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New law expands privileges of optometrists in Kentucky
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Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear signed a bill into law on Thursday that allows optometrists to perform injections and laser procedures that previously only ophthalmologists could perform.
The new law, which Gov. Beshear said in a statement is intended to give Kentucky residents greater access to eye care, is already a source of contention between the ophthalmology and optometry communities.
The law grants optometrists the privilege to administer pharmaceutical agents, remove non-cancerous skin growths and perform laser therapies other than PRK, LASIK and retinal procedures. In addition, the law says that the optometric board of examiners is the only agency in Kentucky that can determine the scope of practice.
The new law is a "serious blow to patient safety," American Academy of Ophthalmology President Richard L. Abbott, MD, said in a statement released in response to the signing of the bill, adding that complicated eye surgeries should be performed only by medical physicians with proper clinical training.
"Just like we only rely on trained pilots to fly our airplanes, surgery should only be performed by surgeons," Dr. Abbott said in the statement. "Optometrists simply do not have the training necessary to perform these procedures or manage the kinds of serious complications that can arise during surgery."