There were 87 “aye” votes in the Iowa House for a bill that would give optometrists authority to do three more things around the eye ball — things only Iowa ophthalmologists are allowed to do today. The bill would expand “injection privileges” and would let optometrists drain eyelids and give shots to treat two other kinds of conditions.
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That’s Representative Jacob Bossman of Sioux City. Representative Vicki Lensing of Iowa City was one of the nine who voted against the move.
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Optometrists first get a college degree, then spend four more years in a professional program to become a “doctor of optometry.” Ophthalmologists get a college degree, go to medical school and, after that, they have a one year internship followed by a three-year residency. This bill faces an uncertain future in the senate, where similar bills have failed in the past.