South Carolina General Assembly
121st Session, 2015-2016

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S. 466

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Cleary, Alexander, Bright and Davis
Document Path: l:\council\bills\ms\7099ahb15.docx
Companion/Similar bill(s): 3443

Introduced in the Senate on February 18, 2015
Introduced in the House on April 16, 2015
Currently residing in the House Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs

Summary: Optometrists

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   2/18/2015  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 5)
   2/18/2015  Senate  Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs 
                        (Senate Journal-page 5)
   3/10/2015  Senate  Committee report: Favorable Medical Affairs 
                        (Senate Journal-page 21)
   3/12/2015  Senate  Read second time (Senate Journal-page 13)
   3/12/2015  Senate  Roll call Ayes-41  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 13)
   4/15/2015  Senate  Read third time and sent to House 
                        (Senate Journal-page 15)
   4/16/2015  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 27)
   4/16/2015  House   Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and 
                        Municipal Affairs (House Journal-page 27)

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

2/18/2015
3/10/2015

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

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COMMITTEE REPORT

March 10, 2015

S. 466

Introduced by Senator Cleary

S. Printed 3/10/15--S.

Read the first time February 18, 2015.

            

THE COMMITTEE ON MEDICAL AFFAIRS

To whom was referred a Bill (S. 466) to amend Section 40-37-290, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating to the purchasing, possessing, administering, supplying, and prescribing of certain, etc., respectfully

REPORT:

That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass:

HARVEY S. PEELER, JR. for Committee.

            

A BILL

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:

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."

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

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This web page was last updated on April 17, 2015 at 11:55 AM