Optometrists; doctors of optometry to dispense and sell pharmaceutical agents to patients under certain conditions; provide
Summary
SB 140 amends Georgia law governing pharmacists, pharmacies, and optometrists to expressly authorize doctors of optometry to dispense and sell certain pharmaceutical agents to patients, but only under specified conditions. The authority is limited to non-controlled substances used for the treatment of diseases and conditions of the eye and adnexa oculi, and the optometrist must be on the premises, actively involved in the dispensing process, and provide patient counseling on proper use.
The bill also requires optometrists who dispense these agents to document the drug name, strength, quantity, and use in the patient record, maintain a readily retrievable inventory/dispensing record system, and comply with applicable State Board of Pharmacy rules and Code Section 26-4-130. It further clarifies that the measure does not expand an optometrist’s administrative or prescriptive authority, and it revises related statutory language in the optometry chapter to reflect that optometrists may use, dispense, sell, prescribe, or administer drugs only as otherwise permitted by law.
Impact
The bill changes Georgia’s statutory framework by adding optometrists to the definition of “practitioner” in the pharmacy code and by creating an explicit optometry-law exception allowing dispensing and sale of certain eye-related pharmaceutical agents. It affects both Title 26 (pharmacy regulation) and Title 43 (optometry regulation), and it ties optometrists’ dispensing practices to pharmacy-board compliance requirements, recordkeeping, and labeling/packaging rules. The practical effect is to broaden in-office treatment options for patients while preserving limits on controlled substances and on the scope of optometric practice.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and moved with overwhelming votes in both chambers, including a 54-1 Senate passage, a 166-0 House passage, and unanimous Senate agreement to the House substitute. The voting pattern suggests general approval of the measure’s limited expansion of optometrists’ dispensing authority and its patient-care focus. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded debate in the supplied materials indicating significant opposition.
Contention
The main policy tension in SB 140 is between expanding access to eye-related medications in optometrists’ offices and preserving the traditional boundaries between optometry, pharmacy, and medicine. The bill addresses that concern by limiting the authority to non-controlled substances, requiring the optometrist’s direct involvement, and expressly stating that it does not expand prescriptive or administrative authority. Any potential concern would likely come from stakeholders worried about scope-of-practice expansion or pharmacy-regulatory compliance, while supporters would emphasize convenience, efficiency, and continuity of care for patients.
An Act to amend and reenact § 54.1-3304.1 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 54.1-3222.1, relating to TPA-certified optometrists; selling and dispensing Schedule VI controlled substances; requirements.