The New Grad's Guide to Opening a Myopia Clinic with Checklist

When many of today’s practicing optometrists were in school, myopia was primarily discussed as a refractive condition easily corrected with glasses or contact lenses. Fast forward to 2025, and the global understanding of myopia has shifted dramatically. Myopia is now recognized as a major public health concern, with a rapidly rising prevalence and serious long-term health implications.¹

For new graduate optometrists, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity: a challenge to keep up with the latest evidence-based care and an opportunity to create a specialized clinic that meaningfully improves patient outcomes while setting their practice apart.

This article provides a practical roadmap for opening and running a successful myopia management clinic.

The state of myopia today

Prevalence: Over 30% of the global population is currently myopic. By 2050, that number is projected to reach 50% (5 billion people).¹
Early onset: Children are becoming myopic at younger ages, often progressing faster and longer than in previous generations.²
Associated risks: Each additional diopter of myopia increases the risk of retinal detachment, myopic maculopathy, glaucoma, and early cataract.³
Evidence of intervention: Clinical trials consistently show that interventions such as orthokeratology, dual-focus soft contact lenses, and low-dose atropine reduce myopia progression by 40 to 60%.^4,5,6

Why open a myopia clinic?

Clinical Impact: By slowing myopia progression, optometrists directly reduce a child’s lifetime risk of vision-threatening complications, improve their quality of life, and potentially reduce their future economic burden.
Practice differentiation: Few clinics offer structured myopia management care. Positioning your practice as a local leader in this area builds authority and establishes trust amongst your patient base and community.
Revenue growth: Myopia management packages typically operate outside traditional insurance coverage, allowing practices to establish sustainable, transparent pricing models.
Patient loyalty: Parents are eager to invest in treatments that protect their children’s future. Demonstrating your commitment to this mission through long-term, follow-up care fosters generational loyalty.
Professional fulfillment: For new graduates, contributing to a cutting-edge area of optometry creates an exciting, meaningful career trajectory.

Download the Opening a Myopia Clinic Checklist here!

Opening a Myopia Clinic Checklist

Use this checklist to guide the process of opening a myopia clinic, with tips for necessary equipment, how to train staff, marketing, and more!

Step-by-step roadmap to opening a myopia clinic

1. Educate yourself on myopia.

Starting with a strong foundation is critical. Even if you received myopia management exposure in optometry school, formal continuing education (CE) ensures you’re clinically confident. Thankfully, there is no shortage of resources and CE opportunities.

Whether you attend an entire meeting focused on myopia management or specific lectures at national or local meetings, you will certainly glean insights to boost your knowledge base and confidence. Lastly, make it a priority to stay current—myopia management is one of the most rapidly evolving areas in eyecare.

Recommended CE meetings:

Global Specialty Lens Symposium
Vision By Design
Vision Expo East and West
Myopia Summit
Optometry’s Meeting
American Academy of Optometry
The International Myopia Conference

Recommended resources:

Review of Myopia Management
American Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control (AAOMC)
Myopia Profile
Eyes On Eyecare
World Council of Optometry (WCO) Standard of Care Guidelines for Myopia Management

2. Acquire the necessary technology and equipment.

The right technology both improves clinical outcomes and demonstrates credibility to parents. However, lack of specialized equipment should not prevent you from getting started. If purchasing these items initially is cost-prohibitive, set a goal to acquire them whenever fiscally possible.

A significant portion of myopia management involves communication with families about lifestyle choices, such as near work, screen time, working distance, and outdoor time. Once these key components are well-established, there are myopia management options, such as atropine and soft contact lenses, that do not require specialized equipment to get started.

Recommended equipment for advanced myopia management includes:

Optical biometer: Provides crucial, objective data to monitor myopia progression
Corneal topographer: Necessary for orthokeratology fitting, troubleshooting, and corneal monitoring
Contact lens fitting sets: Potentially for soft dual-focus lenses, soft multifocal lenses, or orthokeratology lenses

To learn more about which devices to invest in, check out Key Equipment for Optimal Myopia Management!

