65-2887. Assisting unlicensed persons to practice optometry not authorized; exceptions.
65-2887
65-2887. Assisting unlicensed persons to practice optometry not authorized;exceptions.(a) Nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize any person licensedunder this act to knowingly perform any act which in any way assists anunlicensed person, except as provided under subsections (b) and (c),firm, association or corporation (1) to make anexamination of the eyes for the prescription of glasses, or (2) toperform any of the practice acts for which optometrists are licensed.
(b) A person who is licensed to practice medicine and surgery may delegateto assistants the performance of screening procedures for visual acuities,color vision, visual fields, and intraocular pressure.
(c) A person who is licensed to practice medicine and surgery and whohas completed an approved postgraduate training program in ophthalmologyor who is practicing as a fulltime ophthalmologist on the effective dateof this act may utilize not more than three (3) assistants to perform examinationprocedures which may be performed by a person licensed to practice optometry.The examination procedures performed by assistants to ophthalmologists shallbe limited to data gathering at the direct request of the ophthalmologistand to those examination procedures which do not require professional interpretationor professional judgment. These examination procedures may be performedby assistants only under the immediate and personal supervision and withinthe office of an ophthalmologist. Delegation to such assistants of the externaland internal evaluation of the eye, biomicroscopic evaluation, subjectiverefraction, gonioscopic evaluation, final contact lens fit evaluation, orthopticand strabismus evaluations, visual training evaluations, analysis of findingsand the prescribing of ophthalmic lenses are prohibited.
History: L. 1957, ch. 343, § 87; L. 1978, ch. 252, § 1; July 1.