TITLE 16 OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSING

CHAPTER 16 OPTOMETRIC PRACTITIONERS

PART 18 IN-OFFICE MINOR SURGICAL PROCEDURES

16.16.18.1 ISSUING AGENCY: New Mexico Board of Optometry.

[16.16.18.1 NMAC - N, 03-22-2008; A, 07-06-2012]

16.16.18.2 SCOPE: Provisions of Part 18 of Chapter 16 applies to all New Mexico licensed optometric physicians practicing in New Mexico.

[16.16.18.2 NMAC - N, 03-22-2008]

16.16.18.3 STATUTORY AUTHORITY: The authority for Part 18 of Chapter 16 is the Optometry Act NMSA 1978 Section 61-2-2.A (3).

[16.16.18.3 NMAC - N, 03-22-2008]

16.16.18.4 DURATION: Permanent.

[16.16.18.4 NMAC - N, 03-22-2008]

16.16.18.5 EFFECTIVE DATE: March 22, 2008, unless a later date is cited at the end of a section.

[16.16.18.5 NMAC - N, 03-22-2008]

16.16.18.6 OBJECTIVE: The objective of Part 18 of Chapter 16 is to convey which in-office minor surgical procedures New Mexico optometric physicians are authorized to perform.

[16.16.18.6 NMAC - N, 03-22-2008]

16.16.18.7 DEFINITIONS:

A. “Board” means the New Mexico board of optometry herein referred to as the board.

B. “Optometric physician” means an optometrist who administers pharmaceutical medications in the diagnosis, treatment and management of ocular diseases as provided in 16.16.7.11 NMAC.

[16.16.18.7 NMAC - N, 03-22-2008; A, 07-06-2012; A, 03-02-2016]

16.16.18.8 MINOR SURGICAL PROCEDURES: A New Mexico optometric physician can use surgery or injections to correct and relieve the following types of abnormalities of the human eye and its adnexa. The following types of in-office minor surgical procedures are allowed:

A. non-laser removal, destruction or drainage of superficial eyelid lesions and conjunctival cysts;

B. probing, dilation, irrigation or closure of the tear drainage structures or the eyelid; scalpel use is to be applied only for the purpose of use on the skin surrounding the eye;

C. removal of nonperforating foreign bodies from the cornea, conjunctiva and eyelid;

D. non-laser corneal debridement, culture, scrape or anterior puncture, not including removal of pterygium, corneal biopsy or removal of corneal neoplasias; and

E. removal of eyelashes.

[16.16.18.8 NMAC - N, 03-22-2008]

HISTORY of 16.16.18 NMAC: [RESERVED]