Kentucky! 2011 SB110 is a brazen example of money triumphing over public safety
Join the Safe Surgery Coalition! <——-click here!
Are you a concerned citizen in the state of Kentucky or any state emulating Kentucky law? You should be.
The Better Access to Quality Eye Care Bill is anything but Quality
Senate Bill 110 allows non-surgeons to perform eye surgery.
Do you want your optometrist performing surgery?
Do you know the difference between an ophthalmologist and an optometrist?
| Ophthalmology | Optometry | |
| Medical School Degree | yes | No |
| Years of Post-graduate School | 4 | 4 |
| Years of Internship | 1 | 0 |
| Years of Residency | 3 | 0 required |
| Number of Board Exams | 5 | 3 |
| Number of Surgical Training Hours | 1600+ | <32 |
Ophthalmology has 4 additional years learning eye surgery and rotating through all of the specialties in medicine! They have nearly 18,000 hours of clinical education. Ophthalmologists are medical doctors like your family practice doctor or your cardiologist.
Optometrists, on the other hand, may shadow a surgeon but do not get surgical experience in the 40 states that forbid it! Optometry means "to measure the eye". By mere nature of the word, their profession centers around glasses and contacts and physical aids only. Why surgery now?
Legislation like this has been defeated in 26+ states because these states recognize the difference between optometrists and ophthalmologists!
Are political contributions in KY speaking louder than public safety? In two years, optometrists spent over $607,000 on contributions and lobbyists to help promote their demands. They
outspent their medicine counterparts 11 to 1.
AN INDEPENDENT POLL SHOWED 80-85 percent of KENTUCKIANS AGAINST THE LEGISLATION!
(Pure Politics, Ryan Alessi independent poll 2011 n>600)
The KY Law allows optometrists to:
- Use a laser to make a hole in your lens tissues or in your iris.
- Cut benign lumps and bumps off of your eyelid or eye
- Perform procedures on your tear ducts
- Stick a needle into your eye to relieve pressure
- Have SOLE authority to determine their scope of practice
- Prescribe new medicines
- Inject medicines into your eye
- and more
What the law could allow in the future:
- Anything deemed appropriate by their Board!
Call your representative and ask them why they voted for this bill. 1-800-372-7181 Then tell your friends about the difference between eye doctors.
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