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Georgia governor signs OD injection bill
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Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed Senate Bill 153 into law May 9, authorizing optometrists in the state to perform certain injections.
“A doctor of optometry may administer pharmaceutical agents related to the diagnosis or treatment of diseases and conditions of the eye and adnexa oculi by injection, except for sub-Tenon, retrobulbar, peribulbar, facial nerve block, subconjunctival anesthetic, dermal filler, intravenous injections, intramuscular injections, intraorbital nerve block, intraocular or botulinum toxin injections...,” according to the legislation.
Optometrists are permitted to perform injections only after completing an injectables training program of at least 30 hours and approved by the board and “under the direct supervision of a physician licensed under Chapter 34 of this title and board certified in ophthalmology.”
SB 153 also specifies that optometrists are permitted to treat ocular pain with nonnarcotic oral analgesics, hydrocodone administered orally and oral analgesics in Schedule III or Schedule IV.