South Carolina General Assembly
121st Session, 2015-2016

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

A43, R32, H3443

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Long, Erickson, Daning, Atwater, Bradley, Hixon, Newton, Ridgeway, Simrill, Spires, G.M. Smith, Weeks and Johnson
Document Path: l:\council\bills\ms\7071ahb15.docx
Companion/Similar bill(s): 466

Introduced in the House on January 28, 2015
Introduced in the Senate on March 31, 2015
Passed by the General Assembly on April 28, 2015
Governor's Action: May 7, 2015, Signed

Summary: Optometrists

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1/28/2015  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 12)
   1/28/2015  House   Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and 
                        Municipal Affairs (House Journal-page 12)
    2/4/2015  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: G.M.Smith, Weeks
   3/19/2015  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Johnson
   3/25/2015  House   Committee report: Favorable Medical, Military, Public 
                        and Municipal Affairs (House Journal-page 64)
   3/26/2015  House   Read second time (House Journal-page 29)
   3/26/2015  House   Roll call Yeas-99  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 29)
   3/26/2015  House   Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative 
                        day (House Journal-page 30)
   3/27/2015  House   Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 2)
   3/31/2015  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 8)
   3/31/2015  Senate  Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs 
                        (Senate Journal-page 8)
    4/1/2015  Senate  Recalled from Committee on Medical Affairs 
                        (Senate Journal-page 3)
   4/23/2015  Senate  Read second time (Senate Journal-page 22)
   4/23/2015  Senate  Roll call Ayes-41  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 22)
   4/28/2015  Senate  Read third time and enrolled (Senate Journal-page 13)
    5/7/2015          Ratified R 32
    5/7/2015          Signed By Governor
   5/14/2015          Effective date 05/07/15
    6/9/2015          Act No. 43

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

1/28/2015
3/25/2015
4/1/2015


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A43, R32, H3443)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 40-37-290, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE PURCHASING, POSSESSING, ADMINISTERING, SUPPLYING, AND PRESCRIBING OF CERTAIN PHARMACEUTICAL AGENTS BY OPTOMETRISTS AND THE PROHIBITION ON SCHEDULE I AND II CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES, SO AS TO CLARIFY THAT SCHEDULE II CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES THAT HAVE BEEN RECLASSIFIED FROM SCHEDULE III TO SCHEDULE II ON OR AFTER OCTOBER 6, 2014, MAY CONTINUE TO BE PURCHASED, POSSESSED, ADMINISTERED, SUPPLIED, AND PRESCRIBED BY AN OPTOMETRIST.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Optometrists, prescribing of certain pharmaceutical agents, exception for certain reclassified controlled substances

SECTION    1.    Section 40-37-290 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 40-37-290.    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an optometrist may purchase, possess, administer, supply, and prescribe pharmaceutical agents, including oral and topically applied medications other than Schedule I and II controlled substances as defined in Section 44-53-110 except controlled substances that have been reclassified from Schedule III to Schedule II effective on or after October 6, 2014, may continue to be purchased, possessed, administered, supplied, and prescribed by an optometrist, for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in the practice of optometry, except that:

(1)    when prescribing oral and topically applied medications, an optometrist is limited to these oral pharmaceutical agents: antihistamines, antimicrobial, antiglaucoma, over-the-counter drugs, and analgesics for the treatment of ocular and ocular adnexal eye disease. An optometrist may only prescribe these medications for the treatment of ocular and ocular adnexal eye disease;

(2)    when prescribing medications for the treatment of ocular and ocular adnexal disease, documentation in the patient's chart and appropriate consultations and referrals must be in accordance with the standard of care provided for in Section 40-37-310(E);

(3)    when prescribing analgesics, the prescription must be limited to a seven-day supply;

(4) when prescribing topical steroids, if after twenty-one days of treatment it is necessary to continue this medication, the optometrist shall communicate and collaborate with an ophthalmologist;

(5)    no medications may be given by injection or intravenously."

Time effective

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 7th day of May, 2015.

Approved the 7th day of May, 2015.

__________


This web page was last updated on July 20, 2015 at 4:24 PM