Continuing the Dry Eye Conversation

Several investigational therapies are underway—tune in here! Co-hosts Jackie Garlich, OD, FAAO, and Jessilin Quint, OD, FAAO, sit down for their last To the Point episode of the year, discussing what's on the horizon for the dry eye space. The pair covers different products in the pipeline. They then talk about OTC options and their role in adjunctive therapy. They round out the discussion with recommendations on how to stay updated: a clinical trial tracker, studies and journal articles, and conferences and networking.

Co-hosts Jackie Garlich, OD, FAAO, and Jessilin Quint, OD, FAAO, sit down with Damon Dierker, OD, FAAO, on To the Point to talk about his approach to conjunctivochalasis. Dr. Dierker notes that he prefers to start the dry eye management process by addressing more common patient symptoms, such as inflammation. If symptoms persist, it’s time to introduce conjunctivochalasis as a diagnosis into the conversation. Dr. Dierker covers what to look for and different treatment options, including a more significant intervention that he has found success with: plasma-based conjunctivoplasty. Drs. Garlich and Quint then pick Dr. Dierker’s brain on hyaluronic acid, how he’s integrated it into his clinic, and patient candidacy.

Co-hosts Jackie Garlich, OD, FAAO, and Jessilin Quint, OD, FAAO, invite Mila Ioussifova, OD, CNS, FAAO, FOWNS, back on the To the Point podcast to talk about in-office allergy testing. Dr. Ioussifova has built her dry eye and ocular allergy treatment armamentarium over the course of 13 years in practice. She notes that combined, dry eye and ocular allergy can be part of a vicious cycle if the underlying dysregulated immune system isn’t addressed—this is where immunotherapy comes in. Dr. Ioussifova covers her in-office pretesting protocol and the billing and reimbursement behind it.

Kicking off the first episode of the To the Point podcast in 2026, co-hosts Jackie Garlich, OD, FAAO, and Jessilin Quint, OD, FAAO, continue the dry eye conversation with DED pearls to implement in clinic. They cover everything from patient signs, symptoms, and side effects to in-office tools, treatments, and therapeutics and OTC options.

In the final 2025 episode of the To the Point podcast, co-hosts Jackie Garlich, OD, FAAO, and Jessilin Quint, OD, MS, MBA, FAAO, take a moment to look back on the innovations, learnings, and FDA approvals in ocular surface disease over the past year. They also share their vision for dry eye management in 2026, including advances they’re looking forward to and goals they plan to implement in their practices.

Jackie Garlich, OD, FAAO, and Jessilin Quint, OD, MS, MBA, FAAO, welcome Alfonso L. Sabater, MD, PhD, on this episode of To the Point to share his expertise on the use of autologous serum drops in the treatment of ocular surface and corneal disease. Dr. Sabater describes some of the clinical benefits and challenges, which patients may be ideal candidates, and what clinicians should know when getting started with this treatment option.

Tracy Doll, OD, FAAO, joins co-hosts Jackie Garlich, OD, FAAO, and Jessilin Quint, OD, MS, MBA, FAAO, on this episode of To the Point to share her expertise with the aesthetics side of managing ocular surface disease. Dr. Doll discusses her experiences addressing patients’ clinical and aesthetic concerns, educating patients and other providers on the cosmetic benefits of certain dry eye therapies, integrating new innovations in her clinic, and more.

To the Point co-hosts Jackie Garlich, OD, FAAO, and Jessilin Quint, OD, MS, MBA, FAAO, sit down with Jason Besecker, OD, MS, to get his perspective on opening a dry eye only clinic. Dr. Besecker shares how he became interested in treating dry eye patients exclusively, growing his referral base after opening his practice, maintaining profitability without an optical shop, technology and diagnostics he has incorporated over the years, and more.

This month on To the Point, Jackie Garlich, OD, FAAO, and Jessilin Quint, OD, MS, MBA, FAAO, invite Shane Swatts, OD, to join them on the podcast to share tips from his experience growing a dry eye and ocular aesthetics practice. He talks about integrating cutting-edge technology, gives advice on discussing advanced treatment options with patients, suggests how to set actionable treatment goals, and more.

In this episode of To the Point, Jackie Garlich, OD, FAAO, and Jessilin Quint, OD, MS, MBA, FAAO, get into a deep discussion with Vin T. Dang, OD, FAAO, on the recent Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society Dry Eye Workshop (TFOS DEWS) III Report. Dr. Dang shares his top takesaways from the report and offers his thoughts on a recently FDA-approved neuromodulating agent that treats dry eye by stimulating increased tear production.