Minor surgery provisions removed from optometrist bill

Senators narrowed and advanced a bill April 9 dealing with optometrist’s scope of practice in Nebraska.

As originally introduced by Omaha Sen. Sara Howard, LB526 would have authorized licensed optometrists in Nebraska who have completed the required training and demonstrated the necessary skills to:
• inject pharmaceutical agents into the eyelid for certain therapeutic purposes;
• perform minor surgical procedures on the eyelid and ocular adnexa; and
• prescribe oral steroids, oral antiglaucoma medication and immunosuppressives.

Howard offered an amendment on select file that removed all provisions except the authority to inject pharmaceutical agents for therapeutic purposes—including an epinephrine autoinjector for treatment of anaphylaxis—and the authority to prescribe oral steroids, oral antiglaucoma medication and oral immunosuppressive agents.

The amendment was the result of a compromise between ophthalmologists and optometrists, Howard said, and was an appropriate reflection of the way eye care has evolved since the last time that practice issues for the professions were addressed.

“As health care is changing, scope of practice has to change with it,” she said.

Lincoln Sen. Kathy Campbell supported the amendment. She said the two professions have been at odds for years regarding practice issues and she encouraged senators to support the compromise that the groups had reached.

“Scope of practice is never really worked out on the floor of the Legislature, nor should it be,” Campbell said.

Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers opposed the amendment, citing concerns about patient care.

“I don’t believe these optometrists ought to have any expansion in what they are allowed to do,” he said.

The Howard amendment was adopted on a 34-3 vote and the bill was advanced to final reading by voice vote.