BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1359
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB
1359 (Nazarian)
As Amended June 16, 2015
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: | 78-0 | (May 14, |SENATE: |38-0 | (August 20, |
| | |2015) | | |2015) |
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Original Committee Reference: B. & P.
SUMMARY: Revises criteria for obtaining certification to
administer and prescribe therapeutic pharmaceutical agents
(TPAs) for licensed optometrists who graduated from an
accredited optometry school before or after 1996. Specifically,
this bill:
1)Deletes certain requirements for an applicant for TPA
certification who graduated from a California accredited
school of optometry, prior to January 1, 1996, and is licensed
as an optometrist in the state, including, but not limited to,
completing a didactic course of at least 80 classroom hours,
as specified.
2)Requires preceptorships to be with either a TPA certified
optometrist in good standing or a physician and surgeon board
certified in ophthalmology in good standing.
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3)Requires such an applicant to complete a minimum of 100 hours
of directed and accredited education in ocular and systemic
diseases.
4)Requires a preceptor to certify completion of the
preceptorship on a form approved by the board.
5)Exempts and optometrist who graduated from an accredited
school of optometry on or after January 1, 1992, and before
January 1, 1996, from meeting specified requirements for the
issuance of a certificate to use TPAs, including the didactic
course of at least 80 classroom hours.
6)Deletes exemptions for an optometrist who graduated from an
accredited school of optometry on or after January 1, 1992,
and before January 1, 1996, and instead requires them to meet
requirements for the issuance of a TPA certification.
7)Authorizes the Board of Optometry (Board) to grant a
certificate to use therapeutic pharmaceutical agents to an
applicant who graduated from a California accredited school of
optometry, on or after January 1, 1996, and is licensed as an
optometrist in the state if certain requirements are met,
including, but not limited to, completing 10 hours of
experience with a Board certified ophthalmologist.
8)Deletes certain training and certification requirements for an
applicant of a TPA certification who graduated from a
California accredited school of optometry, on or after January
1, 1996, and is licensed as an optometrist in the state, and
would instead require such an applicant to pass all sections
of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry's national
board examination or its equivalent in order to be granted a
TPA certification.
9)Makes other technical changes.
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The Senate amendments change the requirement for an applicant to
complete hours of directed and accredited education in ocular
and systemic diseases from a minimum of 80 hours to 100 hours.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS:
Purpose. This bill is sponsored by the Board of Optometry
(Board). According to the author, "The Board of Optometry has
discovered that the didactic course that is required to be
completed prior to receiving the certification is no longer
offered by schools of optometry. AB 1359 establishes a new
process where a preceptor offering the didactic course can
either be a TPA certified optometrist or ophthalmologist.
Post 1996, all optometrists have graduated with TPA
certification. Those optometrists who graduate before 1996
have been left with few pathways to attaining TPA
certification because in 2009, TPA stand-alone courses have
been discontinued."
Background. The TPA designation indicates that the optometrist
is certified to use therapeutic pharmaceutical agents and the
optometrist may treat certain conditions of the human eye, or
any of its appendages, with therapeutic pharmaceutical agents.
The optometrist may also perform certain procedures on the eye.
According to the Board, there are approximately 500 TPA
certified optometrists in California. In 1996, Business and
Professions Code (BPC) Section 3041.3 was added to define the
criteria for TPA certification for California licensed
optometrists and for out-of-state licensed optometrists who
desired to practice in California. Optometrists who graduated
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from an accredited educational program prior to 1996 were
eligible to receive a TPA certificate from the Board if they
could show evidence of completing several requirements including
a preceptorship and a minimum of 20 hours of continuing
education.
Licensing Examination and Education Programs. The addition of
BPC Section 3041.3 prompted changes to the national examination
for optometrists, and the curriculum requirements of many
optometry programs. According to the Board, education programs
now routinely include curriculum on TPA and the licensing
examination also includes information on TPA. As such,
optometry students graduate with TPA certification and there is
no need for continuing education courses to be offered. This
makes it difficult for those who completed their education prior
to 1996, but did not complete a TPA continuing education course
prior to 2009, to gain TPA certification.
Preceptor Requirements. This bill would require those
optometrists who did not receive continuing education prior to
2009 or who did not graduate from an educational program that
offered TPA focused training, to work with a preceptor in order
to meet the TPA requirement. The preceptor can be a TPA
certified optometrist, who has been in practice for at least two
years, or a physician and surgeon board certified in
ophthalmology. These professionals must be in good standing
with their licensing boards.
Analysis Prepared by:
Le Ondra Clark Harvey / B. & P. / (916) 319-3301
FN: 0001137
AB 1359
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