Effective: January 21, 2018
Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly
(A) The state vision professionals board shall adopt rules governing the authority of licensed optometrists practicing under therapeutic pharmaceutical agents certificates to employ, apply, administer, and prescribe analgesic controlled substances. The rules shall be adopted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code and in consultation with the state board of pharmacy.
(B) All of the following apply to the state vision professionals board in the adoption of rules under this section:
(1) The board shall not permit an optometrist to employ, apply, administer, or prescribe an analgesic controlled substance other than a drug product that is used for the treatment of pain and meets one of the following conditions:
(a) The product is a preparation that contains an amount of codeine per dosage unit, as specified by the board, and also contains other active, nonnarcotic ingredients, such as acetaminophen or aspirin, in a therapeutic amount.
(b) The product is a preparation that contains an amount of hydrocodone per dosage unit, as specified by the board, and also contains other active, nonnarcotic ingredients, such as acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen, in a therapeutic amount.
(c) The product contains or consists of a drug or dangerous drug that was an analgesic included in the practice of optometry under a therapeutic pharmaceutical agents certificate immediately prior to March 23, 2015, was not a controlled substance at that time, and subsequently becomes a schedule II, III, IV, or V controlled substance.
(2) The board shall limit the analgesic controlled substances that optometrists may employ, apply, administer, or prescribe to the drugs that the board determines are appropriate for use in the practice of optometry under a therapeutic pharmaceutical agents certificate.
(3) With regard to the prescribing of analgesic controlled substances, the board shall establish prescribing standards to be followed by optometrists who hold therapeutic pharmaceutical agents certificates. The board shall take into account the prescribing standards that exist within the health care marketplace.
(4) The board shall establish standards and procedures for employing, applying, administering, and prescribing analgesic controlled substances under a therapeutic pharmaceutical agents certificate by taking into consideration and examining issues that include the appropriate length of drug therapy, appropriate standards for drug treatment, necessary monitoring systems, and any other factors the board considers relevant.