Section 68C: Optometrists; examination to permit the use and prescription of therapeutic pharmaceutical agents; licensed in other jurisdictions; residency; continuing education

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Section 68C.

(a)The board of registration in optometry shall administer an examination to permit the use and prescription of therapeutic pharmaceutical agents as authorized in section 66C. The examination shall:

(i)be held in conjunction with examinations provided for in sections 68, 68A and 68B; and

(ii)include any portion of the examination administered by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry or other appropriate examination covering the subject matter of therapeutic pharmaceutical agents as authorized in section 66C. The board may administer a single examination to measure the qualifications necessary under this section and sections 68, 68A, 68B. The board shall qualify optometrists to use and prescribe therapeutic pharmaceutical agents in accordance with this section and said sections 68, 68A, 68B.

(b)Examination for the use and prescription of therapeutic pharmaceutical agents placed in schedules III, IV, V and VI under section 2 of chapter 94C and defined in section 66C shall, upon application, be open to an optometrist registered under section 68, 68A or 68B and to any person who meets the qualifications for examination under said sections 68, 68A and 68B. An applicant registered as an optometrist under said sections 68, 68A or 68B shall:

(i)be registered pursuant to subsection

(h)of section 7 of said chapter 94C to use or prescribe pharmaceutical agents for the purpose of diagnosing or treating glaucoma and other ocular abnormalities of the human eye and adjacent tissue; and

(ii)furnish to the board of registration in optometry evidence of the satisfactory completion of 40 hours of didactic education and 20 hours of supervised clinical education relating to the use and prescription of therapeutic pharmaceutical agents under section 66C; provided, however, that such education shall:

(A)be administered by the Massachusetts Society of Optometrists, Inc.;

(B)be accredited by a college of optometry or medicine; and

(C)meet the guidelines and requirements of the board of registration in optometry. The board of registration in optometry shall provide to each successful applicant a certificate of qualification in the use and prescription of all therapeutic pharmaceutical agents as authorized under said section 66C and shall forward to the department of public health notice of such certification for each successful applicant.

(c)An optometrist licensed in another jurisdiction shall be deemed an applicant under this section by the board of registration in optometry. An optometrist licensed in another jurisdiction may submit evidence to the board of registration in optometry of practice equivalent to that required in section 68, 68A or 68B and the board may accept the evidence in order to satisfy any of the requirements of this section. An optometrist licensed in another jurisdiction to utilize and prescribe therapeutic pharmaceutical agents for treating glaucoma and other ocular abnormalities of the human eye and adjacent tissue may submit evidence to the board of registration in optometry of equivalent didactic and supervised clinical education and the board may accept the evidence in order to satisfy any of the requirements of this section.

(d)A licensed optometrist who has completed a postgraduate residency program approved by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association may submit an affidavit to the board of registration in optometry from the licensed optometrist's residency supervisor or the director of residencies at the affiliated college of optometry attesting that the optometrist has completed an equivalent level of instruction and supervision and the board may accept the evidence in order to satisfy any of the requirements of this section.

(e)As a condition of license renewal, an optometrist licensed under this section shall submit to the board of registration in optometry evidence attesting to the completion of 3 hours of continuing education specific to glaucoma and the board may accept the evidence to satisfy this condition for license renewal.