Is an OCT needed?

There is a surprising article in this month's Eye News well worth checking out. Eminent retinal/macular specialist (and occasional Optician author) Victor Chong has penned a viewpoint piece questioning whether an OC T is essential for running an AMD service. Though he likes the OCT and finds it useful, he somewhat suprisingly concludes that one is NOT needed. In his own words 'I like to have an OCT, but am increasingly less sure that I have to have one.' A sobering thought just as most of the optometric profession (including me) are increasingly excited about what the instrument offers in expanding our role in the future.