NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1977 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 482

SENATE BILL 424

 

 

AN ACT TO REDEFINE THE PRACTICE OF OPTOMETRY CONSISTENT WITH MODERN ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND OPTOMETRY.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 90-114 as the same appears in the 1975 Replacement Volume 2C of the General Statutes is hereby amended and rewritten to read as follows:

"§ 90-114.  Optometry defined. — Any one or any combination of the following practices shall constitute the practice of optometry:

(1)        the examination of the human eye by any method, other than surgery, to diagnose, to treat, or to refer for consultation or treatment any abnormal condition of the human eye and its adnexa; or

(2)        the employment of instruments, devices, pharmaceutical agents and procedures, other than surgery, intended for the purposes of investigating, examining, treating, diagnosing or correcting visual defects or abnormal conditions of the human eye or its adnexa; or

(3)        the prescribing and application of lenses, devices containing lenses, prisms, contact lenses, orthoptics, vision training, pharmaceutical agents, and prosthetic devices to correct, relieve, or treat defects or abnormal conditions of the human eye or its adnexa.

      Provided, however, in using or prescribing pharmaceutical agents, other than topical pharmaceutical agents within the definition hereinabove set out which are used for the purpose of examining the eye, the optometrist so using or prescribing shall communicate and collaborate with a physician duly licensed to practice medicine in North Carolina designated or agreed to by the patient."

Sec. 2.  G.S. 90-118 as the same appears in the 1975 Replacement Volume 2C of the General Statutes and in the 1975 Cumulative Supplement thereto is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof a new subsection (e) to read as follows:

"(e)       The board shall not license any person to practice optometry in the State of North Carolina beyond the scope of the person's educational training as determined by the board. No optometrist presently licensed in this State shall prescribe and use pharmaceutical agents in the practice of optometry unless and until he (i) has submitted to the board evidence of satisfactory completion of all educational requirements established by the board to prescribe and use pharmaceutical agents in the practice of optometry and (ii) has been certified by the board as educationally qualified to prescribe and use pharmaceutical agents.

Provided, however, that no course or courses in pharmacology shall be approved by the board unless (i) taught by an institution having facilities for both the didactic and clinical instruction in pharmacology and which is accredited by a regional or professional accrediting organization that is recognized and approved by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation or the United States Office of Education and (ii) transcript credit for the course or courses is certified to the board by the institution as being equivalent in both hours and content to those courses in pharmacology required by the other licensing boards in this Chapter whose licensees or registrants are permitted the use of pharmaceutical agents in the course of their professional practice."

Sec. 3.  G.S. 90-118.10 as the same appears in the 1975 Replacement Volume 2C of the General Statutes is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof a new paragraph to read as follows:

"In issuing a certificate of renewal, the board shall expressly state whether such person, otherwise licensed in the practice of optometry, has been certified to prescribe and use pharmaceutical agents."

Sec. 4.  G.S. 90-118.11 as the same appears in the 1975 Replacement Volume 2C of the General Statutes is hereby amended by inserting in line 8 thereof immediately following the word "refused" and before the semicolon the words:

"; or shall practice or attempt to practice optometry by means or methods that the board has determined is beyond the scope of the person's educational training".

Sec. 5.  Article 6 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is hereby amended by inserting therein a new section G.S. 90-125.1 to read as follows:

"§ 90-125.1.  Filling prescriptions. — Legally licensed druggists of this State may fill prescriptions of optometrists duly licensed by the North Carolina State Board of Examiners in Optometry to prescribe, apply or use pharmaceutical agents."

Sec. 6.  G.S. 90-87(22)(a) as the same appears in the 1975 Replacement Volume 2C of the General Statutes is hereby amended by inserting in line 1 thereof immediately following the word "dentist," and preceding the word "veterinarian" the word "optometrist,".

Sec. 7.  The provisions of this act are applicable only to those individuals licensed pursuant thereto and shall not restrict, expand, or otherwise alter those other practices or acts governed by Chapter 90 of the General Statutes.

Sec. 8.  This act shall become effective on and after July 1, 1977.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 7th day of June, 1977.