Texas Optometry Board

Licensing Rules Proposed
Texas law provides that a therapeutic optometrist can be certified as an Optometric Glaucoma Specialist through specialized training and certification of skills. All graduates from accredited colleges of optometry after 2008 are qualified for the certification, but not all new therapeutic licensees apply for the certification.

In order to ensure that patients are seen and treated in the same manner, the Board has proposed changes to Chapter 271 - Examinations which would require all qualified new applicants to apply for the certification when applying for a therapeutic optometric license. Those applicants not qualified for the Optometric Glaucoma certification would continue to be licensed as a therapeutic optometrist.

By moving to a single and common level of licensure, the Board hopes to create additional transparency to the public (and pharmacists filling optometric prescriptions) about the optometrist’s scope of practice. This update would be effective on January 1, 2025.

Additionally, the Board proposed changes to Chapter 272 - Administration, Chapter 273 General Rules, and Chapter 280 - Therapeutic Optometry. A description of all the changes can be found in the link to the Texas Register below.

The amendments to the rules were published in the June 14, 2024 Texas Register (pages 4129-4147) and are open for public input through July 15, 2024. Please email comments on the proposal to [email protected]

www.sos.state.tx.us

ALERT! Please see the notice on the Board's website regarding a potential scam.

As a reminder to all licensees, always be suspicious of letters that demand you cease and desist practice or mention other things that seem unusual – especially if you have not received notice of a complaint from the Board.

The Board will not call seeking payment of administrative penalties – all notices of administrative penalty will be in writing and require you to send a check to the Board’s mailing address.

https://tob.texas.gov/

Texas Optometry Board Meeting Thursday November 2 and Friday November 3 in Austin. See the agenda -

tob.texas.gov