Texas optometrists hope state laws will change to allow them to treat more complex eye conditions like glaucoma, according to The Eagle.
The key details to know:
1. A bill filed in the Texas state legislature in 2015 would have granted optometrists additional power to treat glaucoma, perform minor surgeries and prescribe more medication, but it was withdrawn after being referred to the House Public Health Committee.
2. Optometrists face fewer restrictions in states such as Louisiana and Oklahoma, where many Texas optometrists go to practice after finishing school.
3. Currently, if patients need antibiotics for more than 10 days, antivirals or other glaucoma treatment, they must be referred to an ophthalmologist, which can delay treatment.
4. Texas optometrists are lobbying state legislators to eliminate those restrictions. In January, Becker's reported proposed legislation in Arkansas would expand optometrists' scope of practice.
5. Those who oppose expanding optometrists' scope of practice say ophthalmologists have training optometrists lack. Texas Ophthalmological Association Executive Director Rachael Reed told The Eagle optometrists and ophthalmologists can work together, but optometrists treating glaucoma on their own can put the patient at risk.