“We were confidently able to present data from states like Oklahoma, Kentucky, Louisiana and others that have already passed these laws and showed that there were no patient safety concerns by any means. “Throughout the legal process, legislators were interested in the safety precedents set nationally and by other states with expanded scope laws,” Mrs. Karen Moldovan, government relations director at the COA, offers a few words of advice for optometrists and advocates in other states trying to push for scope expansion laws. For the majority of Colorado counties, optometrists are the primary eyecare providers, which is one reason why the COA fought so hard to have the bill passed-but not without a good fight by the opposition. The scope expansion not only benefits Colorado ODs, but will also improve access to care for state residents. “Optometrists are excited to see the profession moving forward.” “Everyone is excited about the expanded scope of practice, especially newer optometrists who have already been trained in a lot of these procedures, but prior to the passing of this bill, were not able to take advantage of their training or education,” says Deanna Alexander, OD, legislative co-chair at the Colorado Optometric Association. Guidelines on the certification required to perform each new procedure will be determined in the coming months by the Board. The new sunset bill, effective until 2033, will allow ODs in Colorado to practice according to their training and qualifications, as set forth by the state’s Board of Optometry and national exams. The optometric scope of practice in Colorado is now expanded to include advanced procedures such as lesion removal, injections and corneal crosslinking, as well as three laser procedures: YAG capsulotomy, laser peripheral iridotomy and selective laser trabeculoplasty. The news comes just a few months after a successful Virginia effort added many such procedures to ODs’ rights in that state.Īpproximately every 10 years, Colorado law requires that optometry goes through a sunset process to reassess and amend the definition and regulations of the profession. Optometrists in Colorado woke up to good news yesterday: Tuesday evening, Governor Jared Polis signed HB 22-1233 into law, permitting ODs in the state to take advantage of several new practice rights. Colorado’s new law adds these services to its optometric scope: (clockwise from upper left) capsulotomy, SLT, peripheral iridotomy, intralesional injection, collagen crosslinking, lesion incision/excision.
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