449.18 Removals from eyes; use of therapeutic pharmaceuticals.

(1) Applicability. No optometrist may use therapeutic pharmaceutical agents or remove foreign bodies from an eye or from an appendage to the eye unless one of the following applies:

(a) The examining board initially issues a license to practice optometry to the optometrist on or after August 1, 2006.

(b) The department issued a certificate to the optometrist under s. 449.18, 2003 stats.

(c) The examining board issues a certificate under sub. (2) to an optometrist issued a license to practice optometry before August 1, 2006.

(2) Licenses issued before august 1, 2006.

(a) The examining board shall certify an optometrist to use therapeutic pharmaceutical agents and remove foreign bodies from an eye or from an appendage to the eye if the optometrist was issued a license to practice optometry before August 1, 2006, and the optometrist satisfies all of the following:

1. The optometrist is certified under s. 449.17, 2003 stats., or s. 449.17 (1m) (a) to use topical ocular diagnostic pharmaceutical agents.

2. The optometrist has successfully completed 100 hours of approved study in the use of therapeutic pharmaceutical agents and the removal of superficial foreign bodies from an eye or from an appendage to the eye. The course of study shall be offered by an institution approved by the examining board and accredited by a regional or professional accrediting organization that is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or its successor or the federal department of education.

3. The optometrist has passed an examination conducted or approved by the examining board. The examining board shall periodically review the validity, reliability, and appropriateness of the examination that it conducts or approves under this subdivision.

(d) No fee may be charged for the issuance of a certificate under par. (a).

(e) A certificate issued under par. (a) or s. 449.18, 2003 stats., remains in effect while the optometrist's license to practice optometry remains in effect unless the certificate is suspended or revoked by the examining board.

(5) Removals from eyes. An optometrist who is allowed under sub. (1) to remove a foreign body from an eye or from an appendage to an eye may not remove a foreign body from an eye or from an appendage to an eye if the foreign body is deeper than Bowman's layer of the cornea or deeper than the conjunctiva.

(6) Use of therapeutic pharmaceuticals.

(am) An optometrist who is allowed under sub. (1) to use therapeutic pharmaceutical agents may not do any of the following:

1. Prescribe or administer any therapeutic pharmaceutical agent that he or she is prohibited from prescribing or administering under the rules promulgated under par. (cm).

2. Dispense, as defined in s. 450.01 (7), other than by prescribing or administering. This subdivision does not prohibit the optometrist from doing any of the following:

a. Providing a complimentary sample of a therapeutic pharmaceutical agent to a patient to whom the optometrist has rendered therapeutic care.

b. Dispensing a contact lens that also delivers a therapeutic pharmaceutical agent, if the optometrist is authorized to prescribe or administer the therapeutic pharmaceutical agent under the rules promulgated under par. (cm).

(bm) An optometrist who is allowed under sub. (1) to use therapeutic pharmaceutical agents shall include with each prescription order all of the following:

1. A statement that he or she is allowed under sub. (1) to use therapeutic pharmaceutical agents.

2. The indicated use of the therapeutic pharmaceutical agent so prescribed.

(cm) The secretary shall, after consultation with the examining board, the medical examining board and the pharmacy examining board, promulgate rules specifying those therapeutic pharmaceutical agents that may or may not be prescribed or administered.

History: 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 39; 2005 a. 297; 2007 a. 97; 2009 a. 168.