Title 54.1, Title 54.1. Professions and Occupations

It shall be unlawful for any person: 1. To practice optometry in this Commonwealth without holding a license issued by the Board. Practicing or offering to practice optometry, or the public representation of being qualified to practice the same by any person not authorized to pra…

A. It shall be unlawful for any optometrist to practice his profession as a lessee of or in a commercial or mercantile establishment, or to advertise, either in person or through any commercial or mercantile establishment, that he is a licensed practitioner and is practicing or w…

No optometrist shall be directly or indirectly supervised within the scope of the practice of optometry by any officer, employee, or agent of a commercial or mercantile establishment, as defined in subsection C of § 54.1-3205, who is not a Virginia-licensed optometrist or physici…

It shall be the duty of the clerk of every circuit court in which any person is convicted of any violation of this chapter or enjoined from unlawfully practicing optometry to report the same to the Board. The Board may thereupon suspend or revoke any certificate or license held b…

The Board shall be composed of six members as follows: five licensed optometrists and one citizen member. Licensed optometrists appointed to the Board shall be individuals who, at the time of appointment, (i) have been engaged in the practice of optometry for at least five years,…

Nominations may be made for each professional vacancy from a list of at least three names submitted to the Governor by the Virginia Optometric Association, Incorporated. The Governor may notify the Association promptly of any professional vacancy other than by expiration and like…

Any member of the Board may, upon being designated by a majority of the Board, administer oaths or take testimony concerning any matter within the jurisdiction of the Board.

The Board shall adopt a seal of which the executive director shall have the custody. The executive director shall keep a record of all proceedings of the Board, which shall be open to the public for inspection.

The Board shall set the necessary standards to be attained in the examinations to entitle the candidate to receive a license to practice optometry. The Board may determine a score that it considers satisfactory on any written examination of the National Board of Examiners in Opto…

An application for a license to practice optometry shall be made in writing and shall be accompanied by satisfactory proof that the applicant has been graduated and received a doctor of optometry degree from a school of optometry approved by the Board.

A. Every candidate successfully passing the examination shall be licensed by the Board if such candidate possesses the qualifications required by law and regulation to practice optometry. B. In order to be qualified for licensure as an optometrist, every applicant shall demonstra…

The Board may refuse to admit an applicant to any examination; refuse to grant or renew a license or certificate; reprimand, place on probation, or impose a monetary penalty on a licensee; or impose such terms as it may designate, suspend for a stated period of time, or revoke an…

A. As a prerequisite to renewal of a license or reinstatement of a license, each optometrist shall be required to complete 20 hours of continuing education relating to optometry, as approved by the Board, each year. A licensee who completes more than 20 hours of continuing educat…

A. Optometrists certified to administer diagnostic pharmaceutical agents or optometrists licensed after June 30, 1997, may administer diagnostic pharmaceutical agents only by topical application to the human eye. For purposes of this section, "diagnostic pharmaceutical agents" me…

TPA certification shall enable an optometrist to prescribe and administer, within his scope of practice, Schedule II controlled substances consisting of hydrocodone in combination with acetaminophen and Schedules III through VI controlled substances and devices as set forth in th…

A. A TPA-certified optometrist may sell and dispense any Schedule VI controlled substances, as defined in § 54.1-3455 of the Drug Control Act (§ 54.1-3400 et seq.), directly to a patient for the treatment of conditions of the eye and its adnexa, provided that: 1. The TPA-certifie…

The Board shall promulgate such regulations governing the treatment of diseases and abnormal conditions of the human eye and its adnexa with therapeutic pharmaceutical agents by TPA-certified optometrists as are reasonable and necessary to ensure an appropriate standard of medica…

A. The Board of Optometry may deny, refuse to renew, revoke, or suspend any TPA-certificate issued to a TPA-certified optometrist, or applied for by a licensed optometrist in accordance with the provisions of this article, or may discipline or reprimand any certificate holder for…

A. The Board shall certify an optometrist to perform laser surgery consisting of peripheral iridotomy, selective laser trabeculoplasty, and YAG capsulotomy for the medically appropriate and recognized treatment of the human eye through revision, destruction, or other structural a…