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Nebraska expands optometrists’ scope of practice
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Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman signed LB 526 into law at the end of April, according to a press release.
The bill removed restrictions, allowing optometrists prescriptive authority in regard to oral steroids, oral glaucoma medications and immunosuppressives, according to the legislation.
“Pharmaceutical agents, for therapeutic purposes, includes an epinephrine autoinjector for treatment of anaphylaxis and an oral steroid, oral glaucoma agent or immunosuppressive agent,” the bill reads.
“The restrictions that were lifted by LB 526 were really the only ones we had in our law regarding oral prescriptive authority,”
The bill was originally introduced as two bills in January 2013, which were combined into LB 526 during the course of the 2014 legislative session, according to McBride.
“The combined bill would have removed current restrictions on prescribing oral steroids, oral glaucoma agents and oral immunosuppressives; authorized specific procedures for treating eyelid cysts; and authorized injections into the eyelid related to those procedures, along with injections for treating anaphylaxis,” he said. “Language in the amended bill was modified to reflect recommendations that resulted from last year’s administrative review of our proposed changes.”
McBride also told PCON that, while the bill had support from both the legislature and the public, ophthalmology opposed and intensely lobbied against LB 526.
“Ophthalmology offered a compromise, agreeing to lift the remaining restrictions on oral medications and to authorize injections for treating anaphylaxis and acknowledging that no specific additional education or training would be required relative to this authority,” McBride explained. “The compromise enabled NOA to assure an expedited approval of the bill in the waning hours of the session and removed any chance of a gubernatorial veto following adjournment. The compromise removed the provisions involving minor surgical procedures and injections into the eyelid, but the amended bill was sent to final-round consideration and passed on the final day of the session on a 45-0-1 vote. The governor signed it into law on April 22.
“We are pleased to have advanced the scope of care that our doctors can provide for their patients, and LB 526 takes another step toward addressing our concern for increasing patient access to care,” he continued. “It certainly does not accomplish all of our goals in that regard, and our legislative committee and board remain committed to pursuit of the additional updates to our practice act that will enable our doctors to serve the primary care needs of their patients.” – by Chelsea Frajerman