PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor

H.B. 256

Sincerely,

Parris N. Glendening

Governor

House Bill No. 256

AN ACT concerning

Optometrists - Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agents Scope of Practice

FOR the purpose of requiring the State Board of Examiners in Optometry (Board) to
maintain a list of certain information; authorizing the Board to set reasonable fees
for the issuance and renewal of certain certificates; requiring the Board to establish
certain continuing education requirements; requiring the Secretary of Health and
Mental Hygiene to establish a certain quality assurance program and adopt certain
regulations; requiring optometrists to refer patients to certain health care providers
under certain circumstances; authorizing the use of a certain title titles; making a
certain exception; requiring the Board to certify a licensed optometrist as a
diagnostically certified optometrist under certain circumstances; requiring the
Board to certify a licensed optometrist as a therapeutically certified optometrist
under certain circumstances; authorizing diagnostically therapeutically certified
optometrists to administer and prescribe certain therapeutic pharmaceutical agents
and to, remove certain foreign bodies from the human eye and adnexa, and perform
certain other therapeutic tasks; prohibiting the performance of certain procedures;
defining certain terms; altering certain definitions; making the provisions of this Act
severable; and generally relating to the administering and prescribing of therapeutic
pharmaceutical agents and the removal of foreign bodies from the human eye and
adnexa by the scope of practice of therapeutically and diagnostically certified
optometrists.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - Health Occupations

Section 11-101, 11-205(b), 11-207(b), 11-309, 11-402, 11-403, and 11-404
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1994 Replacement Volume)

BY adding to

Article - Health Occupations

Section 11-404.1, 11-404.2, 11-404.3, and 11-503

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1994 Replacement Volume)

Preamble

WHEREAS, The General Assembly, in enacting this Act, has sought the input and
cooperation of the Maryland Optometric Association, the Maryland Society of Eye
Physicians and Surgeons, and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene; and

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