OD May Have Violated MN Law

"A St. Paul man is upset because his optometrist refused to approve a recent request for contact lenses. The doctor’s excuse: The patient hadn’t been examined in 18 months, and his prescription was good for only one year." That's the start  of a post in the Star-Tribune. "Under state law, any contact lens prescriptions 'must expire two years after it is written, unless a different expiration date is warranted by the patient’s ocular health.' Under the law, doctors must provide reasons for providing anything less than a two-year prescription during the exam. Our reader said his doctor failed to explain the one-year prescription. Have you received a contact lens prescription good for less than two years?" Read more.

MDs Say Kentucky Law Puts Patients at Risk

According to a press release from the Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, the proposed regulations for a new state law which allows optometrists to perform a broad range of surgical procedures on the eye, fail to properly define the education, training and oversight necessary for this new scope of work that is typically performed by medical board-certified physicians. These supposed failures put Kentucky patients at risk. The Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners held a public hearing to receive comments on the new regulations a few days ago. "On nearly every level, these regulations fail to ensure that Kentuckians will receive the highest standard of eye care," said Woody Van Meter, president, Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons.Read more.

How Much Training Do ODs Need to Do What MDs Do?

"Doctors on Thursday debated the amount of training needed for optometrists to perform some minor eye surgeries allowed under legislation approved in February by the Kentucky General Assembly," according to a post on NKY.Cincinnati. "Senate Bill 110 raised eyebrows for the short time it took both chambers to pass the bill - 10 days - and the Kentucky Optometric Association's political action committee giving more than $400,000 in campaign contributions to lawmakers and the gubernatorial campaigns of Gov. Steve Beshear and Senate President David Williams in the past two years. The bill will allow optometrists to do some procedures previously reserved only for ophthalmologists. Kentucky becomes the second state to allow optometrists to perform these types of surgeries, behind Oklahoma." Read more.