64B13-10.001. Application for Certification

To be certified to administer and prescribe topical ocular pharmaceutical agents a licensed practitioner must be a Florida licensed Certified Optometrist, the application for which is form DH/MQA 1128, incorporated by reference in Rule 64B13-4.004, F.A.C., and demonstrate compliance with the following requirements:

(1) Successful completion of at least 110 hours of Board approved transcript quality coursework and clinical training in general and ocular pharmacology conducted by an accredited institution which has facilities for both didactic and clinical instruction in pharmacology. The institution must document the applicant’s successful completion. The Board will accept coursework and clinical training in general and ocular pharmacology received by the applicant during his or her basic optometric curriculum or at post-graduate courses if this coursework and training was provided by a Board approved school of optometry or equivalent educational entity;

(2) Completion of at least one (1) year of supervised experience in differential diagnosis of eye diseases or disorders. The one year of supervised experience shall be received either during optometric training or in a clinical setting as part of optometric experience. The requisite one year of supervised experience in a clinical setting may be obtained in an academic or non-academic environment. For the purpose of this rule, one year of supervised experience in an academic setting is understood to mean three (3) quarters or two (2) semesters and one (1) year of supervised experience in a non-academic setting is understood to mean a twelve month period;

(3) Successful completion of Part II (Patient Assessment and Management, including an embedded Treatment and Management of Occular Disease examination) of the NBEO examination.

Rulemaking Authority 456.013, 456.025, 463.005(1), 463.006 FS. Law Implemented 463.013, 456.025, 456.0635, 463.002(3)(c), 463.006 FS. History–New 11-20-86, Amended 7-6-88, 3-16-89, Formerly 21Q-10.001, 61F8-10.001, Amended 10-4-94, Formerly 59V-10.001, Amended 7-21-11, 2-27-14, 7-31-14, 12-4-16, 11-4-18, 1-2-20, 12-8-21.