"Please, as a profession, lets quit trying to emulate M.D.s or their credentialing methods."
Whats the Answer? Its O-K
Having just read the February issue cover story, Foil Dry Eye Following LASIK, I came up with yet another way to foil dry eye following LASIK: Dont do it in the first place!
In a general sense, no patient with clinical dry eye should undergo an elective procedure that can exacerbate his or her problem. More specifically, optometrists should not forget the optometric specialty, accelerated overnight orthokeratology.
Its true that learning ortho-K can be challenging, and that practicing within its standard of care requires a topographer; but the rewards for both doctor and patient (particularly for kids) are immense.
The Orthokeratology Academy of America is dedicated to educating those new to this specialty. Those interested in optometrys specialty should check out www.okglobal.org.
Robert Gerowitz, O.D.
Society for Nutrition Science
I appreciated the article by Dr. Brian Chou (A Walk on the Wild Side, March 2008) in which he discusses the non-traditional medicine that many of our patients might be using.
He was very accurate in his description of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) that allows nutritional products to be regulated as foods, rather than as drugs. This legislation prohibits companies from claims to treat or cure a specific disease, but it allows them to describe the effects on structure and function of the body. However, manufacturers are still liable for health problems that might occur, but not until after the product is already on the market (think ephedra).
It is for these very reasons that several colleagues and I started the Optometric Nutrition Society. We are committed to reviewing and distributing the legitimate science behind nutritional productsbe they food or supplementsand how they affect the eyes and visual system. Our society will not formally endorse any particular products, but will closely monitor peer-reviewed published science on nutritional influence on eye health. We hope to become an independent source of knowledge and education in this rapidly expanding area of therapeutic nutrition, especially when it comes to separating the truth from fiction.
Jeffrey Anshel, O.D., president, Optometric Nutrition Society
Bored Certified
Thanks to Dr. Howell Findley for writing his letter concerning board certification (Letters to the Editor, March 2008). I agree with him: I am already board certified. Also, please, as a profession, lets quit trying to emulate M.D.s or their credentialing methods.
Let me state emphatically for the record: I need no further board certification of any kind.
