§ 1728 - Use of therapeutic pharmaceutical agents - Vermont Statutes

§ 1728. Use of therapeutic pharmaceutical agents

(a) An optometrist licensed under this chapter who possesses the endorsement required under section 1729 of this title, may:

(1) prescribe all pharmaceutical agents for the appropriate diagnosis, management, and treatment of the eye and adnexa.

(2) remove superficial foreign bodies from the eye and adnexa, perform epilation of the eyelashes including electrolysis, punctal dilation, and lacrimal irrigation, and insert punctal plugs.

(b) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to permit:

(1) the use of therapeutic ultrasound, the use of injections except for the appropriate emergency stabilization of a patient, or the performance of surgery. "Surgery" means any procedure in which human tissue is cut, penetrated, thermally or electrically cauterized except when performing electrolysis, or otherwise infiltrated by mechanical or laser means in a manner not specifically authorized by this act;

(2) the use of lasers for any procedure other than diagnostic testing; or

(3) a licensee to perform indocyanine green angiography, removal of benign skin lesions involving subcutaneous injections, sub tenons injections, retrobulbar injections, intraocular injections, ketamine (IM) for an infant's examination under anesthesia, management of skin and conjunctival neoplasms, and botox injections. (Added 1993, No. 216 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; amended 2003, No. 108 (Adj. Sess.), § 5.)