(a) Unless certified under this section, a licensed optometrist may not administer or prescribe any therapeutic pharmaceutical agents or remove superficial foreign bodies from a human eye, adnexa, or lacrimal system. (b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Board shall certify a licensed optometrist as a therapeutically certified optometrist if the licensed optometrist submits to the Board evidence satisfactory to the Board that the licensed optometrist: (i) Has successfully completed at least 110 hours of a therapeutic pharmaceutical agents course approved by the Board; (ii) Has successfully passed a pharmacology examination relating to the treatment and management of ocular disease, which is prepared, administered, and graded by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry or any other nationally recognized optometric organization as approved by the Secretary; (iii) Is currently certified by the Board to administer topical ocular diagnostic pharmaceutical agents under § 11-404 of this subtitle; and (iv) Has successfully completed an 8-hour course in the management of topical steroids approved by the Board. (2) (i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, an optometrist who has graduated on or after July 1, 2005 from an accredited school of optometry recognized by the Board is not subject to the requirements of paragraph (1) of this subsection. (ii) If an optometrist who has graduated on or after July 1, 2005 from an accredited school of optometry recognized by the Board is not certified under this section within 3 years of graduation, the optometrist shall successfully complete a therapeutic pharmaceutical agents course and successfully pass a pharmacology exam under paragraph (1) of this subsection before the Board may certify the optometrist.
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