3. Train and empower your team.

Your team is the face of your practice, and they will most likely be the first to field parent questions. As such, set aside time regularly to train your team on the basics of myopia and myopia management. Although everyone should be properly trained, consider designating one key team member as the point person.

Help this individual get comfortable with concisely answering the most common questions parents will ask, including:

Why can’t regular glasses or contacts work to control myopia?
What are the myopia control options?
Are these treatments safe for children?

Additionally, try roleplaying consultations with your team to practice confidently communicating value and pricing.

Pro tip: Before starting, ensure that technicians are competent in axial length and topography procedures, and how to train children to properly insert and remove contact lenses.

To review how to discuss myopia with parents and download a handout, read The Myopia Talk: How to Craft Patient Communication with Parents/Guardians!

4. Market your myopia practice.

Even with clinical excellence and the proper systems in place, patients won’t come unless they know about your expertise and services.

Consider the following approaches for effectively marketing your myopia practice:

Internal marketing:
- In-office posters and brochures
- Myopia “report cards,” i.e., a one-page summary including prescription, axial length, and recommendations
- Newsletters focusing on myopia, especially during the summer and back-to-school season
- Fit team members with orthokeratology lenses, so they can authentically talk about their experience to interested families
- Capitalize on Myopia Awareness Week (in May) with in-office events like free screenings or consultations
External marketing:
- Dedicated website page for myopia management (optimized for SEO)
- Social media posts highlighting your expertise
- Partnerships with local pediatricians, schools, and parent groups

5. Understand both insurance and billing/coding for myopia treatments.

Myopia management is typically not covered by vision insurance. Thus, transparency when communicating fees is critical to maintaining trust with parents.

Below are tips for setting myopia management fees:

Use appropriate CPT codes for exams and contact lens fitting where applicable, while making it clear that “myopia management” itself is not reimbursed.
Offer package pricing or global fees that include lenses, follow-ups, and ancillary tests. Make it simple to understand to avoid confusion for both families and your team.
Consider providing payment plan options, especially for families with multiple children in need of myopia management.

Pitfalls to avoid when opening a myopia practice

Overcomplicating explanations: Using technical jargon or research-heavy language overwhelms parents. If they leave confused, they’re less likely to commit to treatment.
Inconsistent messaging across your team: If technicians, front desk staff, and doctors aren’t aligned, parents receive mixed messages—leading to hesitation or mistrust.
Underestimating cost sensitivity: Families often experience “sticker shock” if pricing isn’t introduced gradually and clearly. A lack of flexible payment options can be a barrier to enrollment.
One-size-fits-all approach: Relying on a single intervention (e.g., ortho-K only) limits your ability to individualize care. Some kids may do better with atropine, soft lenses, or combination therapy.
Neglecting recall and follow-up systems: Without structured reminders, families fall out of care. This erodes both clinical outcomes and practice growth.
Waiting too long to start: Many practitioners hesitate until they feel “perfectly prepared.” In reality, delaying means missed opportunities for early intervention.

Key takeaways

The myopia epidemic is real: Optometrists must be proactive and should be the spearheaders of this global effort.
Education first: Your confidence and authority begin with strong knowledge.
Technology is imperative: Optical biometry and topography are core tools.
Team buy-in matters: They are your communication bridge to parents.
Transparent pricing builds trust: Families will invest when they understand the value.
Marketing is essential: Patients won’t come unless they know you exist.
Avoid shortcuts: A successful myopia management clinic requires systems, not just enthusiasm.

Conclusion

For new graduates, the path to opening a myopia management clinic may feel daunting, but the need has never been greater. With the right education, technology, staff training, and marketing strategy, you can build a specialty clinic that not only grows your practice but also changes the lives of countless children and families.

By treating myopia as a chronic, manageable condition—much like optometry has done with dry eye disease and glaucoma—you’ll step into the role of a modern, proactive clinician. The checklist above isn’t just a starting point; it’s a foundation for building a career that’s both clinically impactful and professionally rewarding.

Now is the time: children are getting more myopic every year. The question isn’t whether you should offer myopia management—it’s how soon you can get started.