Transforming and Supporting Patient Care - Health Professions ...

442Chapter 18 – Summary of Proposals for ImplementationCHAPTER 13.PRESCRIBING AND USE OF DRUGS INTHE PROFESSION OF OPTOMETRYTo implement HPRAC’s recommendations, the following changes tostatutes and regulations are proposed:1. That paragraph 2.1 of section 4 of the Optometry Act, 1991 be repealedand the following substituted:2.1 Prescribing a drug that the member may prescribe under theregulations.2. That the Optometry Act, 1991 be amended by adding the followingsections:Additional requirements for authorized acts4.1 A member shall perform a procedure under the authority ofparagraph 2.1 of section 4 in accordance with any requirementsprescribed in the regulations.Individual scope of practice for optometrists4.2 A member is responsible for identifying the limits of his or hereducational preparation and competencies, and for resolvingsituations beyond his or her expertise by consulting with orreferring patients to other health care professionals.3. That section 12(1) of the Optometry Act, 1991 be repealed and thefollowing substituted:Regulations12. (1) Subject to the approval of the Lieutenant Governor inCouncil and with prior review by the Minister, the Council may makeregulations,(a) regulating the prescribing of drugs by members, requiringmembers to keep prescribed records and to provide to the Ministerreports containing prescribed information respecting theprescribing of drugs; and(b) designating the diseases for which a member may communicatea diagnosis for the purposes of paragraph 1 of section 4.4. That section 12(2) of the Optometry Act, 1991 be repealed.HPRAC Critical Links January 2009