OUR TEAM

Patrick Vollmer, OD, FAAO

Medical Director

Medical Director

Dr. Patrick Vollmer is an award-winning author, international speaker, and clinical researcher for novel breakthroughs in ophthalmic drugs. Upon graduation from Appalachian State, Dr. Vollmer obtained his doctorate at Indiana University. He completed an internship at Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat, where he studied under Dr. Ron Melton, a spot awarded to only 2 students in the US every year. After completing his internship, he finished his official training as a resident doctor at the William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, SC. He holds a postdoctoral executive degree from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Dr. Vollmer started Vita Eye Clinic in the Fall of 2016 and his research company, Core Inc, just two years later.

Dr. Vollmer has been a lead investigator on over 30 clinical trials in ophthalmology research to date. He is a key opinion leader (KOL) to pharmaceutical companies including Bausch and Lomb, Oyster Point, RVL Pharmaceuticals, Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, and Mediprint Lens, amongst others. Dr. Vollmer sits on multiple medical advisory boards and is frequently targeted to consult angel investors and venture capitalists looking into biomedical sectors. Dr. Vollmer currently splits his time 50/50 between his primary care patients and research patients.

He is passionate about emergency ocular medicine, ophthalmic pathology, diabetic and hypertensive eye disease, glaucoma, co-management of systemic diseases, and updates in pharmacology and pharmacokinetics. In order to take the very best care of your eyes, the clinic is equipped with the most cutting edge medical technologies found in the industry to date.

Originally from Blowing Rock, NC, Dr. Vollmer now lives locally in Shelby with his two dogs kids (Bentley + Ellie), who are widely acclaimed and entertain all patients who enter the clinic doors.

Awards
  • Top-300 Innovators in Optometry- Primary Care Optometry News, Healio
  • Top 50 Up-and-Coming Practitioners/Researchers in the United States- Primary Care Optometry News, Healio
  • Best Optometrist in Cleveland County- Winner: 2022
  • Best Optometrist in Cleveland County- Winner: 2021
  • Best Optometrist in Cleveland County- Winner: 2020
  • Best Optometrist in Cleveland County- Winner: 2019
  • Best Optometrist in Cleveland County- Winner: 2018
  • Best Optometrist in Cleveland County- Winner: 2017

