A bill for an act
relating to health; occupational licensing; modifying limitations on prescribing
and administering certain drugs by optometrists; making technical changes;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 148.56, subdivision 1.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 148.56, subdivision 1, is amended to read:


Subdivision 1.

Optometry defined.

(a) Any person shall be deemed to be practicing
optometry within the meaning of sections 148.52 to 148.62 who shall in any way:

(1) advertise as an optometrist; deleted text beginor
deleted text end

(2) employ any means, including the use of autorefractors or other automated testing
devices, for the measurement of the powers of vision or the adaptation of lenses or prisms
for the aid thereof; deleted text beginor
deleted text end

(3) possess testing appliances for the purpose of the measurement of the powers of vision;
deleted text begin or
deleted text end

(4) diagnose any disease, optical deficiency or deformity, or visual or muscular anomaly
of the visual system consisting of the human eye and its accessory or subordinate anatomical
parts; deleted text beginor
deleted text end

(5) prescribe lenses, including plano or cosmetic contact lenses, or prisms for the
correction or the relief of same; deleted text beginor
deleted text end

(6) employ or prescribe ocular exercises, orthoptics, or habilitative and rehabilitative
therapeutic vision care; or

(7) prescribe or administer legend drugs to aid in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation,
prevention, treatment, or management of disease, deficiency, deformity, or abnormality of
the human eye and adnexa included in the curricula of accredited schools or colleges of
optometry, and as limited by Minnesota statute and adopted rules by the Board of Optometry,
or who holds oneself out as being able to do so.

(b) In the course of treatment, nothing in this section shall allow:

deleted text begin (1) legend drugs to be administered intravenously, intramuscularly, or by injection,
except for treatment of anaphylaxis;
deleted text end

new text begin (1) intravitreal injections;
new text end

(2) invasive surgery including, but not limited to, surgery using lasers;

(3) Schedule II and III oral legend drugs deleted text beginand oral steroidsdeleted text end to be administered or
prescribed;new text begin or
new text end

new text begin (4) oral steroids to be prescribed or administered for more than 14 days without
consultation with a physician.
new text end

deleted text begin (4) oral antivirals to be prescribed or administered for more than ten days; or
deleted text end

deleted text begin (5) oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors to be prescribed or administered for more than
seven days.
deleted text end

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 148.56