OPTOMETRIC SCOPE BILL INTRODUCED
We are excited to announce that a bill has been introduced in the Alabama Legislature that will expand the scope of practice for optometrists in Alabama. The bill number is House Bill 349 by Representative Danny Garrett. The bill has been assigned to the House Health Committee.
Alabama's practice act has not been updated since 1995, but medicine has changed dramatically during this time. There are many procedures that have been developed that optometrists can safely and effectively perform in their offices. The only thing standing in your way is the current state law.
The ALOA Leadership and keyperson network have been working tirelessly on this legislation. Earlier in the year, the ALOA participated in negotiations with ophthalmology at the behest of the Speaker's office. While those negotiations did not prove fruitful, it led to further discussions with leadership, specifically with the Chairman of the House Health Committee, about changes that needed to be made to the bill. The product of those discussions is HB 349 (
For a copy of the bill, click HERE.)
The bill will allow optometrists to perform two laser procedures in their offices (YAG and SLT) after completing a 36 hour course approved by the Alabama Board of Optometry. To be laser certified an optometrist will have to perform 10 procedures on live human patients under the direct supervision of an ophthalmologist licensed in the State of Alabama.
The bill also allows for the removal of skin lesions, excluding the eyelid margin, and the use of anesthetic injections during those procedures.
It also allows for IPL and flourescein angiography, when done in a setting where a physician is available. These procedures were offered during the negotiations by ophthalmology.
There is growing support for this legislation and we need your help to capture that enthusiasm for optometry's scope expansion.
