Mississippi § 73-19-105 - Educational requirements; examination.

§ 73-19-105. Educational requirements; examination.

Before any optometrist or any applicant for a license to practice optometry may be certified to use diagnostic pharmaceutical agents as authorized in Section 73-19-103, he shall submit satisfactory evidence to the State Board of Optometry that he has successfully completed a course or courses in pharmacology as they apply to optometry, with particular emphasis on the topical application of diagnostic pharmaceutical agents to the eye, and any additional educational requirements prescribed by the State Board of Optometry with the advice and consultation of the designated members of the State Board of Medical Licensure and the State Board of Pharmacy. Such course or courses in pharmacology and any additional educational requirements prescribed shall be completed at an institution accredited by a regional professional accreditation organization that is recognized or approved by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation or the United States Department of Education or its successors and approved by the State Board of Optometry with the advice and consultation of the designated members of the State Board of Medical Licensure and the State Board of Pharmacy. Upon the successful completion of all specified educational requirements, any optometrist or any applicant for a license to practice optometry who desires certification to use diagnostic pharmaceutical agents as authorized in Section 73-19-103 shall satisfactorily pass an examination administered by the State Board of Optometry. Such examination shall be prepared by the State Board of Optometry with the advice and consultation of the designated members of the State Board of Medical Licensure and the State Board of Pharmacy. No credit for such examination may be given unless the applicant for certification has achieved a score equal to or greater than a score which is generally accepted in medical schools as a passing score for the same subject areas of the examination, as determined by the State Board of Optometry. All examinations and scores shall be made available for inspection to the State Board of Medical Licensure and the State Board of Pharmacy through their designated members. The additional educational requirements necessary to become certified to use diagnostic pharmaceutical agents may be completed simultaneously with the educational requirements necessary to become licensed to practice optometry or may be completed after the person is licensed to practice optometry. Any applicant for a license to practice optometry who has met the additional educational requirements for certification to use diagnostic pharmaceutical agents may take the examination to become licensed to practice optometry and the examination to become certified to use diagnostic pharmaceutical agents at the same time.