TopicsABDO: Prioritizing Research and Sustainability
The Association of British Dispensing Opticians’ annual plan drives towards its strategic vision for 2026
Promising to enhance its products and services – and raise awareness of its members’ roles among employers and other stakeholders – the Association of British Dispensing Opticians’ new annual plan – released today – also prioritizes the development of a research strategy and the delivery of sustainable benefits to its members.
Speaking to The New Optometrist, Antonia Chitty, ABDO’s Head of Communications, explained how the 2023 priorities “mesh” with the strategic plan, which came out in 2022 and sets out ABDO’s vision for the next four years. By 2026, ABDO will have, among other things, implemented the GOC’s new education standards and outcomes, developed the profession’s evidence base, and ensured the organization is sustainable.
According to Chitty, the annual plan marks ABDO’s first foray into research strategy. “We all welcome the opportunity for the Association to develop the evidence base for the profession by commissioning, supporting, and disseminating high-quality research,” she adds.
As for sustainability, ABDO is playing a key role in “driving the dialogue worldwide,” raising the issue with global organizations such as the European Council of Optometry and Optics and the International Opticians’ Association. “Optics is a small industry compared with some, but anybody working in practice can see there is plastic that we don’t need,” Chitty says. “Fortunately, ABDO is now seeing suppliers making the effort – moving from plastic bags to cardboard and biodegradable plastics. And there are now opticians whose whole practice is set up on the basis of being sustainable,” notes Chitty. “It is all exciting but absolutely necessary stuff.”
Commenting on the 2023 plan, Association President Daryl Newsome adds that ABDO will be “relentlessly focused on providing value for our members at the same time as highlighting the value which they bring to patients and practices throughout the UK.”
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