Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 46 - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS
Part LI - Optometrists
Chapter 1 - General Provisions
Section LI-107 - Organization of the Board
Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. Introduction. See the provision of the Act relative to the organization of the board, in particular, R.S. 37:1041-1048.
B. Definitions
Act-the Optometry Practice Act, R.S. 37:1041 et seq.
Board-the Louisiana State Board of Optometry Examiners.
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agent-any prescription or nonprescription drug delivered by any route of administration, used or prescribed for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, or mitigation of abnormal conditions and pathology of the human eye and its adnexa, or those which may be used for such purposes, and certain approved narcotics, only when used in treatment of disorders or diseases of the eye and its adnexa. Licensed pharmacists of this state shall fill prescriptions for such pharmaceutical agents of licensed optometrists certified by the board to use such pharmaceutical agents.
i. Any diagnostic and therapeutic pharmaceutical agent as defined above listed in schedules II, III, IV and V of the uniform controlled dangerous substances law shall be limited to use or to be prescribed by a licensed optometrist for a maximum of seven days when used in treatment or disorders or diseases of the eye and its adnexa.
ii. Diagnostic and therapeutic pharmaceutical agent shall not include any drug or other substances listed in Schedule I of the uniform controlled dangerous substances law provided in R.S. 40:963 and 964 which shall be prohibited from use by a licensed optometrist.
iii. A licensed optometrist may prescribe one additional seven day prescription only if warranted by a follow-up exam.
Licensed Optometrist-a person licensed and holding a certificate issued under the provisions of the Act.
Optometry-that practice in which a person employs primary eye care procedures including ophthalmic surgery such as YAG laser capsulotomy, laser peripheral iridotomy, and laser trabeculoplasty, except for those surgery procedures specifically excluded in subsection D of section 1041 of the Optometry Practice Act; measures the power and range of vision of the human eye using subjective or objective means, including the use of lenses and prisms before the eye and autorefractors or other automated testing devices to determine its accommodative and refractive state and general scope of function; and the adaptation of frames and lenses, in all their phases, including plano and zero power contact lenses, to overcome errors of refraction and restore as near as possible normal human vision, or for orthotic, prosthetic, therapeutic or cosmetic purposes with respect to contact lenses. Optometry also includes the examination and diagnosis, and treatment of abnormal conditions and pathology of the human eye and its adnexa, including the use or prescription of vision therapy, ocular exercises, rehabilitation therapy, subnormal vision therapy, ordering of appropriate diagnostic lab or imaging tests; the dispensing of samples to initiate treatment; and the use or prescription of diagnostic and therapeutic pharmaceutical agents. Optometrists shall issue prescriptions, directions and orders regarding medications and treatments which may be carried out by other health care personnel including optometrists, physicians, dentists, osteopaths, pharmacists, nurses, and others.
i. Ophthalmic Surgery-a procedure upon the human eye in which in vivo human tis sue is injected, cut, burned, frozen, sutured, vaporized, coagulated, or photo disrupted by the use of surgical instrumentation such as, but not limited to, a scalpel, cryoprobe, laser, electric cautery, or ionizing radiation. Nothing in this Optometry Practice Act shall limit an optometrist's ability to use diagnostic or therapeutic instruments utilizing laser or ultrasound technology in the performance of primary eye care or limit an optometrists ability to perform ophthalmic surgery procedures other than those specifically excluded in subsection D of section 1041 of the Optometry Practice Act. Only persons licensed to practice medicine by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners under the laws of this state may perform the ophthalmic surgery procedures specified in subsection D of section 1041 of the Optometry Practice Act.
ii. Authorized Ophthalmic Surgery Procedures-any procedure upon the human eye or its adnexa in which in vivo human tissue is injected, cut, burned, frozen, vaporized, coagulated, photodisrupted, or otherwise altered by the use of surgical instrumentation such as, but not limited to, a scalpel, needle, cryoprobe, laser, cautery, ultrasound, or ionizing radiation, other than procedures listed in subsection D of section 1041 of the Optometry Practice Act.
iii. Nothing in the Optometry Practice Act shall prohibit the dilation and irrigation of lacrimal ducts, insertion and removal of lacrimal plugs, foreign body removal from superficial ocular tissue, suture removal, removal of eyelashes, drainage of superficial lesions of the eye and its adnexa, or corneal shaping with external ophthalmic devices such as contact lenses by optometrists, provided, however, no optometrist shall carry out any such procedures referenced in this Paragraph unless certified by the board to treat those abnormal conditions and pathology of the human eye and its adnexa.
AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 37:1048.