Background
  • Undergraduate- Appalachian State University, Boone, NC
  • Doctorate- Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
  • Internship- Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Associates, Charlotte, NC 
  • Residency- (Hospital) William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, SC
  • Post-Doctoral- Stanford Graduate School of Business, Executive Education
Clinical Research
  • DESign 19: Ophthalmic Assessments of Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye in Patients Suffering from Self-Reported or Clinician-Diagnosed Dry Eye Disease
  • DESign 20: Ophthalmic Assessments of Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye in Patients Suffering from Self-Reported or Clinician-Diagnosed Dry Eye Disease
  • DESign 21: Ophthalmic Assessments of Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye in Patients Suffering from Self-Reported or Clinician-Diagnosed Dry Eye Disease
  • DESign 22: Ophthalmic Assessments of Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye in Patients Suffering from Self-Reported or Clinician-Diagnosed Dry Eye Disease
  • Evaluation of Eyelashes and Lid Margins in Patients with Blepharitis
  • CYSign2020: Ophthalmic Assessments of Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye in Patients Suffering from Self-Reported or Clinician-Diagnosed Dry Eye Disease
  • VISTA-2: Ophthalmic Assessments of Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye in Patients Suffering from Self-Reported or Clinician-Diagnosed Dry Eye Disease
  • Evaluation of Eyelashes and Lid Margins in Patients with Blepharitis
  • A Phase 3, Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Masked, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of SkQ1 Ophthalmic Solution in the Environment and During Challenge in the Controlled Adverse Environmental (CAE) Model for the Treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome
  • The RENEW Trial: A Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Masked, Parallel-Group, Vehicle-Controlled, Adaptive Phase 3 Clinical Trial to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Reproxalap 0.25% Ophthalmic Solution Compared to Vehicle in Subjects with Dry Eye Disease
  • A Phase 3, Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Masked, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of 0.25% HL036 Ophthalmic Solution Compared to Placebo in Subjects with Dry Eye
  • A Multi-Center, Double-Masked, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Study Evaluating the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Dupilumab in Patients with Atopic Keratoconjunctivitis (AKC) 
  • A Multi-Centered, Randomized, Double-Masked, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of 0.1% RGN-259 Ophthalmic Solutions for the Treatment of Dry Eye Using the Controlled Adverse Environmental (CAE) Model (ARISE-3)
  • A Phase 3, Multi-Center, Randomized, Controlled, Double-Masked, Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of OC-01 (varenicline) Nasal Spray on Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease (The ONSET-2 Study)
  • A Phase 3, Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Masked, Vehicle-Controlled Clinical Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of 1% Tavilermide and 5% Tavilermide Ophthalmic Solutions for the Treatment of Dry Eye
  • Mallinckrodt: A Multi-Center, Open-Label Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Acthar Gel in Subjects with Severe Keratitis
  • Randomized, Controlled, Multicenter, Double-Masked, Parallel, Phase 2b/3 Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of TP-03 for the Treatment of Demodex Blepharitis (Saturn-1)
  • A Phase 2b, Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Masked, Vehicle-Controlled Clinical Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of AR-15512 Ophthalmic Solution for the Treatment of Dry Eye Disease Using the Controlled Adverse Environmental CAE Model (COMET-1)
  • The TRANQUILITY Trial: A Multi-Center Randomized, Double-Masked, Parallel Design, Vehicle-Controlled Phase 2/3 Clinical Trial to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of 0.25% Reproxalap Ophthalmic Solution Compared to Vehicle in Subjects with Dry Eye Disease
  • A Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Masked, Placebo-Controlled, Phase 2b Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of NCX 4251 (Fluticasone Propionate Nanocrystal) Ophthalmic Suspension, 0.1% QD for the Treatment of Acute Exacerbations of Blepharitis (Mississippi)
  • A Phase 3, Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Masked, Vehicle-Controlled Clinical Trial to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Topical CyclASol for the Treatment of Dry Eye Disease
  • A Phase 3, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter study of the safety and efficacy of OT-101 (Atropine Sulfate 0.01%) in treating the progression of myopia in pediatric subjects
  • A Multicenter, Vehicle-controlled, Double-Masked, Randomized Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Exploratory Efficacy of AGN-242428 and AGN-231868 in Participants with Dry Eye Disease
  • A Phase 3 Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of AR-15512, a Cold Thermoreceptor Modulator, for the Treatment of Dry Eye Disease (COMET-2)
  • A multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, controlled, exploratory study to evaluate the clinical feasibility of SAT-001 as a medical device for pediatric myopia treatment
  • A Study to Evaluate the Product Performance of a New Silicone Hydrogel Multifocal Contact Lens
  • A Phase 2, Multicenter, Double-Masked, Randomized, Vehicle-Controlled Clinical Trial Evaluating the Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of A197 in Subjects with Dry Eye Disease
  • A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-masked and Placebo-controlled Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of SI-614 Ophthalmic Solution in Patients with Dry Eye (The SIDE Study)
  • A Multi-Center Randomized, Double-Masked, Parallel Design, Vehicle-Controlled Clinical Trial to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of 0.25% Reproxalap Ophthalmic Solution Compared to Vehicle in Subjects with Dry Eye Disease
  • A Multi-Center, Double-Masked, Randomized, Active-Controlled, Parallel-Group Study Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution 0.025% Preservative-Free Formulation with Lumify® 0.025% in Adult Subjects with Ocular Redness
  • A prospective, multicenter, open label study to evaluate the reliability, validity, and safety of subjective mobile refraction assessed by GoEyes
  • A Phase 3, Multi-center, Randomized, Double–Masked and Vehicle–Controlled Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of the MELanocortin, PL9643 Ophthalmic Solution, Compared to Vehicle in Subjects with Dry Eye
Publications/Posters
  • Review of Optometry: 2021 Clinical Guide to Ophthalmic Drugs
  • Review of Optometry: 2020 Clinical Guide to Ophthalmic Drugs
  • Review of Optometry: 2019 Clinical Guide to Ophthalmic Drugs
  • Review of Optometry: 2018 Clinical Guide to Ophthalmic Drugs
  • Review of Optometry: 2017 Clinical Guide to Ophthalmic Drugs
  • Melton, Thomas, and Vollmer’s 21st Century Perspective on Glaucoma Patient Care
  • Chronic Myeloid Leukemic Infiltrative Retinopathy, AAOPT, October 2015
  • Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Metastasis to the Right Lateral Rectus, SECO, February 2016
  • Optic Neuritis as an Initial Presentation in the Setting of Multiple Sclerosis, SCO, June 2016
  • Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus, October 2016
  • DED Outlook: Understanding the Disease and Treatments on the Horizon. CONSENSUS PAPER. Vollmer, P.; Dierker, D.; Whitley, W.; Nichols, K. March 4, 2021
  • Trends in Antibiotic Resistance among Bacterial Keratitis Isolates Collected in the United States from 2009 to 2019; RK Thomas, OD; R Melton, OD; P Vollmer, OD; PA Asbell, MD
  • Retrospective analysis of the common uses of loteprednol etabonate 0.5% and tobramycin 0.3% ophthalmic suspension in clinical practice. Vollmer, P., et. al. ARVO.
  • Real-World Use of Loteprednol Etabonate 0.5%/Tobramycin 0.3% Ophthalmic Suspension for the Treatment of Ocular Surface Inflammatory Conditions
  • The melanocortin agonist PL9643 significantly improves tear film break up time in subjects with moderate to severe dry eye disease. David Evans, Kenneth Kenyon, George Ousler, Michael Watson, Patrick Vollmer, Eugene B. McLaurin, Gail Torkildsen, Jason Winters, John Dodd, Robert Jordan, Stephen T. Wills, Carl Spana. ARVO.
  • Efficacy and Safety of OC-01 (Varenicline Solution) Nasal Spray on Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease. The ONSET-2 Phase 3 Randomized Trial. David Wirta, MD, Patrick Vollmer, OD, James Paauw, MD, Kuei-Hsun Chiu, MS, Eugenia Henry, PhD. Kristen Striffler, BS, Jeffrey Nau, PhD, MMS, for the ONSET-2 Study Group. Ophthalmology. 2021.
  • Primary Care Optometry/Ocular Surface News: Monthly Contributor

Affiliations
  • Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO)
  • American Optometric Association (AOA)
  • North Carolina Optometric Society (NCOS)