HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2888        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2463

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to the treatment of glaucoma and other eye related disorders.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

1/20/2017

Bradford R. Hill

4th Essex

2/2/2017

Elizabeth A. Poirier

14th Bristol

2/2/2017

Susan Williams Gifford

2nd Plymouth

12/20/2017

Paul K. Frost

7th Worcester

12/20/2017

Todd M. Smola

1st Hampden

12/20/2017

F. Jay Barrows

1st Bristol

12/20/2017

Mathew Muratore

1st Plymouth

12/20/2017

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

12/20/2017

Geoff Diehl

7th Plymouth

12/20/2017

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

12/20/2017

Keiko M. Orrall

12th Bristol

12/20/2017

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

12/20/2017

David T. Vieira

3rd Barnstable

12/20/2017

Tackey Chan

2nd Norfolk

12/20/2017

Diana DiZoglio

14th Essex

12/20/2017

David K. Muradian, Jr.

9th Worcester

12/20/2017

Paul McMurtry

11th Norfolk

12/20/2017

Kenneth I. Gordon

21st Middlesex

12/20/2017

James J. Dwyer

30th Middlesex

12/20/2017

Randy Hunt

5th Barnstable

12/20/2017

Nicholas A. Boldyga

3rd Hampden

12/20/2017

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

12/20/2017

Daniel Cahill

10th Essex

12/20/2017

Danielle W. Gregoire

4th Middlesex

12/20/2017

Bud Williams

11th Hampden

12/20/2017

Donald H. Wong

9th Essex

12/20/2017

Robert M. Koczera

11th Bristol

12/20/2017

Aaron Vega

5th Hampden

12/20/2017

Bruce J. Ayers

1st Norfolk

12/20/2017

David F. DeCoste

5th Plymouth

12/20/2017

Kate D. Campanale

17th Worcester

12/20/2017

Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr.

5th Worcester

12/20/2017

James M. Cantwell

4th Plymouth

12/20/2017

Sheila C. Harrington

1st Middlesex

12/20/2017

Kevin J. Kuros

8th Worcester

12/20/2017

John H. Rogers

12th Norfolk

12/20/2017

Daniel M. Donahue

16th Worcester

12/20/2017


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2888        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2463

By Mr. Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2463) of Bradley H. Jones, Jr., and others relative to optometrists and treatment of eye disorders.  Public Health.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act relative to the treatment of glaucoma and other eye related disorders.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Section 1: Notwithstanding any general laws to the contrary, Massachusetts optometrists licensed under chapter 94C shall have the authority to treat glaucoma and ocular abnormalities of the human eye and the adjoining and adjacent tissue, as well as prescribe all necessary eye related medications including all oral anti-infective medications.

Nothing in this section shall permit optometric utilization of or prescription of (i) therapeutic pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of systematic diseases; (ii) invasive surgical procedures, (iii) pharmaceutical agents administered by sub dermal injection, intramuscular injection, intravenous injection, subcutaneous injection or retro bulbar injection, (iv) opioid injections.

Within 90 days of the effective date of this act, the Board of Registration in Optometry is hereby directed to determine all professional and education requirements necessary to provide optometric treatment of glaucoma and the prescription of all oral anti-infective medications.

Prior to any Massachusetts licensed optometrists utilizing said glaucoma medications and all oral anti-infective medications, an optometrist must complete an educational program administered by the Massachusetts Society of Optometrists which shall be approved by an accredited college of optometry or medicine or shall otherwise meet the guidelines and requirements of the board of registration of optometry. The Board of Registration in Optometry shall provide, to the Department of Public Health and to each successful applicant, a certificate of qualification in the utilization and prescription of all therapeutic pharmaceutical agents necessary to treat glaucoma and all oral anti-infective medications.

Within 90 days after the effective date of this act, the Department of Public Health and the Board of Registration in Optometry shall promulgate the rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purpose of this act