Illinois expands prescriptive authority
August 30, 2011Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) signed the state’s optometric prescriptive authority expansion bill into law on July 22.
“This is a very good day for us here,” said Mike Horstman, executive director of the Illinois Optometric Association (IOA).
The optometry act originally established prescriptive authority by classes of drugs. The new law adds two new categories of drugs: anti-dry eye agents (which technically did not fall into any of the classes) and drugs used to treat hypotrichosis (these include Latisse and other drugs used to grow eyelashes).
“The most important part is that the state board has the authority to approve any additional drugs that don’t fall into any existing category,” said Horstman. “The bill was an effort to add categories not included in 1995 when the original bill was passed, or in 2007 when we passed our orals bill. Our goal was to include every drug germane to treatment of the eye.”
Any new drug categories can be approved via a rulemaking procedure.
The association worked for passage of the bill for several months. IOA President Scott Wooley, O.D., extended his thanks to IOA Legislative Chair Paul Stauder, O.D., Keyperson Coordinator Vince Brandys, O.D., lobbyist Jim Morphew and Executive Director Horstman.
