Massachusetts § 68A - Examination for use of diagnostic pharmaceutical agents

§ 68A. Examination for use of diagnostic pharmaceutical agents

Section 68A. The board of registration in optometry shall annually administer an examination designed to measure the qualifications necessary in order to safely utilize the optical application of the diagnostic pharmaceutical agents provided for in section sixty-six A. Said examination shall be held in conjunction with the examination provided for in section sixty-eight and shall include any portion of the annual examination prepared by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry which covers the subject matter of pharmacology.

Such examination shall be open upon application to any optometrist registered under the provisions of this chapter and to any person who meets the qualifications for examination under section sixty-eight; provided, however, that each applicant shall furnish to the board satisfactory evidence of the completion of a qualifying course of study relating to the topical application to the eye of diagnostic pharmaceutical agents. Such a qualifying course of study shall be at a duly accredited medical school or college of optometry. The board shall, from time to time, adopt rules and regulations prescribing the content of said course of study; provided, however, that said course of study shall require a combined total of at least ninety-five hours of study and shall include the following areas of study:

(A) general pharmacology: four hours in biochemistry; eight hours in general physiology, two of which shall be in pediatric physiology; eight hours in pharmacology, three of which shall be in pediatric pharmacology; and ten hours in indications and ocular effects of commonly prescribed drugs, two of which shall be in indications of effects in pediatric situations;

(B) ocular pharmacology: eight hours in ocular pharmacology and eight hours in the study of particular topically applied agents, including but not limited to, anesthetics, dyes, mydriatics, cycloplegics, and contact lens solutions;

(C) interpretation and patient management: six hours each in the study of anterior and posterior segment, two hours in pediatric eye diseases; two hours in glaucoma; and one hour in ocular emergency;

(D) cardiopulmonary resuscitation, including treatment of anaphylaxis: four hours; and

(E) supervised clinical practice, including six hours in pediatric practice: thirty hours.

The board shall transmit to all successful applicants a certificate of qualification for the practice of optometry in accordance with the provisions of section sixty-six A.