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The Florida Senate

2020 Florida Statutes

Title XXXII REGULATION OF PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
Chapter 463 OPTOMETRY Entire Chapter
SECTION 0135
Standards of practice.
F.S. 463.0135
463.0135 Standards of practice.—
(1) A licensed practitioner shall provide that degree of care which conforms to that level of care provided by medical practitioners in the same or similar communities. A licensed practitioner shall advise or assist her or his patient in obtaining further care when the service of another health care practitioner is required.
(2) A licensed practitioner diagnosing angle closure, infantile, or congenital forms of glaucoma shall refer the patient to a physician skilled in diseases of the eye and licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459.
(3) When an infectious corneal disease condition has not responded to standard methods of treatment within the scope of optometric practice, the certified optometrist shall consult with a physician skilled in diseases of the eye and licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459.
(4) A licensed practitioner shall promptly advise a patient to seek evaluation by a physician skilled in diseases of the eye and licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459 for diagnosis and possible treatment whenever the licensed practitioner is informed by the patient of the sudden onset of spots or “floaters” with loss of all or part of the visual field.
(5) The licensed practitioner shall routinely advise a patient to immediately contact the licensed practitioner if the patient experiences an adverse drug reaction.
(6) The licensed practitioner shall, when appropriate, refer to medical specialists or facilities patients who notify a licensed practitioner of an adverse drug reaction.
(7) The licensed practitioner shall place in a patient’s permanent record information describing any adverse drug reaction experienced by the patient, the date of such reaction, and whether any referral was made.
(8) The licensed practitioner shall maintain the names of at least three physicians, physician clinics, or hospitals to whom the licensed practitioner will refer patients who experience an adverse drug reaction. At least one of these physicians shall be a physician skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the eye and licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459.
(9) A licensed practitioner who believes a patient may have glaucoma shall promptly advise the patient of the serious nature of glaucoma. The licensed practitioner shall place in the patient’s permanent record that the practitioner provided such advice to the patient.
(10) A certified optometrist is authorized to perform any eye examination, including a dilated examination, required or authorized by chapter 548 or by rules adopted to implement that chapter.
(11) Co-management of postoperative care shall be conducted pursuant to the requirements of this section and a patient-specific transfer of care letter that governs the relationship between the physician who performed the surgery and the licensed practitioner. The patient must be fully informed of, and consent in writing to, the co-management relationship for his or her care. The transfer of care letter shall confirm that it is not medically necessary for the physician who performed the surgery to provide such postoperative care to the patient and that it is clinically appropriate for the licensed practitioner to provide such postoperative care. Before co-management of postoperative care commences, the patient shall be informed in writing that he or she has the right to be seen during the entire postoperative period by the physician who performed the surgery. In addition, the patient must be informed of the fees, if any, to be charged by the licensed practitioner and the physician performing the surgery, and must be provided with an accurate and comprehensive itemized statement of the specific postoperative care services that the physician performing the surgery and the licensed practitioner render, along with the charge for each service.
History.—ss. 14, 21, ch. 86-289; s. 70, ch. 91-137; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 237, ch. 97-103; s. 6, ch. 2013-26.