Bill > S00621

This bill amends the New York Education Law to expand the definitions and scope of pharmaceutical agents that optometrists can use in their practice. Specifically, the bill broadens the definitions of diagnostic pharmaceuticals, topical therapeutic pharmaceutical agents, and therapeutic pharmaceutical agents for glaucoma and ocular hypertension. The key changes include removing specific lists of drugs from the existing law and replacing them with more flexible language that allows optometrists to use FDA-approved, commercially available topical agents for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The bill also expands the area of application from "surface of the eye" to "eye and adnexa" (the surrounding structures and tissues), which gives optometrists more flexibility in treating patients. Additionally, the bill modifies certification requirements for optometrists, allowing those certified in other jurisdictions to more easily qualify for certification in New York, provided they have demonstrated experience using these pharmaceutical agents. These changes aim to modernize optometry practice by providing practitioners with broader discretion in using pharmaceutical agents while maintaining safety standards through FDA approval requirements.

Education

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S621