Section 11-402 - Duty of referral. - Maryland Statutes

§ 11-402. Duty of referral.
 

(a)  Optometrist or diagnostically certified optometrist.- If, while providing optometric services to a patient, an optometrist or diagnostically certified optometrist detects or diagnoses an active eye pathology which the optometrist is not licensed or certified to treat under § 11-404 or § 11-404.2 of this subtitle, the optometrist shall refer the patient to: 

(1) An ophthalmologist or a therapeutically certified optometrist, as appropriate; 

(2) The patient's physician; 

(3) A physician if required under a managed care contract; or 

(4) A hospital emergency room or ambulatory surgical center if necessary. 

(b)  Therapeutically certified optometrist.- If, while providing optometric services to a patient, a therapeutically certified optometrist diagnoses an active eye pathology that the optometrist is not certified to treat under § 11-404.2 of this subtitle, the optometrist shall refer the patient to: 

(1) An ophthalmologist; 

(2) The patient's physician; 

(3) A physician if required under a managed care contract; or 

(4) A hospital emergency room if necessary. 
 

[An. Code 1957, art. 43, § 379; 1981, ch. 8, § 2; 1990, ch. 6, § 11; 1995, ch. 521.]