The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 26 : Professions and Occupations

Chapter 030 : Optometry

Subchapter 001 : General Provisions

• § 1703. Definitions

  As used in this chapter:

  (1) “Board” means the State Board of Optometry.

  [Subdivision (2) effective until July 1, 2028; see also subdivision (2) effective July 1, 2028, set out below.]

  (2) The “practice of optometry” means any one or combination of the following practices:

  (A) Examining the human eyes and visual system for purposes of:

  (i) diagnosing refractive and functional ability; or

  (ii) diagnosing the presence of eye and adnexa disease or injury, treating the disease or injury with the appropriate pharmaceutical agents and procedures in accordance with this chapter, and making referrals to the appropriate health care provider when warranted.

  (B) Diagnosing and correcting anomalies of the refractive and functional ability of the visual system and the enhancement of visual performance including the following:

  (i) prescribing and using ophthalmic lenses, prisms, autorefractor or other automatic testing devices, frames, ophthalmic aids, and prosthetic materials as consistent with the health of the eye;

  (ii) prescribing and employing contact lenses; and

  (iii) administering visual training, vision therapy, orthoptics, and pleoptics.

  (C) Prescribing appropriate pharmaceutical agents for the diagnosis, management, and treatment of the eye and adnexa.

  (D) Removing superficial foreign bodies from the eye and adnexa; epilating the eyelashes, including by electrolysis; and punctal dilation, lacrimal irrigation, and punctal plugs insertion.

  (E) Managing the following types of glaucoma in patients who are 16 years of age or older:

  (i) adult primary open angle glaucoma;

  (ii) exfoliative glaucoma;

  (iii) pigmentary glaucoma;

  (iv) low tension glaucoma;

  (v) inflammatory (uveitic) glaucoma; and

  (vi) emergency treatment of angle closure glaucoma.

  [Subdivision (2) effective July 1, 2028; see also subdivision (2) effective until July 1, 2028, set out above.]

  (2)(A) The “practice of optometry” means any one or combination of the following practices:

  (i) Examining the human eyes and visual system for purposes of:

  (I) diagnosing refractive and functional ability; or

  (II) diagnosing the presence of eye and adnexa disease or injury, treating the disease or injury with the appropriate therapeutic pharmaceutical agents and procedures in accordance with this chapter, and making referrals to the appropriate health care provider when warranted.

  (ii) Diagnosing and correcting anomalies of the refractive and functional ability of the visual system and the enhancement of visual performance including the following:

  (I) prescribing and using ophthalmic lenses, prisms, autorefractor or other automatic testing devices, frames, ophthalmic aids, and prosthetic materials as consistent with the health of the eye;

  (II) prescribing and employing contact lenses; and

  (III) administering visual training, vision therapy, orthoptics, and pleoptics.

  (iii) Prescribing and administering appropriate therapeutic pharmaceutical agents, as defined in this section, for the diagnosis, management, and treatment of the eye and adnexa.

  (iv) Removing superficial foreign bodies from the eye and adnexa; epilating the eyelashes, including by electrolysis; and punctal dilation, lacrimal irrigation, and punctal plugs insertion.

  (v) Managing the following types of glaucoma in patients who are 16 years of age or older:

  (I) adult primary open angle glaucoma;

  (II) exfoliative glaucoma;

  (III) pigmentary glaucoma;

  (IV) low tension glaucoma;

  (V) inflammatory (uveitic) glaucoma; and

  (VI) emergency treatment of angle closure glaucoma.

  (vi) For an optometrist holding an advanced therapeutic procedures specialty issued pursuant to subchapter 5 of this chapter, performing the following advanced therapeutic procedures:

  (I) surgery to remove lesions from the eye and adnexa and the accompanied restoration of tissue, including only the following:

  (aa) excision and repair of nonrecurrent chalazia;

  (bb) excision and biopsy of nonrecurrent lesions of the adnexa without characteristics or obvious signs of malignancy, excluding any lesion involving the eyelid margin, involving the lacrimal supply or drainage systems, deeper than the orbicularis muscle, or larger than five millimeters in diameter;

  (cc) closure of wounds resulting from removal of a lesion;

  (dd) repair of an eyelid laceration not larger than 2.5 centimeters, not deeper than the orbicularis muscle and not involving the eyelid margin or lacrimal drainage structures; and

  (ee) corneal crosslinking;

  (II) the following laser procedures:

  (aa) laser capsulotomy;

  (bb) laser peripheral iridotomy; and

  (cc) laser trabeculoplasty; and

  (III) the following injections:

  (aa) injections of therapeutic pharmaceutical agents into the eyelid or its adnexa, including into the subconjunctival space, and including injections for the removal of chalazia and injections to administer local anesthesia;

  (bb) injections to perform fluorescein angiography;

  (cc) injections of epinephrine for treatment of anaphylactic shock; and

  (dd) if authorized by the Commissioner of Health during a public health emergency, vaccinations for systemic health reasons.

  (B) The practice of optometry does not include performing any of the practices set forth in section 1720 of this chapter.

  (3) “Director” means the Director of the Office of Professional Regulation.

  (4) “Financial interest” means being:

  (A) a licensed practitioner of optometry; or

  (B) a person who deals in goods and services that are uniquely related to the practice of optometry; or

  (C) a person who has invested anything of value in a business that provides optometric services.

  (5) “Contact lenses” means those lenses that are worn for cosmetic, therapeutic, or refractive purposes.

  [Subdivisions (6)-(7) effective July 1, 2028.]

  (6) “Adverse event” means any untoward incident, therapeutic misadventure, iatrogenic injury, or other undesirable outcome directly associated with care or services provided by a health care provider or a health care facility, as those terms are defined in 18 V.S.A. § 9402.

  (7)(A) “Therapeutic pharmaceutical agent” means any prescription or nonprescription drug used or prescribed for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, or mitigation of abnormal conditions and pathology of the human eye or its adnexa.

  (B) “Therapeutic pharmaceutical agent” does not include:

  (i) any drug or other substance that must be administered by intraocular injection or intraocular implementation, except as authorized by subdivision (2)(A)(vi)(III) of this section for an optometrist holding an advanced therapeutic procedures specialty issued pursuant to subchapter 5 of this chapter; or

  (ii) any drug or other substance that is prohibited under subsection 1720(b) of this chapter. (Added 1979, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1983, No. 242 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2003, No. 108 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2009, No. 35, § 27; 2009, No. 103 (Adj. Sess.), § 11; 2011, No. 116 (Adj. Sess.), § 23; 2019, No. 30, § 12; 2025, No. 171 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2028.)