Optometry Scope of Practice by State (2024)
Medical professionals in any branch of the industry need to adhere to the laws and regulations governing their practice. One important set of regulations is the scope of practice. These regulations can vary depending on where you’re practicing optometry, and you need to know what they are in your given area. Let’s take a look at exactly what the optometry scope of practice is, how it’s regulated, and how to find out the specifics you’re required to follow.
Scoping out the Regulations
An optometry scope of practice is a set of authorized procedures that any licensed optometrist can perform as a healthcare professional. These scopes are important because they help safeguard patients, making sure that healthcare professionals don’t perform any procedures beyond the range of their education or training. Each state has its own scope of practice for optometrists operating within state borders, making it important for you, as an optometrist, to familiarize yourself with the scope in a state before you open a practice.
The reason for the variation of optometric scopes of practice by state isn’t certain. However, the variation allows state legislators and regulatory agencies to see how changes in a scope of practice affects the industry and the quality of patient care. Some states may wait to see how a particular change in a scope of practice works in one state before adopting it themselves.
Setting State Scopes
According to practice administration software company Weave’s website, each state has a state Board of Optometry, which is responsible for enforcing the regulations for all practicing optometrists in that state. Every scope covers the three main areas:
- Practice Authority – The general procedures optometrists are authorized to perform for their patients, such as vision tests, eye health assessments, and disease treatment
- Prescriptive Authority – The medications and controlled substances optometrists are authorized to prescribe to their patients, including oral medications, topical drugs, and injectables
- Surgical Authority – The surgical procedures optometrists are authorized to perform for their patients, such as laser eye surgery
It’s the responsibility of each Board of Optometry to update their scopes of practice as necessary, often due to updates in healthcare standards, advances in optometry training, and lobbying for legislative or administrative action.
One Industry, Different Scopes
Since the scope of practice for optometrists can vary between states, it’s important to keep up with the scope in the area you intend to practice. Not every state has full practice authority, allowing optometrists to perform all procedures for which they’re educated and trained, including prescriptive and surgical authority.
Many states have some scope restrictions. For example, some states don’t authorize optometrists to administer oral steroids or injectables; some restrict optometrists from performing laser eye surgery. It’s important to know what you are and aren’t allowed to do in terms of patient care, since you might plan to add a procedure or specialize in a certain type of treatment.
The best source for information on your state’s scope of practice is the State Board of Optometry. The American Optometric Association has a list of contact information for each state board. However, even knowing where to go for information, you’ll still need to regularly watch for changes.
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