Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 46 - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS › Part LI - Optometrists › Chapter 3 - License › Section LI-303 - Continuing Education Requirement for Controlled Dangerous Substances

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. Scope of Rule.
				This rule provides for the one-time continuing education (CE) requirement for
				controlled dangerous substances prerequisite to license renewal of an
				authorized prescriber, definitions and the procedures applicable to
				approved/qualifying CE, credit for satisfaction, documentation, non-compliance,
				an exception and conflict resolution with other CE rules of this
				Part.
B. Definitions. As used in
				this §303, the following terms and phrases shall have the meanings specified.
Authorized
Prescriber-an optometrist whose
				  scope of practice includes authority to prescribe, dispense, or administer
				  CDS.
Board
-the Louisiana State Board of Optometry
				  Examiners, as constituted under
				  R.S.
				  37:1041 et seq.
Controlled Dangerous Substances or CDS
-any
				  substance defined, enumerated or included in federal or state statute or
				  regulations 21 CFR. §1308 11-.15 or
				  R.S.
				  40:964, or any substance which may hereafter
				  be designated as a controlled substance by amendment or supplementation of such
				  regulations and statute.
C.
				Continuing Education Requirements
1.
				Notwithstanding any other provision, including, but not limited to,
				§301.A.1 pertaining to
				the requirement for obtaining a minimum of 10 hours of continuing education
				credit in a classroom setting, every authorized prescriber seeking the renewal
				of a license on and after January 1, 2019, shall, as part of the continuing
				education requirement by this part, and as a condition prerequisite to
				licensure renewal, successfully complete three credit hours of continuing
				education approved by the board on CDS prescribing practices, all of which may
				be taken through online courses approved by the board. Such continuing
				education shall include instruction relating to drug diversion training, best
				practices regarding prescribing of CDS, appropriate treatment for addiction and
				any other matters regarding the prescribing of CDS that are deemed appropriate
				by the board. The continuing education requirement may be satisfied by
				completing a continuing education program consisting of at least three credit
				hours approved by the board. Successful completion of this requirement once
				shall satisfy the requirement in full.
2. An optometrist with prescription authority
				in Louisiana for CDS shall be exempt from the continuing education requirement
				for renewal of his/her license to practice optometry if he/she completes and
				submits to the board a certification developed by the board attesting that he
				has not prescribed, administered or dispensed a CDS during the previous
				calendar year. The board shall verify the attestation of the prescriber through
				the prescription monitoring program. The exemption from the continuing
				education requirement of this subsection shall only be valid for the calendar
				year to which the attestation applies. If an optometrist obtains an exemption
				from continuing education requirements under this subsection, the optometrist
				with a renewed optometry license may prescribe, administer or dispense a CDS
				during a subsequent renewed optometry license term, but shall not be exempt
				from continuing education requirements for renewal of a optometry license
				during such period and, as such, shall obtain three hours of continuing
				education approved by the board on CDS prescribing practices prior to the
				expiration of such renewed optometry license term as provided in Paragraph 1
				above.
3. Information on how to
				access approved, qualifying continuing education courses will be maintained by
				the board and made available on its website
www.laoptometryboard.com
. No
				license shall be renewed for an individual who fails to comply with the
				provisions of this Section.
4. The
				continuing education hours required by this section shall be considered among
				the credit hours required of the prescriber by the board on and after August 1,
				2017, and shall not be considered an additional requirement to be met by a
				prescriber.