{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-320.240","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 320.240","heading":"Board's meetings, officers, powers, and duties -- Licensure and","body":"classification of optometrists -- Board to have sole authority over practice\nof optometry -- Authorization to administer and prescribe pharmaceutical\nagents and certain oral medications.\n(1) The  board shall meet at least once each year, at which time it shall choose\nfrom among its members  the president, vice president, and secretary-treasurer.\nIn addition, the board, upon call of its officers, may hold meetings at any time\nas it deems necessary. A full record of the board's proceedings shall be kept in\nthe office of the board and shall be open to inspection at all reasonable times.\n(2) The  board shall keep a register containing the name, address, and license\nnumber  of every person licensed to practice optometry in this state.\n(3) The Attorney General shall render to the board legal services as it may require\nin carrying out and enforcing the provisions of this chapter.\n(4) Subject to and consistent with the provisions of this chapter, the board shall\npromulgate reasonable administrative regulations and do any and all things\nthat it may  deem  necessary or proper for the effective enforcement of this\nchapter and for the full and efficient performance of its duties hereunder and\nthe reasonable regulation of the profession of optometry and the practice\nthereof by licensed optometrists. The administrative regulations shall include\nthe classification and licensure of optometrists by examination or credentials,\nretirement of a license, and reinstatement of a license.\n(5) An optometrist shall not administer drugs, prescribe drugs, or perform laser or\nnonlaser surgery procedures until he or she is licensed by the board. Any\ntherapeutically licensed optometrist authorized to practice under this section\nshall meet the educational and competence criteria set forth by the board in\norder to perform expanded  therapeutic procedures. Evidence of proof of\ncontinuing competency shall be determined by the board.\n(6) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as allowing any agency, board, or\nother entity of this state other than the Kentucky Board of Optometric\nExaminers to determine what constitutes the practice of optometry.\n(7) The  board shall have the sole authority to determine what constitutes the\npractice of optometry and sole jurisdiction to exercise any other powers and\nduties under this chapter. The  board may  issue advisory opinions and\ndeclaratory rulings related to this chapter and the administrative regulations\npromulgated under this chapter.\n(8) The board shall have:\n(a) A common  seal;\n(b) The right to determine what acts on the part of any person licensed as an\noptometrist in this state shall constitute unprofessional conduct under this\nchapter; and\n(c) Other powers and duties as authorized by this chapter.\n(9) The board may administer oaths and require the attendance of witnesses, the\nproduction of books, records, and papers pertinent to any matters coming\nbefore the board by the issuance of process that shall be served and returned\nin the same manner as in civil actions and for the disobedience of which the\nboard shall have the power to invoke the same  rights as are provided for\ndisobedience of a subpoena or subpoena duces tecum in a civil action.\n(10) The board may assist in the prosecution of any violation of this chapter and in\nthe enforcement of any of the provisions of this chapter.\n(11) The board shall report its proceedings to the Governor on or about January 1\nof each year, including an accounting of all moneys received and disbursed.\n(12) The board may permit persons engaging in the practice of optometry under the\nprovisions of this chapter to administer diagnostic pharmaceutical agents\nlimited to miotics for emergency  use only, mydriatics, cycloplegics, and\nanesthetics applied topically only, but excluding any drug classified as a\ncontrolled substance pursuant to KRS  Chapter 218A. These pharmaceutical\nagents shall be applied in diagnostic procedures only as part of an eye\nexamination. The application of the diagnostic pharmaceutical agents shall be\nlimited to those persons who  have sufficient education and professional\ncompetence  as determined by the board and who  have earned transcript\ncredits of at least six (6) semester hours in a course or courses in general and\nocular pharmacology, with particular emphasis on diagnostic pharmaceutical\nagents applied topically to the eye, from a college or university accredited by a\nregional or professional accreditation organization which is recognized or\napproved  by the council on postsecondary accreditation or by the United\nStates Department of Education.\n(13) The  board may  authorize only those persons who have qualified for use of\ndiagnostic pharmaceutical agents as set out in subsection (12) of this section\nto utilize and prescribe therapeutic pharmaceutical agents in the examination\nor treatment of any condition of the eye or its appendages. Any therapeutically\ncertified optometrist licensed under the provisions of this subsection shall be\nauthorized to prescribe oral medications, except any controlled substances\nclassified in Schedule I and any controlled substances classified in Schedule II\nother than hydrocodone combination products as defined in KRS  218A.010, for\nany condition which an optometrist is authorized to treat under the provisions of\nthis chapter. The use of injections for other than treatment of the human  eye\nand  its appendages  shall be  limited to the administration of benadryl,\nepinephrine, or  equivalent medication to  counteract anaphylaxis or\nanaphylactic reaction. In a public health emergency, the commissioner of\nhealth may  authorize therapeutically licensed optometrists to administer\ninoculation for systemic health reasons. The authority to prescribe a Schedule\nII hydrocodone combination product as defined in KRS  218A.010 and a\nSchedule III, IV, or V controlled substance shall be limited to prescriptions for a\nquantity sufficient to provide treatment for up to seventy-two (72) hours. No\nrefills of prescriptions for controlled substances shall be allowed. The utilization\nor prescribing of therapeutic pharmaceutical agents shall be limited to those\npersons  who  have  sufficient education and  professional competence  as\ndetermined by the board and who have earned transcript credits of at least six\n(6) semester hours in a course or courses in general and ocular pathology and\ntherapy, with particular emphasis on utilization of therapeutic pharmaceutical\nagents from a college or university accredited by a regional or professional\naccreditation organization which is recognized or approved by the council on\npostsecondary accreditation or by the United States Department of Education.\nThese  six (6) semester hours are in addition to the six (6) semester hours\nrequired by subsection (12) of this section, making a total of twelve (12)\nsemester hours.\n(14) Any  optometrist authorized by the board to utilize diagnostic pharmaceutical\nagents shall be permitted to purchase for use in the practice of optometry\ndiagnostic pharmaceutical agents limited to miotics for emergency use only,\nmydriatics, cycloplegics, and anesthetics. Any optometrist authorized by the\nboard  to utilize therapeutic pharmaceutical agents shall be permitted to\nprescribe in the practice of optometry therapeutic pharmaceutical agents.\nOptometrists so authorized by the board to purchase pharmaceutical agents\nshall obtain them from licensed drug suppliers or pharmacists on written orders\nplaced in the same  or similar manner as any physician or other practitioner\nauthorized by  KRS  Chapter 217. Purchases  shall be  limited to those\npharmaceutical agents specified in this subsection and in subsection (12) of\nthis section, based upon the authority conferred upon the optometrist by the\nboard consistent with the educational qualifications of the optometrist as set\nout herein.","path":["KRS Chapter 320"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=44891","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:58:16Z","sha256":"0535bd705a8d1ea3cc54baebb108a3fb036f1ce670f4dc43f31a502baa575143","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-320.230","next":"us-ky/krs-320.242"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}