Regulation, dry eye and 100% Optical: OSA work set to assist every practice

Suppliers’ association activity is helping to shape regulation, education and events that reach well beyond its own membership.

MHRA Changes

Opticians stand to benefit from the work that the OSA is assisting with in its work with other Optical Influencers. The effects of its work, from medical-device rules and product availability to dry eye education and the shape of 100% Optical will provide added value to the Optical Sector.

At the OSA Autumn Members Meeting in London, last week, regulatory updates took centre stage. Eligible legacy devices continue to benefit from EU transition periods ending in 2027 or 2028, while Great Britain recognises qualifying CE-marked products under existing directives until June 2028 and under the EU Medical Device Regulation until June 2030.

For practices, the immediate message was that compliance responsibilities depend on how products are supplied. A practice glazing spectacles only for its own patients may register voluntarily without a fee, but supplying to a separate legal entity such as an in-house lab supplying a local practice can trigger MHRA registration and charges.

Those charges may rise. The current annual MHRA fee is £300 for each chargeable GMDN category, with £511 proposed from April 2027. Mandatory Unique Device Identification is also proposed for the UK, while EU Master UDI-DI requirements begin for contact lenses on 9 November 2026 and spectacle products on 1 November 2028, with particular relevance for Northern Ireland.

Changes coming to 100% Optical

OSA members also heard how 100% Optical will change when it returns to ExCeL London from 27 February to 1 March 2027. Doors will open at 9.15am, with CPD beginning at 9.30am. Saturday and Sunday will finish at 5.30pm, and Monday at 4pm.

A new Ophthalmic Zone will bring contact lens equipment and ophthalmology together, supported by a dedicated theatre. A VIP programme will target more independent opticians, while the Frame of Mind destination will connect independent eyewear designers with practices seeking distinctive collections.

Dry eye moves up the agenda

Dry eye was another major theme. OSA plans practical education through focused sessions at 100% Optical and a possible regional roadshow involving hands-on learning, case discussion and guided practice.The association’s proposed annual survey will examine how eye care professionals diagnose, treat and manage dry eye, what equipment they use, planned investment and barriers to service development.

The 2026 focus is contact lens discomfort, with findings intended to inform a UK Dry Eye and report before 100% Optical.

That work matters because dry eye is increasingly visible in practice and in complaints.

Figures presented at the meeting suggested around one third of UK adults have dry eye disease, while optometrists report signs in 47% of patients. Optical Consumer Complaints Service data recorded 2,201 cases in 2025–26, including 17 specifically referencing dry eye.

Why non-members should pay attention

OSA may represent suppliers, but its regulatory engagement, product-safety monitoring, data projects and education plans influence the devices, services and information available across frontline optical practice.

The OSA intends to continue keeping sight of the work that could mean earlier warning of costs, deadlines and clinical opportunities for the optical sector.