Current through September 2, 2024
01.
Standards of Professional Conduct. Licensees must comply with the following standards of professional conduct:
a. Practicing optometry in a manner which meets the standard of optometric care provided by other qualified licensees in the same or similar community, taking into account education, training, and experience.
b. Employing only those techniques or methods of practice in treating or prescribing to a patient for which the licensee has the necessary education, training, and experience.
c. Referring a patient suffering from any apparent or suspected pathological condition to a person competent and licensed to properly treat or diagnose the condition.
d. Verifying the specifications of all lenses provided to a patient and advising a patient of possible danger when a lens provided to the patient does not meet impact resistant standards set forth in 21 CFR 801.410.
02.
Vision Therapy. Any person who assesses, diagnoses, treats, or prescribes treatment for conditions of the visual system or manages a patient with vision therapy, visual training, visual rehabilitation, orthoptics or eye exercises or who holds him/herself out as being able to do so for the rehabilitation and/or treatment of physical, physiological, sensorimotor, neuromuscular or perceptual anomalies of the eyes or vision system or who prescribes or utilizes lenses, prisms, filters, occlusion or other devices for the enhancement, rehabilitation and/or treatment of the visual system or prevention of visual dysfunctions, except under the supervision and management of a licensed optometrist, is engaged in the practice of optometry.
03.
Prescriptions for Spectacles and Contact Lenses. Eyeglasses and contact lenses, including plano or cosmetic contact lenses, may only be dispensed upon a current prescription issued by an optometrist or medical physician. Every prescription written or issued by an optometrist practicing in Idaho shall contain at least the following information:
a. Prescription for Spectacles. Prescriptions for spectacles must contain the following: Sphere, cylinder, axis, prism power, and additional power, if applicable. The standard expiration date of the prescription must be at least one (1) year from the date the prescription was originally issued.
b. All Prescriptions for Rigid/Soft Contact Lenses. All prescriptions for contact lenses must contain at least the following information: base curve, lens manufacturer or "brand" name, overall diameter, power; and the standard expiration date of the prescription must be at least one (1) year from date the prescription was originally issued. A shorter prescription period may be allowed when based upon a documented medical condition.
04.
Expired Contact Lens Prescription. A person may not fill an expired contact lens prescription.
05.
Fitting and Dispensing Contact Lenses.
a. Contact lenses may be fitted only by an optometrist, or licensed physician.
b. An ophthalmic dispenser may dispense contact lenses on a fully written contact lens prescription issued by an optometrist or licensed physician.
c. Notwithstanding Subsection 200.05.b., an optometrist, or licensed physician who issues a contact lens prescription remains professionally responsible to the patient.
06.
Preceptorship Program. An optometrist may use a student of optometry in their office under their direct supervision for educational purposes.
07.
The Right to Obtain and Use Pharmaceutical Agents. The right to obtain and use pharmaceutical agents for use in diagnosis and/or treatment of another in the practice of optometry as defined by Section 54-1501, Idaho Code, is subject to the following conditions set out below:
a. Optometrists can prescribe, administer, and dispense therapeutic pharmaceutical agents, and use only those listed below:
i. All medications for use in the diagnosis of and/or conditions of the human eye and/or eyelid.
ii. All over-the-counter agents.
b. In order to prescribe, administer and dispense the therapeutic medications a person must meet the requirements set out below:
i. License in good standing, and successful passage of the "Treatment and Management of Ocular Diseases" exam.
Effective March 28, 2023
