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.

  (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.

  (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. (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.)