Learn more about Oral Pharmaceuticals with Dr. Bruce Onofrey and Dr. Vittorio Mena

It’s time for Woo’s Wisdom! In our latest event, ”What to Know About Oral Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Bruce Onofrey and Dr. Vittorio Mena each delivered a 2-hour continuing education on how we can incorporate pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals to enhance and improve patients’ lives, as well as prevent and treat certain medical conditions we encounter in practice.

Dr. Onofrey kicked off the event with his presentation, titled “Systemic Medications for Adults and Special Populations”. He reviewed the indications and contraindications for the use of systemic medications in eye disease, as well as how to calculate proper doses in both children and adults.

One example is to always avoid prescribing doxycycline in pregnant women and children. In general, amoxicillin is a safer alternative, given no allergies exist. Another pro tip he gave us is a general rule for prescribing steroids. In general, 1 mg/kg is a standard dose for prescribing steroids to both children and adults. Make sure to convert weight from pounds to kilograms to avoid overdosing the patient. He also discussed the importance of determining pre-existing conditions in patients which may affect drug delivery and/or absorption. In general, in elderly populations, there is a greater risk of drug interactions, greater risk of autonomic effects, and the drug can stay in elderly population’s system anywhere from 2x to 4x longer compared to younger populations. So, it is important to remember that when prescribing oral medications to elderly patients, the drug may accumulate with time and cause potential overdose. Dr. Onofrey reviewed many of the ocular diseases we encounter every day in the clinic and the drug of choice to use.

After the presentation, the audience flooded the chat box with great questions and feedback. Make sure to watch his presentation and handouts under Woo U Past Events.

Dr. Mena was our grand finale for the event. In his course, titled “How to Keep a Brain Healthy: An Oral Game Plan”, he discussed the importance of nutrition, exercise, and sleep. He also educated us on how crucial carotenoids, omega 3’s, vitamins and minerals are to boost cognitive decline, support memory, recall, focus and support overall brain health. Since the brain, gut, and eye are all connected, it's important that we are up to date on all the research on vitamins and minerals to optimize patient’s systemic and ocular health, as often, we may be the only practitioners discussing this with them.

There are three carotenoids concentrated in the macula. Carotenoids are natural pigments that give leafy greens and colorful fruits and veggies their vibrant colors. In the macula, they provide the protective pigment of the eye, which plays a role in reducing the risk of macular degeneration and may reduce effects of blue light damage to the eye. Carotenoids also act as antioxidants which are powerful players in reducing inflammatory stress in our bodies. In his presentation, he discussed how patients could modify their diets and/or supplement to encourage optimal health for the eye and brain.

He recommended that patients be tested for nutritional deficiencies and discussed multiple methods to do so, including at-home test kits.

Dr. Mena also stressed the importance of sleep for the health of our brain and cited many great studies on the importance of rest.

He walked through many vital nutrients we should be discussing with patients and the research behind them. For example, it is recommended that adults supplement with 75 mg of vitamin B daily. Drugs like birth control and sulfa drugs can deplete B Vitamins. Deficiency in Vitamin B6 has been associated with central serous retinopathy, and deficiencies in B1 has been associated with optic neuritis and central nervous system impairment.

If you missed out on Dr. Mena’s presentation, make sure to check out WooU.org under past events. His handouts will also be available to refer to.

Thank you for tuning into Woo’s Wisdom. Have a wonderful day!