Transforming and Supporting Patient Care - Health Professions ...

317Chapter 13 – Profession of OptometryThe COO last updated its professional misconduct regulation in 1994. Theregulations deal with:• Exceeding the scope of practice,• Treating or attempting to treat a condition that the memberrecognizes or should recognize as being beyond his or herexperience or competence,• Failing to refer a patient when required, and• Failing to maintain the standards of the practice.The COO feels that the new educational components and misconductregulations “when taken together provide the public with a high level ofprotection, and that no additional limitations are required”. 19HPRAC notes, however, that other professions that have the authority toprescribe drugs also include other provisions in their professionalmisconduct regulations, including:• Prescribing or using drugs for an improper purpose, or otherwiseusing improperly the authority to prescribe, dispense or sell drugs; 20• Being subjected to the withdrawal or restriction of rights orprivileges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act(Canada) or the Food and Drugs Act (Canada) or the regulationsunder either of those Acts, unless by the member’s own request;• Contravening, while engaged in the practice of optometry, anyfederal or provincial law or municipal by-law with respect to theprescribing or using of any drug or mixture of drugs.What Other Leading Jurisdictions are DoingA number of other jurisdictions in Canada permit prescribing of sometherapeutic agents by optometrists. Alberta was the first province to grantoptometrists the authority to prescribe TPAs in 1996. British Columbia,Newfoundland and Quebec permit prescribing by optometrists. InManitoba, amendments to legislation were made on June 11, 2008authorizing qualified optometrists to independently prescribe andadminister certain therapeutic drugs. Nova Scotia permits prescribing ofcertain drugs for limited treatment under specified conditions. BritishColumbia circulated a consultation draft of proposed legislation inDecember 2008, authorizing a schedule of mydriatics, cycloplegics, miotics,anti-allergy medications, corticosteroids, antibacterial and antiviralmedications and topical medications.Under Québec legislation, the statute authorizing optometrists to prescribeTPAs was adopted in June 2000 and enacting bylaws were approved inOctober 2003. Québec optometrists are authorized to prescribe topicalanesthetics, mydriatics, cycloplegics and miotics, and optometrists mustrefer patients to a physician if the patient's condition does not adequatelyrespond to treatment or if the signs and symptoms suggest a condition that19Ibid: 5.20Ontario Regulation 853/93, Dentistry Act, 1991, s.2 (10) and Ontario Regulation 865/93,Medicine Act, 1991, s.1 (6).HPRAC Critical Links January 2009