Atropine, engaging with science and responsible practice – with Prof Karla Zadnik

Professor Karla Zadnik, Dean of the Ohio State University College of Optometry in the USA, guides us through a variety of fascinating topics. In her capacity as Principal Investigator of the Childhood Atropine for Myopia Progression (CHAMP) study, Karla explains this multi-site, four year clinical trial which is investigating two proprietary formulations manufactured by US-based specialty pharmaceutical company Nevakar. I learnt that Nevakar is derived from Sanskrit, meaning ‘new form’, which is an ideal encapsulation of what we still need to learn about atropine.

Karla advocates for you to engage directly with the volume of primary literature sources on myopia factors and interventions, to help you best translate that to management of the child in your chair. As Study Chair for the 11-year-long the Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Ethnicity and Refractive Error (CLEERE) Study which generated a notable volume of research on myopia factors, I ask Karla to choose her favourite CLEERE papers. Finally, Karla’s view on myopia management in practice takes into account the potential race- and socioeconomic-based health disparities which could be created when myopia control is declared a standard of care. Karla provides us with important food for thought and a call to life-long learning.