Action Center
Call to Action for Physicians
Dangerous legislation (HB 631/SB 876) is making its way through the Florida Legislature that would greatly expand the scope of practice for optometrists. Organized optometry is pushing legislation to give the Florida Board of Optometry full control to determine the scope of practice for optometrists. In addition, optometry is seeking to expand their scope to include surgical privileges including eyelid surgeries, refractive surgeries, surgeries involving needles, puncture of the cornea in emergencies - with multiple modalities such as scalpels, lasers, needles, ultrasound, ionizing radiation and by burning and freezing tissue. Finally, this legislation, if passed, would also extend optometry’s prescribing authority to virtually all oral medications, including opioids.
We need our fellow physician colleague's help in reaching out to members of the legislature to help in educating them about the vast differences in education of ophthalmologists and optometrists.
Please contact your legislators and urge them to do what is in the best interest of patient safety and reject this dangerous and unnecessary attempt to expand optometry’s scope of practice.