Paul Rose, of Hamilton, CNZM, for services to ophthalmology and optometry
As a young optometrist, Mr Rose treated a number of patients with keratoconus, a condition in which the cornea is cone-shaped, making it difficult to fit contact lenses. Over the course of a decade, he developed the RoseK lens and fitting system, which made it easier to treat these patients. The lens and fitting system were made available first in New Zealand and then in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, South America and Asia. The RoseK lens series is now the most popular lens for keratoconus around the world and is prescribed in more than 90 countries with a success rate of more than 80 percent.