§ 30-8-9 — Scope of practice

West Virginia § 30-8-9

• Jurisdiction: West Virginia
• Ch. 30: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
• Art. 8: OPTOMETRISTS

Text

(a) A licensee may:

(1) Examine, diagnose, and treat diseases and conditions of the human eye and its appendages within the scope established in this article or associated rules;

(2) Administer or prescribe any drug for topical application to the anterior segment of the human eye for use in the examination, diagnosis, or treatment of diseases and conditions of the human eye and its appendages:Provided, That the licensee has first obtained a certificate;

(3)(A) Administer or prescribe any drug from the drug formulary, as established by the board pursuant to §30-8-6 of this code, for use in the examination, diagnosis, or treatment of diseases and conditions of the human eye and its appendages:Provided, That the licensee has first obtained a certificate;

(B) New drugs and new drug indications may be added to the drug formulary by approval of the board;

(4) Administer epinephrine by injection to treat emergency cases of anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock;

(5) Prescribe and dispense contact lenses that contain and deliver pharmaceutical agents and that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a drug;

(6) Prescribe, fit, apply, replace, duplicate, or alter lenses, prisms, contact lenses, orthoptics, vision training, vision rehabilitation;

(7) Perform the following procedures:

(A) Remove a foreign body from the ocular surface and adnexa utilizing a nonintrusive method;

(B) Remove a foreign body, external eye, conjunctival, superficial, using topical anesthesia;

(C) Remove embedded foreign bodies or concretions from conjunctiva, using topical anesthesia, not involving sclera;

(D) Remove corneal foreign body not through to the second layer of the cornea using topical anesthesia;

(E) Epilation of lashes by forceps;

(F) Closure of punctum by plug; and

(G) Dilation of the lacrimal puncta with or without irrigation;

(8) Furnish or provide any prosthetic device to correct or relieve any defects or abnormal conditions of the human eye and its appendages;

(9) Order laboratory tests rational to the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of a disease or condition of the human eye and its appendages;

(10) Use a diagnostic or therapeutic laser; and

(11) A licensee may perform those procedures he or she was taught and trained through schools or colleges of optometry accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education, or its successors or equivalents.

(12) A licensee may perform laser procedures as outlined in section §30-8B-1et seq. of this code.

(b) A licensee may not:

(1) Perform surgery except as provided in this article; or by legislative rule;

(2) Use Schedule II controlled substances. However, an oral pharmaceutical certified licensee may prescribe hydrocodone and hydrocodone containing drugs for a duration of no more than three days;

(3) Treat systemic disease; or

(4) Present to the public that he or she is a specialist in surgery of the eye.

Legislative History

2025 Reg. Sess., SB565; 2024 Reg. Sess., HB4783; 2023 Reg. Sess., HB3278; 2016 Reg. Sess., HB4428; 2015 Reg. Sess., HB2776; 2010 Reg. Sess., SB230; 2001 Reg. Sess., HB2752; 1949 Reg. Sess., HB25