HB197 Alabama 2020 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Danny GarrettRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2020

Title

Optometrists, practice of optometry defined, Board of Optometry to regulate, Secs. 20-2-2, 34-22-1 am'd.

Summary

HB 197 would expand optometrists' scope of practice in Alabama and confirm the Alabama Board of Optometry's exclusive regulatory authority, while clarifying the board's role under the state's controlled substances laws.

What This Bill Does

It broadens what optometrists may diagnose, treat, and perform, and adds authority to prescribe and administer certain pharmaceutical agents related to eye care. It allows optometrists to prescribe and administer steroids and certain controlled substances within limits set by the board and the Alabama Uniform Controlled Substances Act, including restrictions on schedules and prescription duration. It authorizes specific eye-care procedures (such as certain injections, chalazion removal, lid-lesion removal, and several laser treatments) but prohibits invasive eye surgeries that require general anesthesia. It designates the Alabama Board of Optometry as the certifying board under the controlled substances act (with exceptions) and gives it exclusive power to define the practice of optometry and issue advisory opinions.

Who It Affects

• Optometrists in Alabama — gain expanded authority to diagnose, treat, and perform certain procedures and to prescribe and administer specific medications under board rules.
• Patients in Alabama — may have broader access to eye care from optometrists and a wider range of treatments and medications for eye conditions.
• Alabama Board of Optometry — becomes the sole regulator of optometry and the certifying board under the controlled substances act (with specific exceptions) and can issue guidance to practitioners.
• Ophthalmologists and other eye care providers — may experience changes in practice boundaries or collaboration dynamics due to expanded optometry scope and regulatory changes.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 34-22-1 to redefine the scope of the practice of optometry, including diagnosis, treatment, measurement, fitting of lenses (including contact lenses), determination of refractive error, and prescribing pharmaceutical agents related to eye care, with board-approved limitations.
• Authorizes the practice of optometry to prescribe and administer pharmaceutical agents, including steroids and certain narcotics under the Alabama Uniform Controlled Substances Act, with schedules and prescription duration limits (e.g., certain Schedule III drugs limited to a 96-hour prescription).
• Authorizes optometrists to administer medications to counteract anaphylaxis (e.g., Benadryl) and requires board approval for the range of pharmaceutical agents used to treat the eye and adjacent structures.
• Allows specific procedures for optometrists: injections (excluding posterior chamber eye injections for treating macular/retinal disease), chalazion removal, lid lesion removal/biopsy, laser capsulotomy, laser trabeculoplasty, laser peripheral iridotomy, and corneal crosslinking.
• Prohibits optometrists from performing certain invasive eye surgeries, including eyeball injections, cataract surgery, muscle surgery, retinal surgery, refractive laser surgery, cryosurgery, or other general anesthesia–requiring procedures.
• Designates the Alabama Board of Optometry as a certifying board under the controlled substances act, with exclusive authority to define the practice of optometry and to issue advisory opinions and declaratory rulings related to this chapter, subject to chapter limitations.
• Amends Section 20-2-2 to clarify the board’s status as a certifying board under the Alabama Uniform Controlled Substances Act, with specified exceptions and definitions.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Optometry, Alabama Board of