PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor                               H.B. 256

4.        A TARGET INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE; AND

5.        CRITERIA FOR SURGICAL INTERVENTION BY THE
OPHTHALMOLOGIST.

(2) (I) A TREATMENT PLAN DEVELOPED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION
MAY BE MODIFIED ONLY AFTER BOTH THE OPTOMETRIST AND THE
OPHTHALMOLOGIST CONSULT TOGETHER AND CONSENT TO THE MODIFICATION.

(II)     EACH MODIFICATION SHALL BE NOTED IN THE OPTOMETRIC
RECORD OF THE PATIENT.

(3) A THERAPEUTICALLY CERTIFIED OPTOMETRIST WHO TREATS A
PATIENT WITH PRIMARY OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS
SECTION:

(I) SHALL REFER THE PATIENT TO AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST AT
LEAST ONCE A YEAR AFTER THE INITIAL MANDATORY REFERRAL UNDER
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION;

(II) MAY CONTINUE TO RENDER TREATMENT UNDER THE JOINT
TREATMENT PLAN UNTIL THE PATIENT IS EXAMINED BY AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST;

(III)    SHALL CONSULT WITH AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST IF:

1.        THE PATIENT DOES NOT HAVE THE EXPECTED RESPONSE
TO TREATMENT;

2.        THE TARGET INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE IS NOT REACHED;
OR

3.        THERE IS WORSENING IN A PATIENT'S VISUAL FIELD OR
OPTIC NERVE HEAD; AND

(IV)    MAY PERFORM AND EVALUATE VISUAL FIELD TESTS, NERVE
FIBER LAYER PHOTOS, AND OPTIC DISC PHOTOS. THE TESTS OR PHOTOS SHALL BE
PROVIDED TO AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST FOR REVIEW BY THE OPHTHALMOLOGIST.

(D) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPHS (2) AND (3) OF THIS
SUBSECTION, A THERAPEUTICALLY CERTIFIED OPTOMETRIST MAY NOT
ADMINISTER OR PRESCRIBE ANY ORAL PHARMACEUTICAL AGENT FOR ANY
PURPOSE.

(2) (I) A THERAPEUTICALLY CERTIFIED OPTOMETRIST MAY
ADMINISTER AND PRESCRIBE ORAL TETRACYCLINE AND ITS DERIVATIVES ONLY
FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND ¼ TREATMENT OF MEIBOMITIS AND SEBORRHEIC
BLEPHARITIS.

(II) IF A THERAPEUTICALLY CERTIFIED OPTOMETRIST
ADMINISTERS OR PRESCRIBES ORAL TETRACYCLINE OR ITS DERIVATIVES TO A
PATIENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH AND THE
PATIENT DOES NOT IMPROVE WITHIN 3 WEEKS OF TREATMENT, THE OPTOMETRIST
SHALL REFER THE PATIENT TO AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST.

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