Stacey Kruger

My View

As a medical doctor and board-certified ophthalmologist, I was surprised to read the recent My View written by April Jasper, OD.

Ms. Jasper is the president of the Florida Optometric Association, a group pushing legislation (HB 1037) that would allow optometrists – who are not medical doctors, and have never completed medical school or any type of surgical residency – to perform surgery on the human eye. To sell this legislation to the public, the FOA president makes three outrageous claims that have no basis in fact.

First, Ms. Jasper claims optometrists only want to cut on the eye using scalpels and lasers to do “minor procedures.” It is absurd to consider any type of eye surgery “minor.” Unlike other parts of the human tissue, the tissue of the human eye does not regenerate. One miscalculation with a scalpel or laser can irreparably damage one’s eyesight and even lead to blindness. Optometrists have no business cutting on the human eye.

Second, Ms. Jasper claims that optometrists should perform eye surgery so patients have better access to eye health care. Studies show that no patient in Florida is more than a 25-minute drive from an ophthalmologist — a medical eye surgeon fully trained to treat all aspects of a patient’s eye health. State of Florida data shows over 1,161 ophthalmologists who are active Medicaid providers. It is disingenuous for her to suggest that Floridians don’t have adequate access to eye health care.

Third, Ms. Jasper claims that optometrists should be able to perform surgery because physician assistants perform ocular surgery. That’s simply not true. PAs do not independently perform surgery in Florida. PAs assist surgeons in certain surgeries but only do so under the close supervision of the surgeon.

Ms. Jasper also fails to tell the readers that HB 1037 would do much more than allow non-medical doctors to cut the eye. The bill would permit optometrists to prescribe virtually all oral medications, including some of the most addictive narcotics like hydrocodone (Vicodin) and oxycodone (OxyContin).

Florida is the epicenter of America’s opioid addiction epidemic. In the past 12 months, the opioid epidemic has killed over 600 Palm Beach County residents, prompting that county to ask Gov. Scott to declare a public health emergency.

The Palm Beach Post reports the opioid epidemic cost Florida hospitals over $1.1 billion dollars for the first nine months of 2015. The last thing the state of Florida should do is issue new prescribing pads to 4,000 non-medical professionals – but that’s precisely what Ms. Jasper and her group are advocating.

The public should see through this ruse. I fully understand the optometrists have funneled millions of dollars into the legislative process, but I am hopeful that our elected officials will not be blinded by money. I urge them to protect the safety of patients by rejecting the legislation that Ms. Jasper and her special interest group are so aggressively pursuing.

Dr. Stacey Kruger is Vice President of Outreach for the Florida Society of Ophthalmology.