PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor                                 Ch. 521

(II) REPORT TO THE SECRETARY, AS THE SECRETARY REQUIRES,
ON THE RESULTS OF THE BOARD'S STUDY AND INVESTIGATION.

(3) THE BOARD'S STUDY AND INVESTIGATION SHALL INCLUDE:

(I) A PEER REVIEW PROGRAM; AND

(II) A REVIEW OF PATIENT OPTOMETRIC RECORDS THAT
INCLUDES THE COLLECTION AND EVALUATION OF DATA ON THE DRUGS BEING
PRESCRIBED AND ADMINISTERED AND THE APPROPRIATENESS OF TREATMENT BY
THERAPEUTICALLY CERTIFIED OPTOMETRISTS.

11-503.

AN OPTOMETRIST PRACTICING IN THE STATE MAY NOT:

(1)      USE SURGICAL LASERS;

(2)      PERFORM ANY SURGERY, INCLUDING CATARACT SURGERY OR
CRYOSURGERY;

(3) PERFORM A RADIAL KERATOTOMY;

(4)      GIVE AN INJECTION, EXCEPT THAT AN OPTOMETRIST MAY GIVE AN
INJECTION OF EPINEPHRINE IN THE APPROPRIATE DOSE FOR THE TREATMENT OF
ACUTE ANAPHYLAXIS OR EMERGENCY RESUSCITATION; OR

(5)      EXCEPT AS PROVIDED UNDER THIS TITLE, DISPENSE A
THERAPEUTIC PHARMACEUTICAL AGENT TO ANY PERSON.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, as of the effective date of
this Act, the only therapeutic pharmaceutical agents course that is approved by the
Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene is given by the State University of New York
(SUNY) College of Optometry.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That nothing in this Act may be
construed to limit the scope of the practice of ophthalmology, or to impose any potential
liability on an ophthalmologist beyond that already imposed by the standard of care.

SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Secretary of the
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, in conjunction with the State Board of
Examiners in Optometry, shall report to the General Assembly on December 15, 1999, in
accordance with § 2-1312 of the State Government Article, on the implementation of this
Act. The report shall include a recommendation as to whether the co-management of
primary open-angle glaucoma patients by ophthalmologists and therapeutically certified
optometrists should be terminated, continued, or modified, and shall be based on the
data collected by the Board under the Quality Assurance Program.

SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That if any provision of this Act
or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid for any reason in
a court of competent jurisdiction, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or any
other application of this Act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or
application, and for this purpose the provisions of this Act are declared severable.

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