A Brisbane optometrist gets some of the toughest dry eye cases sent his way. Luckily he has access to top-line technology and products to help him, his patients and his practice.
“The worst of the worst.”
That’s what comes through the doors most days for optometrist, Jason Holland who consults at Oculuxe by The Eye Health Centre in Brisbane.
“If most people’s tear film is like half-tide, mine are the full moon and low-tide patients. There’s just nothing there,” he says.
For many of those dry eye patients, their eyes are “so salty it stings all day and nothing makes a difference for them”.
Worst of the worst they may be, with many referred to him by doctors and other optometrists, but Holland believes he has a product that is the best of the best in reducing that irritation and pain, and improving their wellbeing – Bausch +Lomb’s Blink Dry Eyes range, which includes eye drops and new hygiene eyelid wipes.
Holland has leaned heavily on the Blink Dry Eye range for many years, especially given its hypoosmolar formulation.
And now, with Bausch + Lomb extending the brand with Blink Hygiene Eyelid Wipes, he says he has another excellent tool that fits naturally into his long-standing management protocols.
“I’ve already used the wipes on myself and on some long-term patients,” he says. “They’re very gentle, no one reported any stinging, and they’ve got a nice porous texture for mechanical debridement. Everything is looking promising.”
A career shaped by collaboration
Holland’s current practice model has its roots in a career pivot more than 20 years ago, when an unexpected opportunity to work directly alongside ophthalmologists reshaped his career trajectory.
He recalls meeting Dr Andrew Apel, an ophthalmologist at what would become The Eye Health Centre, at a time when cooperation between the two professions was far from mainstream.
“Back then it was groundbreaking,” Holland says. “Ophthalmologists and optometrists – we were sort of arch enemies. But Andrew said, ‘You’re well trained in eyes, maybe I can leverage that’.”
What began as a single day a week grew into a multi-day clinical collaboration, eventually leading to the “clinic within a clinic” model that now supports a network of optometrists across four Queensland locations.
Holland now treats exclusively eye disease – no refractions, glasses, or contact lenses – at the Oculuxe Clinic, within The Eye Health Centre in Brisbane city.
He receives referrals from ophthalmologists, optometrists, GPs and, after nearly two decades, he also has a large cohort of patients who have found him through word-of-mouth.
His caseload skews heavily towards chronic anterior-segment disease.
“It’s dry eye disease and glaucoma – about 65% dry eye and the rest glaucoma,” he says.
“Macular disease would fit that chronic model too, but because we’re in a refractive and anterior-focused practice, we just don’t see a lot of it. It’s front-of-eye all day long for me.”
Chronic dry eye, in particular, brings a complexity that rewards detailed diagnostics and patient education.
Holland describes investing in a high-resolution slit lamp imaging camera – a $7,000 decision he doesn’t regret.
“I photograph people’s eyelids and lashes,” he says. “I can zoom right in and show them bacteria, debris, even the residual mascara from a party two weeks ago.
“It’s intimate, slightly confronting, and a great icebreaker. Once patients can see their problems, they take hygiene recommendations seriously.”
That education is vital, he stresses, because poor eyelid hygiene can lead to blepharitis, Demodex infestation, meibomian gland dysfunction, lash misdirection and, eventually, chronic corneal threat.
“These conditions are progressive,” he says. “Late stage, you can have lashes falling out or growing the wrong way. I’ve seen patients who end up needing cryotherapy, even YAG laser to permanently destroy misdirected lashes.
“What seems benign can become quite significant if you don’t address it early.”
Why Blink is a mainstay
Although Bausch + Lomb acquired the Blink brand only recently, Holland has used the drops for decades.
What distinguishes them from many other drops on the market is their hypoosmolarity – the lowest on the Australian market, he says – combined with dual-polymer formulation.
“That’s why I’ve always liked them,” he explains. “They’re the most hypoosmolar drop available, and for my super-salty-tear patients, that’s critical. I want to add as little salinity as possible.”
He also points to evidence from the recent DEWS III report, which found that drops containing hyaluronic acid outperform those without – and that formulations with multiple polymers perform better again – Blink contains hyaluronic acid and demulcents.
“It ticks both boxes,” he says. “It’s hypoosmolar, polymer-rich, preservative-free, unit-dose, cost-effective.
Blink Intensive Plus, he notes, also contains 0.38% hyaluronic acid – the highest concentration available in Australia, and double that of some competitors.
“That’s another tool I can reach for, depending on the presentation,” he says.
Patient feedback, he says, has consistently reinforced his clinical experience.
“I get amazing feedback. People say it gets rid of their sting and burn faster than anything else. Very few ever want to go back to what they were using.”
Where the new wipes fit
Eyelid cleaning forms part of Holland’s standard “homework” protocol.
“I say to patients: you brush your teeth twice a day because the dentist told you to; I’m telling you to clean your eyelids twice a day for long-term maintenance,” he says.
Foams can work well, particularly for affordability, but wipes offer an advantage.
“The benefit of a wipe is the mechanical debridement,” he explains. “Some people just dab with a finger, but you really need that gentle abrasion along the lid margin. The Blink wipes tick that box – the texture is great.”
Convenience matters too.
“You can keep some in your glovebox, your holiday house, your handbag. People stick with hygiene routines when it’s easy.”
Although his exposure to the new wipes is still fresh, early feedback from trusted long-term patients has been positive.
“It’s very new – I only received samples last week – but so far, no stinging, no discomfort. Just a nice, effective wipe.”
One consistent barrier, Holland says, has been product accessibility.
“The most negative feedback I ever got was, ‘Jason, I love it, but I can’t find it.’ Chemists are businesses, they stock fast movers. Slow movers disappear from shelves.”
That’s why Bausch + Lomb’s stewardship feels significant.
“I’m hoping stock availability improves. Once patients commit to a drop and can find it, they stay on it.”
Holland has long encouraged peers to explore the range.
“When I’m presenting or talking to colleagues, I say, ‘If you haven’t heard of this drop, please look into it.’ It’s an excellent lubricant, and I think its history of changing ownership has masked how good it really is.”
He also notes that while some lubricants are PBS-listed, Blink remains cost-effective for private patients.
“For healthcare card holders, PBS options will always win. But for private patients, Blink often works out more cost-effective – and clinically, it’s exceptional.”
For Holland, it remains a go-to choice.
“If someone is struggling with their current drops, this is the one I reach for. It’s always high on my list.”
As Blink Hygiene Eyelid Wipes expand the dry eye toolkit and Bausch + Lomb invests in wider distribution, Holland believes more practitioners will rediscover a product he has trusted for decades.
“Honestly,” he says, “it’s a very good eye drop, and now the wipes fit beautifully into that same philosophy. For dry eye practices, it’s well worth a look.”
