Senate Study Bill 3083 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES BILL BY CHAIRPERSON RAGAN) A BILL FOR An Act to allow therapeutically certified optometrists to 1 supply pharmaceutical-delivering contact lenses. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5179SC (3) 83 jr/nh
S.F. _____ Section 1. Section 154.1, subsection 4, Code 2009, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 4. a. Therapeutically certified optometrists may employ 3 all diagnostic and therapeutic pharmaceutical agents for the 4 purpose of diagnosis and treatment of conditions of the human 5 eye and adnexa pursuant to this subsection, excluding the 6 use of injections other than to counteract an anaphylactic 7 reaction, and notwithstanding section 147.107, may without 8 charge supply any of the above pharmaceuticals to commence a 9 course of therapy. 10 b. Therapeutically certified optometrists may 11 employ and, notwithstanding section 147.107, supply 12 pharmaceutical-delivering contact lenses for the purpose 13 of treatment of conditions of the human eye and adnexa. 14 For purposes of this paragraph, “pharmaceuticl-delivering 15 contact lenses” means contact lenses that contain one or more 16 therapeutic pharmaceutical agents authorized for employment 17 by this section for the purpose of treatment of conditions of 18 the human eye and adnexa and that deliver such agents into the 19 wearer’s eye. 20 c. Therapeutically certified optometrists may prescribe 21 oral steroids for a period not to exceed fourteen days 22 without consultation with a physician. Therapeutically 23 certified optometrists shall not prescribe oral Imuran or oral 24 Methotrexate. 25 d. Therapeutically certified optometrists may be authorized, 26 where reasonable and appropriate, by rule of the board, to 27 employ new diagnostic and therapeutic pharmaceutical agents 28 approved by the United States food and drug administration on 29 or after July 1, 2002, for the diagnosis and treatment of the 30 human eye and adnexa. 31 e. The board shall not be required to adopt rules relating 32 to topical pharmaceutical agents, oral antimicrobial agents, 33 oral antihistamines, oral antiglaucoma agents, and oral 34 analgesic agents. Superficial foreign bodies may be removed 35 -1- LSB 5179SC (3) 83 jr/nh 1/ 2
S.F. _____ from the human eye and adnexa. 1 f. The therapeutic efforts of a therapeutically certified 2 optometrist are intended for the purpose of examination, 3 diagnosis, and treatment of visual defects, abnormal 4 conditions, and diseases of the human eye and adnexa, for 5 proper optometric practice or referral for consultation or 6 treatment to persons licensed under chapter 148. 7 g. A therapeutically certified optometrist is an optometrist 8 who is licensed to practice optometry in this state and who 9 is certified by the board to use the agents and procedures 10 authorized pursuant to this subsection. 11 EXPLANATION 12 Code section 154.1 authorizes therapeutically certified 13 optometrists to employ all diagnostic and therapeutic 14 pharmaceutical agents for the purpose of diagnosis and 15 treatment of conditions of the human eye and adnexa. This bill 16 allows therapeutically certified optometrists to also supply 17 pharmaceutical-delivering contact lenses for the purpose of 18 treatment of conditions of the human eye and adnexa. The bill 19 defines these lenses as contact lenses that contain one or more 20 of the authorized therapeutic pharmaceutical agents and that 21 deliver the agents into the wearer’s eye. 22 -2- LSB 5179SC (3) 83 jr/nh 2/ 2