Kentucky physician groups have filed a formal complaint against proposed regulations allowing optometrists to perform eye surgery, according to a Kentucky Medical Association news release.
The complaint, filed by the medical association and the Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, charges that the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners violated the open meetings act when it developed the proposed regulations.
Kentucky passed a law in February allowing optometrists to perform a variety of eye surgeries and directed the optometric board to write proposed regulations for implementation. Only one other state, Oklahoma, allows optometrists to perform eye surgery.
The board's proposed regulations would allow optometrists to perform eye surgery provided they took an additional 32 hours of training and performed surgery on one human eye, the academy said.
Related Article on the Kentucky Law Allowing Optometrists to Perform Eye Surgery:
Kentucky Ophthalmologists Decry Plan for Surgery by Optometrists