Assembly Bill No. 275–Committee on
Commerce and Labor

 

CHAPTER..........

 

AN ACT relating to healing arts; eliminating the authority of a dispensing optician to perform the initial fitting of contact lenses; revising the requirements for an optometrist to be certified to treat persons diagnosed with glaucoma; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

    Section 1. NRS 630.375 is hereby amended to read as follows:

    630.375  1.  The form for any prescription which is issued for

an ophthalmic lens by an ophthalmologist in this state must contain

lines or boxes in substantially the following form:

 

Approved for contact lenses..........................

Not approved for contact lenses...................

 

    2.  The prescribing ophthalmologist shall mark or check one of

the lines or boxes required by subsection 1 each time such a

prescription is issued by him.

    3.  If the prescription is for a contact lens, the form must set

forth the expiration date of the prescription, the number of refills

approved for the patient and such other information as is necessary

for the prescription to be filled properly.

    4.  The initial fitting of a contact lens must be performed by[:

    (a) A dispensing optician licensed pursuant to NRS 637.122; or

    (b) An] an ophthalmologist or optometrist licensed in this state.

    5.  As used in this section, “initial fitting” means measuring

the health, integrity and refractive error of the eye to determine

whether contacts may be approved pursuant to subsection 1.

    Sec. 2.  NRS 636.2893 is hereby amended to read as follows:

    636.2893  The Board shall adopt regulations that prescribe the

requirements for the issuance of a certificate to treat persons

diagnosed with glaucoma pursuant to NRS 636.2895. The

requirements must include, without limitation:

    1.  A license to practice optometry in this state;

    2.  The successful completion of the “Treatment and

Management of Ocular Disease Examination” administered by the

National Board of Examiners in Optometry on or after January 1,

1993, or an equivalent examination approved by the Board; and

    3.  Proof that each optometrist who applies for a certificate has

treated at least 15 persons who were:

    (a) Diagnosed with glaucoma by an ophthalmologist licensed in

this state; and

    (b) Treated by the optometrist, in consultation with that

ophthalmologist, for at least [1 year.] 12 consecutive months.

    Sec. 3.  NRS 636.387 is hereby amended to read as follows:

    636.387  1.  The form for any prescription which is issued for

an ophthalmic lens by an optometrist in this state must contain lines

or boxes in substantially the following form:

 

Approved for contact lenses..........................

Not approved for contact lenses...................

 

    2.  The prescribing optometrist shall mark or check one of the

lines or boxes required by subsection 1 each time such a prescription

is issued by him.

    3.  If the prescription is for a contact lens, the form must set

forth the expiration date of the prescription, the number of refills

approved for the patient and such other information as is necessary

for the prescription to be filled properly.

    4.  The initial fitting of a contact lens must be performed by[:

    (a) A dispensing optician licensed pursuant to NRS 637.122; or

    (b) An] an ophthalmologist or optometrist licensed in this state.

    5.  As used in this section, “initial fitting” means measuring

the health, integrity and refractive error of the eye to determine

whether contacts may be approved pursuant to subsection 1.

 

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