I suppose that there is a moment in every optometrist’s week, usually somewhere between the second patient running late and Mrs. B’s third diagnostic pair of multifocal contact lenses, when the thought creeps in: I should really start a myopia management program.
Then the internet goes down or a BIO bulb burns-out, and the moment passes.
That Was Me
I feel confident about making this speculation because that was me. I could quote the myopia studies. I knew the projections.
I sat through enough continuing education lectures to mouth the words along with the myopia management presenters. But between juggling staff schedules, insurance paperwork, and that one printer, which is still clearly plotting against me, building a whole new service offering felt like 1 ambition too many.
But here is the thing: myopia is not waiting.
Epidemic Proportions
If you’ve been paying attention—and I know you have—you’ve seen it with your own eyes: kids progressing at faster rates, parents asking smarter questions, and a rising awareness that we can no longer treat myopia as a simple refractive nuisance. It is not just about distance blur anymore; it’s about preventing future pathology. That is a big shift, not just in how we practice, but in how we think about our role in long-term ocular health.
So, I stopped waiting for the perfect time to start a myopia management program because, spoiler alert: it does not exist.
A Hurdle to Overcome
The biggest hurdle was not clinical, it was mindset. My own, and my team’s. We had to stop thinking of myopia management as an optional boutique service and start recognizing it as essential care. That meant training our techs to flag potential candidates, coaching our front desk on how to talk to worried parents, and learning to present options in ways that didn’t sound like we were selling something—because we weren’t. We were offering hope.
How I Got Started
So, I carved out space in my practice. I rallied the team. I started small. No dramatic equipment overhaul. No slick marketing campaign. Just 1 patient at a time.
I identified a few kids at risk. I educated their families. I spoke from the heart, and from the evidence. And it worked. Not overnight. Not without the occasional “wait, what are we doing again?” staff meeting. But slowly, steadily, the myopia management portion of my practice started to take hold.
Somewhere along the way, I realized I was not just managing myopia, my staff and I were reshaping our practice’s identity. We were becoming the kind of clinic where patients felt seen, understood, and invested in.
And let’s be honest, it doesn’t hurt that myopia management is good business, too. It builds continuity, fosters deeper relationships with families, and differentiates you from retail dispensaries and online competitors.
A Happy Surprise
What surprised me the most about providing this sub-specialty? How much joy it brought back to the practice. Yes, joy. That rare and elusive feeling that sometimes hides behind the trays of warranty work and the pile of prior authorizations. When you help a parent feel empowered instead of helpless, when you tell a child, “We can help your eyes grow healthy,” and mean it— that feels good.
Really good.
So, if the idea has been on your mind, it is time to move it to your calendar. You do not need a 5-year plan. All you need is the willingness to begin: 1 patient, 1 conversation, 1 intentional step forward. OM
