A Fight for the Right to Fair Pay

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UC ODs Take a Stand for Better Pay and Benefits

Last week, optometrists employed by the University of California launched a 2-day strike over labor disputes. These ODs work on campuses in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Davis, and were citing labor law violations amid active negotiations for improved salaries and benefits.

Over their strike, the ODs picketed outside the UC medical centers after a year of unsuccessful negotiations between the UC administration and their union, the University Professional and Technical Employees. The union has stated that the UC leadership engaged in bad faith bargaining tactics, while failing to provide essential and requested data that would have allowed for fair negotiations.

Said Nicole Mercho, OD, who works at UCSF’s Glaucoma Clinic, “We love our patients. But it just feels like this strike is the only option we have left. It’s very frustrating that UC has not bargained in good faith. They’re kind of dragging their feet. They are not taking it seriously.”

Other staff optometrists pointed out a ballooning list of patients, insufficient numbers, and inadequately trained support staff.

My Two Cents

I’m still a relatively young doctor (proud 2013 graduate); however, this is the first time I have heard of optometrists going on strike. To the UC ODs: Way to go! When you casually read the various Facebook message boards devoted to optometrists, you can’t scroll more than a few posts without stumbling across some doctors complaining about the state of their jobs. How motivating and inspiring is it to see doctors stepping up and showing the world they deserve more and aren’t afraid of the large organization that employs them? Kudos to these ODs for making a stand and showing the world they mean business!

OUTSIDE THE LANE

Weight Loss Drug Holds Potential for Second Indication

A study published in The Journal of Headache and Pain analyzed the effect of anti-obesity drug semaglutide (Ozempic, Novo Nordisk) as a treatment for new-onset idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH; aka pseudotumor cerebri) compared with standard weight management options involving a dietician.

The study found that treatment with a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, such as semaglutide, induced significant weight loss and, quite interestingly, a favorable headache outcome in pseudotumor cerebri. This makes sense, as sustained and substantial weight loss is central to modifying the disease course in IIH. The main conclusion from the study reads, “…GLP-1-Ras are an effective and safe treatment option for achieving significant weight loss with a favorable effect on headache, leading to reduced acetazolamide dosage …”

My Two Cents

The mnemonic used for the typical patient with pseudotumor cerebri is: fat, fertile, female. As someone who has seen numerous patients with this condition, substantial weight loss does indeed seem to make a massive difference in the relief of symptoms. I would imagine that many similar studies will likely be conducted in the coming years, as these weight loss medications continue to gain popularity. How crazy would it be if a third benefit of semaglutide, such as reducing the progression of diabetic retinopathy, was discovered? An optometrist can dream, right?

CAN YOU RELATE

I want to return focus to the UC optometrists going on strike for fairer wages and greater respect. This could be a turning point in our profession’s history, and our California colleagues need to understand how much we support them and appreciate their efforts. In today’s optometric world, we constantly hear about battles for scope expansion, telemedicine fears, and declining reimbursements in an inflationary economy, and we’re left wondering what we can do.

Obviously, supporting the American Optometric Association (AOA) Political Action Committee, your state optometric organizations, and the AOA itself is a great start to help our profession grow in scope and scale; however, I’m not sure how much that has helped the UC ODs. Nevertheless, they took it upon themselves to bring action against the injustice being done to them and to demand more respect and financial resources. Hopefully, their leadership will shine through to those who read about their work and continue to push for greater respect for our profession around the country!