Nusha Yasmeen Mirza, one of two SOVS students involved in the new blepharitis management survey study

A new study being jointly run by the Department of Ophthalmology and the School of Optometry and Vision Science (SOVS) at the University of Auckland aims to learn more about how New Zealand’s eyecare practitioners (ECPs) manage anterior blepharitis so that best-practice recommendations can be developed and shared.

Key to the study is a survey designed to gather information from ophthalmologists, optometrists, pharmacists and general practitioners about their management methods, such as their first- and second-line course of treatments and follow-up intervals.

Currently there is a lack of structure, leading to some difficulties in treating anterior blepharitis, said Nusha Yasmeen Mirza, one of two SOVS students involved in the study. “By gathering this information, we will be able to inform future educational directives and help guide hypothesis-driven research to eventually reach a greater place of understanding (about) the treatment and management of anterior blepharitis. We hope to alleviate some of the frustration that can be encountered when treating this disease and help make management plans simpler and more effective, ultimately benefiting patients and eyecare professionals.”

The study is being led by Professor Jennifer Craig, head of the Ocular Surface Laboratory, and co-investigator Grant Watters, with the help of Mirza and fellow SOVS student Charlotte Gao.

All Aotearoa’s ECPs are being asked to fill in the survey, which can be accessed here. “We are already in the process of accepting responses, so the sooner and the greater number of responses we can get, the more representative our results will be of the current status of anterior blepharitis management in New Zealand,” said Mirza, adding that the team hopes to share initial results by the end of 2025 or early 2026.