New Jersey Trusted Eye Care
For more than a century - Optometrists, also recognized as Doctors of Optometry - in New Jersey, have been the first source for managing a patient’s eye care and health.
Now, optometrists are seeking to modernize New Jersey’s outdated optometric scope of practice through legislation (A-920 / S-354), which will allow optometrists to help improve access to care and health equity in our state. See below for more information about the legislation, why it’s needed and what it will specifically allow.
Legislation Overview
Legislation That's Vital To Critical Patient Eye Care
A-920/S-354 was introduced to allow optometrists to provide certain in-office, non-invasive, minor procedures to treat glaucoma and after-cataract surgery care and minor procedures to remove styes and skin tags. The legislation also seeks to expand vaccination and prescriptive authority to further increase access to needed care.
It’s about increasing equity and access, while reducing costs…
Now more than ever this legislation, which allows optometrists to provide critical eye care when and where it’s needed most, is needed to ensure all New Jersey residents have timely access to vision and medical eye care. It will lower costs by eliminating duplication of services and extra co-pays for redundant office visits. It also will reduce patient travel time and missed hours at work.
There will be 3 million New Jerseyans over age 60 by 2030, an increase of nearly 1 million, which will dramatically increase the need for eye care. In fact, a recent workforce study published in the Journal of Ophthalmology anticipates a 24% increase in patient demand for the laser procedures included in this legislation while the number of ophthalmologists is expected to decline 12% by 2035.
Today, optometrists outnumber ophthalmologists nearly 2:1 in New Jersey. Our health care system and workforce are strained, and optometrists can be part of the solution. Allowing optometrists to perform these procedures allows our state to utilize all available resources for providing care.
Slightly expanding optometrists' scope of practice aligns with current optometric education, training, and certification and helps retain and attract highly skilled, qualified optometrists to our state.
These procedures are approved to be performed by optometrists/doctors of optometry in other states and within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. More than 100,000 of these procedures have been performed by these professionals across the United States. It's time for New Jersey to catch up. Optometrists are the solution.
In-office eye laser procedure certification requires:
- 4 years of doctor of optometry school
- Evaluation and management of thousands of patients
- Years of training in ocular disease and treatment
- Three national board examinations
- Performance proficiency examination
Regulated Profession
Why do states regulate practice standards for optometrists?
Every state governs the privileges of its health care providers through licensing programs. Although every optometry school trains its students to provide in-office eye laser procedures and in-office surgical care, every state decides the rights of its doctors of optometry to perform these procedures. Typically, MDs try to limit the rights of optometrists, dentists, nurses, chiropractors and other health care professions.
Changing Scope to Meet Patient Needs
New Jersey optometrists have expanded their scope of practice over the past 40 years to keep their patient care up to the standards of their education, training, and certification.
Imagine your optometrist not being permitted to dilate pupils or treat pink eye? Forty years ago, MDs tried to prevent optometrists from providing this care.
Optometrists Performing In‑Office Eye Laser FACTS
- These procedures are approved to be performed by optometrists/doctors of optometry in other states and within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. More than 100,000 of these procedures have been performed by these professionals across the United States.
- All U.S. optometry schools train students to perform the procedures included in this legislation. Optometry schools continue to adjust and evolve curriculum to include new education and procedures as the optometry profession evolves and advances.
- Currently licensed optometrists would not be grandfathered to perform these minor procedures. They would be required to complete additional training including performing procedures under direct supervision to demonstrate competence to satisfy State Board requirements.
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A recent review of more than 140,000 optometric laser procedures performed by optometrists in 12 states showed a strong safety record and support for future optometric scope expansion.
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