1. Every applicant for a license to practice optometry shall:
a. Present satisfactory evidence of a preliminary education equivalent to at least four years study in an accredited high school or other secondary school.
b. Present a diploma from an accredited school of optometry.
c. Pass an examination prescribed by the optometry examiners in the subjects of physiology of the eye, optical physics, anatomy of the eye, ophthalmology, and practical optometry.
2. A person applying to be licensed as an optometrist after January 1, 1980, shall also apply to be a certified licensed optometrist and shall, in addition to satisfactorily completing all requirements for a license to practice optometry, satisfactorily complete a course consisting of at least one hundred contact hours in pharmacology and receive clinical training as it applies to optometry with particular emphasis on the topical application of diagnostic agents to the human eye for the purpose of examination of the human eye, and the diagnosis of conditions of the human eye, at an institution accredited by a regional or professional accreditation organization which is recognized or approved by the council on postsecondary accreditation or the United States office of education.
3. A person licensed as an optometrist prior to January 1, 1980 who applies to be a certified licensed optometrist shall first satisfactorily complete a course consisting of at least one hundred contact hours in pharmacology as it applies to optometry including clinical training as it applies to optometry with particular emphasis on the topical application of diagnostic agents to the human eye and possible adverse reactions thereto, for the purpose of examination of the human eye and the diagnosis of conditions of the human eye, provided by an institution accredited by a regional or professional accreditation organization which is recognized or approved by the council on postsecondary accreditation or the United States office of education, and approved by the board of optometry examiners.
4. In addition to the examination required by subsection 1, paragraph "c", a person applying to be a certified licensed optometrist shall also pass an examination prescribed by the optometry examiners in the subjects of physiology and pathology appropriate to the use of diagnostic pharmaceutical agents and diagnosis of conditions of the human eye, and pharmacology including systemic effects of ophthalmic diagnostic pharmaceutical agents and the possible adverse reactions thereto, authorized for use by optometrists by section 154.1.
5. A person applying to be licensed as an optometrist after January 1, 1986, shall also apply to be a therapeutically certified optometrist and shall, in addition to satisfactorily completing all requirements for a license to practice optometry, satisfactorily complete a course as defined by rule of the state board of optometry examiners with particular emphasis on the examination, diagnosis and treatment of conditions of the human eye and adnexa provided by an institution accredited by a regional or professional accreditation organization which is recognized or approved by the council on postsecondary accreditation of the United States office of education, and approved by the board of optometry examiners. The rule of the board shall require a course including a minimum of forty hours of didactic education and sixty hours of approved supervised clinical training in the examination, diagnosis and treatment of conditions of the human eye and adnexa. The board may also, by rule, provide a procedure by which an applicant who has received didactic education meeting the requirements of rules adopted pursuant to this subsection at an approved school of optometry may apply to the board for a waiver of the didactic education requirements of this subsection.
6. A person licensed in any state as an optometrist prior to January 1, 1986, who applies to be a therapeutically certified optometrist shall first satisfactorily complete a course as defined by rule of the board of optometry examiners with particular emphasis on the examination, diagnosis and treatment of conditions of the human eye and adnexa provided by an institution accredited by a regional or professional accreditation organization which is recognized or approved by the council on postsecondary accreditation of the United States office of education, and approved by the board of optometry examiners. The rule of the board shall require a course including a minimum of forty hours of didactic education and sixty hours of approved supervised clinical training in the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions of the human eye and adnexa. Effective July 1, 1987, the board shall require that therapeutically certified optometrists prior to the utilization of topical and oral antiglaucoma agents, oral antimicrobial agents and oral analgesic agents shall complete an additional forty-four hours of education with emphasis on treatment and management of glaucoma and use of oral pharmaceutical agents for treatment and management of ocular diseases, provided by an institution accredited by a regional or professional accreditation organization which is recognized or approved by the council on postsecondary accreditation of the United States office of education, and approved by the board of optometry examiners. Upon completion of the additional forty-four hours of education, a therapeutically certified optometrist shall also pass an oral or written examination prescribed by the board. The board shall suspend the optometrist's therapeutic certificate for failure to comply with this subsection by July 1, 1988.
The board shall adopt rules requiring an additional twenty hours per biennium of continuing education in the treatment and management of ocular disease for all therapeutically certified optometrists. The department of ophthalmology of the school of medicine of the State University of Iowa shall be one of the providers of this continuing education.
7. A person licensed in any state as an optometrist prior to January 1, 1986, who applies to be a therapeutically certified optometrist shall also be required to qualify as a certified licensed optometrist as defined in subsections 2, 3, and 4.
8. In addition to the examination required by subsection 1, paragraph "c", a person applying to be a therapeutically certified optometrist shall also pass an examination prescribed by the board of optometry examiners in the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the human eye and adnexa.
[S13, § 2583-l; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 2576; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 154.3]
85 Acts, ch 248, §2; 86 Acts, ch 1237, § 8; 87 Acts, ch 119, § 2
Referred to in § 154.5
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