65-1508. Act not to prevent persons licensed to practice medicine from performing certain acts or services; authorizing the delegation of certain examination procedures to assistants; limitations and
65-1508
65-1508. Act not to prevent persons licensed to practice medicinefrom performing certain acts or services; authorizing the delegation ofcertain examination procedures to assistants; limitations andprohibitions upon examination procedures performed by assistants.(a) Nothing in this act shall be construed to prevent persons who arelicensed to practice medicine and surgery in this state from performingthe acts or services authorized for optometrists under the optometry lawor from delegating the performance of screening procedures for visualacuities, color vision, visual fields and intraocular pressure toassistants.
(b) The examination procedures performed by assistants tooptometrists or ophthalmologists shall be limited to data gathering atthe direct request of the ophthalmologist or optometrist and to thoseexamination procedures which do not require professional interpretationor professional judgment. These examination procedures may be performedby assistants only under the immediate and personal supervision andwithin the office of an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Delegation tosuch assistants of the external and internal evaluation of the eye,biomicroscopic evaluation, subjective refraction, gonioscopic evaluation,final contact lens fit evaluation, orthoptic and strabismus evaluations,visual training evaluations, analysis of findings and the prescribing ofophthalmic lenses are prohibited.
(c) Persons who dispense ophthalmic materials pursuant to theprescription of a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery oroptometry shall not be construed to be assistants within the meaning ofthis section.
History: L. 1923, ch. 220, § 12; R.S. 1923, 65-1508; L. 1939, ch.240, § 3; L. 1976, ch. 270, § 4; L. 1977, ch. 216, § 2;L. 1990, ch. 223, § 4; July 1.