A bill currently being considered by the Georgia General Assembly could benefit

many Georgians, particularly those who live in

rural areas. The legislation, if passed, would

allow qualified optometrists to prescribe certain drugs in addition to those they are

already permitted to prescribe under Georgia law.

authority, the legislation would make it less costly

and more convenient for many Georgians to receive treatment for medical problems

affecting the eyes and eyelids. The legislation,

SB 16, has already passed the Senate and is now being considered in the House of

Representatives.

In a nutshell, this legislation will allow your local optometrist to prescribe oral

antibiotics and antihistamines to treat disease of the

eyes and eyelids, rather than having to refer you

to the nearest ophthalmologist to write the prescription. This will not benefit the

optometrist financially, because it takes minimal

time to write a prescription, but it will benefit

the patient, who will no longer have to set up an appointment and make a separate trip to

the ophthalmologist. The end result will be better and less costly eye care for thousands

of Georgia families, particularly those in remote areas where ophthamologists are scarce.

Opponents of the legislation primarily ophthamologists say that optometrists

lack the training to prescribe these medications,

but that claim does not square with the facts. Optometrist have a bachelor's degree plus

four full years of optometric school, including a

full year of clinical training. And it should be

noted that optometrists often sit in the same

classroom as ophthamologists and other medical doctors when studying pharmacology.

Nearly 30 states already allow optometrists to dispense the prescriptive drugs covered by

this legislation. In Georgia, optometrists have

been allowed to use diagnostic drugs since 1979, topical medications for glaucoma and

pain since 1994.

Under many managed care plans, optometrists are the "gatekeepers" for eye care

in some parts of the state. In fact, they are the

only eye doctors available in many communities. Giving them greater prescriptive

authority allows them to provide a greater level of

care for their patients, who might otherwise have

to wait one or more days for an appointment and travel many miles to an ophthalmologist.

(Dr. Jody Whisenant is president of the

Georgia Optometric Association and practices in

Gainesville, Ga.)

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