This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
South Carolina optometrists gain freedom in consultation, referral
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Optometrists in South Carolina will now have further autonomy in treatment and referral, due to three significant changes made in the state legislature in August. Although they had originally sought further amendments, the state optometric association considers these three gains to be a promising start in more effective comanagement.
“We had tried to go a little further, but the legislators advised us to just do this right now,” said Timothy P. Burrell, OD, FAAO, immediate past president of the South Carolina Optometric Association (SCOA). “They told us that if we need to expand any further, try again another time.”
More freedom in comanagement
The legislative changes, which were signed into law Aug. 8 by Gov. Jim Hodges, deal primarily with consultation and referral between optometrists and ophthalmologists.
The first revision, Dr. Burrell said, pertains to the prescription of beta-blockers for glaucoma. “Under our old law, if we wanted to prescribe a beta-blocker for glaucoma, we would have to consult with the primary care physician,” Dr. Burrell said. “Now, we don’t have to do that any longer.”
The second change addresses the comanagement of patients who are using topical steroids, Dr. Burrell said. Previously, he said, an optometrist treating a patient with topical steroids was required to consult with an ophthalmologist on day 10 of treatment and refer the patient on day 21. “Now, we have to consult with the ophthalmologist at day 21, and there is no mandatory referral at all,” Dr. Burrell said.
The final legislative change dealt with optometrists’ freedom to refer patients to other optometrists, Dr. Burrell said. “Under the old law, a therapeutic optometrist could not refer to another therapeutic optometrist — it had to be to an MD,” Dr. Burrell said. “Now, we can refer back and forth, as long as the optometrists are therapeutically certified.”
Opposition from medical doctors
The amended legislation took effect upon Mr. Hodges’ signature, Dr. Burrell said. In pushing for the expanded privileges, optometrists met with a good deal of opposition from ophthalmologists and other doctors.
“There was a good bit [of opposition] from medicine in general,” Dr. Burrell said. “They don’t want any non-MDs expanding their scope.”
Dr. Burrell maintained that optometrists are amply qualified and should be able to treat their patients as needed. “We’re educated – we know what we’re doing,” he said, “and as we become more qualified, we should be able to treat our patients as deemed necessary.”
Sought expanded orals
Originally, the SCOA had also sought to expand the range of oral medications that optometrists are permitted to prescribe. Currently, optometrists in South Carolina can prescribe any topicals, but they are limited to four classes of oral medications: pain relievers, anti-glaucoma agents, anti-microbials and antihistamines, Dr. Burrell said.
“We asked to open it up for possible future drugs,” he said “When something new comes out, we don’t want to have to come around to the legislature every time.”
This expansion of scope met with a great deal of opposition, Dr. Burrell said, and ultimately became a “sticking point.” Because the SCOA was interested in the expedient passing of the first three legislative changes, the group agreed to temporarily back down on the other issue.
“In this case, we took what we could get, and in the future, we’ll come back,” Dr. Burrell said.
For Your Information:
- Timothy P. Burrell, OD, FAAO, is immediate past president of the South Carolina Optometric Association. He can be reached at 1066 Boiling Springs Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29305; (864) 582-2407; fax: (864) 582-0279; e-mail: burrell@innova.net.