California optometry scope expansion bill tabled until 2015

A bill in California that intended to allow optometrists to use therapeutic lasers and pharmaceutical agents approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as well as immunizations has been ordered to inactive file, according to the California legislature website.

John G. Rosten, OD, president of the California Optometric Association, announced in an update on the bill that scope expansion had proved difficult in the state.

"The long discussions we had with the California Medical Association, the California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, the California Academy of Family Physicians and others proved to be as unproductive as they were time consuming," he said. "The end result is that no agreement was reached between the parties. In our view, the facts were often distorted and the opportunity to make positive change for vulnerable California families was displaced with a myopic view of patient care by the opposition."

In an email to Primary Care Optometry News, Rosten acknowledged that recent amendments to the bill had reduced scope changes to just the allowance of immunizations.

"SB 492 was diminished to a state that would not have benefited Californians seeking proper eye care. We are grateful for the effort put forth by Sen. Ed Hernandez and look forward to working with the legislature to pass meaningful scope of practice legislation next year," Rosten said.

"Our goal is to allow optometrists to practice more fully aligned with their education, training and experience.”

As the bill has been ordered to inactive file, lawmakers can take it up at a later date.

Rosten noted in his announcement that the new legislative year begins in January 2015. – by Chelsea Frajerman