021 Flyer from the link below: Download Lausanne 2021 Flyer

The 2021 WIO summer Symposium, will have a HYBRID MEETING FORMAT.

The Live meeting will take place at the Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island, Florida, August 26-29, 2021.

For those who are unable to travel, they will be offering a virtual registration. The virtual portion of the Summer Symposium will include live streams of several of the presentations, along with digital posters, Live Well sessions, and exclusive on-demand content.

All live meeting attendees will have bonus access to the full virtual meeting content, which will be available on-demand for a determined amount of time after the Summer Symposium. CME credit will be offered for both the live and virtual scientific sessions.

The WIO Summer Symposium offers : A curated meeting for women offering “the best of the best” content in all subjects of importance to women ophthalmologists.

The 2021 ASCRS Annual Meeting, will be held on July 23 – 27, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Featuring essential education in a nurturing, comfortable environment, this meeting transforms the educational experience into an exceptional peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing event. The breadth of clinical programming for anterior segment surgeons, the expansive program for administrative and technical staff, and the innovative learning formats ensure a meeting experience that will advance your entire practice.

The 2021 Annual Meeting Real-Time Program. This online resource provides in-depth information on the Annual Meeting program schedule, session details, and speaker information.

Access Details

For more details visit the ASCRS Website.

The Second issue of the 2021 Video Journal of Cataract, Refractive, & Glaucoma Surgery is
online. This program celebrates the ASCRS Film Festival and features an outstanding array of
award-winning videos. After each video, Dr. Robert Osher interviews Dr. Shachar Tauber,
Chairman of the Film Festival, allowing the viewer to understand the judge’s perspective.

The program is as follows:

Volume 37, Issue 2, 2021

• Hail to the ASCRS Film Festival! With Chairman Shachar Tauber M.D.
• Mission Impossible – MIGS for the Developing World, Drs. Gurudatha Pavan Kumar,Rengaraj Venkatesh & Swati Upadhyaya, India
• New Pupil Expander Used for Capsular Bag Support, Drs. Alan Crandall, Liliana Werner,Sneha Bontu, Sean Kennedy, Nick Mamalis, USA
• In Despair – A True Story about Life with Keratoconus, Drs. Claudio Trindade, Bruno Trindade, & Marcelo Mesquita, Brazil
• Fluorescein: An ode to a humble stain, Drs. Devyani Gadre, Ramya Ravindran & Dhruv Worah, India
• Whiter Shade of Pale ,Drs. Ronald YEOH & CHEE Soon-Phaik, Singapore
• 5-0 Prolene Belt-Loop Technique for Scleral Fixation of a Dislocated Intraocular Lens, Dr. Cathleen M. McCabe, USA
• Hydrogen Will Change the World of Ophthalmology, Drs. Hisaharu Suzuki, Tsutomu Igarashi, Hideaki Oharazawa, & Hiroshi Takahashi, Japan
• State of the Union, ASCRS Executive Director, Steve Speares