MO Optometry Jurisprudence flashcards
MO Optometry Jurisprudence · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Practice of optometry
- The examination of eyes for defects or abnormal conditions and the prescribing or adapting of lenses, prisms, contact lenses, and optical devices, as defined under Missouri statute.
- Scope of practice limit
- Optometric authority extends only to the eye and its adnexa; the practice act does not authorize general surgery or treatment of systemic disease as such.
- Pharmaceutical agent definition
- A drug or biological used for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes in or on the eye, authorized for certified optometrists within limits set by statute and board rule.
- Board rule versus statute
- Statute establishes authority and scope; board rules implement it. A rule cannot exceed or contradict statutory authority, and custom is not a source of authority.
- NBEO examination
- The national standardized examination sequence required for optometric licensure; Missouri also requires passage of a state jurisprudence examination.
- Licensure by endorsement
- A pathway allowing licensees from other jurisdictions with substantially equivalent requirements to obtain a Missouri license after board review and any required examination.
- License as privilege
- A Missouri optometry license is a personal privilege granted by the state, not transferable, and must be held individually by each practitioner.
- Denial grounds
- The board may refuse a license for conduct that would support discipline, including fraud in applying, prior revocation, or pending disciplinary action elsewhere.
- Board composition
- The Missouri State Board of Optometry consists of governor-appointed optometrist members and a public member, serving staggered terms, subject to senate confirmation.
- Board investigative powers
- The board may investigate complaints, subpoena records and witnesses, conduct contested case hearings, and seek injunctive relief against unlicensed practice.
- Contested case hearing
- A formal administrative proceeding providing notice, an opportunity to be heard, presentation of evidence, and a written decision subject to judicial review.
- Conflict of interest recusal
- A board member with a personal or financial stake in a pending matter must withdraw from participating in that matter to preserve impartiality.
- Renewal cycle
- Missouri optometry licenses renew on the board's biennial cycle in odd-numbered years upon timely application, required continuing education, and payment of the fee.
- Continuing education requirement
- A condition of renewal requiring board-approved hours, including mandated subject areas, with certificates retained and produced on audit.
- Lapsed license
- A license that has expired for failure to renew; practicing on it is unlicensed practice, and reinstatement may require fees, CE, or board review.
- Inactive status
- A non-practicing license status available on board terms; the licensee must not practice and must satisfy conditions to return to active status.
- Disciplinary grounds
- Statutory bases for sanction, including fraud, incompetence, gross negligence, impairment, scope violations, record failures, and violation of the practice act or rules.
- Complaint screening
- The board's initial review of a complaint to determine jurisdiction and whether an investigation is warranted before formal charges are issued.
- Available sanctions
- Penalties the board may impose include reprimand, probation, suspension, revocation, civil penalties, and costs of the proceeding.
- Summary suspension
- An emergency suspension available when continued practice poses an imminent threat to public health and safety, followed by a prompt hearing.
- Pharmaceutical certification
- A separate credential layered on the optometry license, requiring specified education and examination, that authorizes use and prescribing of pharmaceutical agents.
- Therapeutic limits
- Certified optometrists may use authorized agents for ocular conditions within the eye and adnexa; systemic and excluded drugs remain restricted by statute and rule.
- Certification renewal
- Pharmaceutical-agent certification carries its own renewal and continuing education requirements; if it lapses, prescribing authority ends even if the base license is active.
- Drug documentation
- Records must show the diagnosis, drug, dose, quantity, and instructions, and prescription monitoring requirements apply where mandated by law.
- Patient record contents
- Each record must document history, examination findings, diagnoses, treatment, and prescriptions in enough detail to support continuity of care.
- Record ownership and access
- Records belong to the practice, but patients have a right of access to their own health information subject to statutory exceptions and reasonable fees.
- Confidentiality exceptions
- Disclosure without authorization is permitted when required by law, such as reportable conditions, court orders, or board subpoenas, or under HIPAA-permitted exceptions.
- Informed consent elements
- Consent requires disclosure of diagnosis, nature and purpose of treatment, material risks and alternatives, and consequences of declining, documented in the record.
- Truthful advertising
- Advertising must not be false or misleading; claims of superiority, guarantees of cure, and unsubstantiated outcome claims are prohibited.
- Fee splitting prohibition
- Paying or receiving compensation for patient referrals is unprofessional conduct; referral decisions must rest on patient interest, not financial benefit.
- Unprofessional conduct
- Conduct including record falsification, patient abandonment, practice while impaired, and failure to cooperate with a board investigation, subject to discipline.
- Delegation limits
- Ancillary staff may perform delegated tasks within their training under licensee supervision, but diagnosis, interpretation, and prescribing are never delegable.