House Bill 1037 sponsored by Manny Diaz Jr. of Hialeah, and its companion Senate Bill 1168, sponsored by Jack Latvala of Clearwater, both filed this past February, have rekindled what has been dubbed “The Eyeball Wars” between Florida's optometrists and ophthalmologists.

Optometrists are regulated under Chapter 463 of the Florida Statutes, and by the Board of Optometry within the Department of Health. Optometrists may presently prescribe certain ocular medications that have been established in a formulary by the Board of Optometry, but are currently prohibited in performing certain surgical procedures using instruments, including lasers, scalpels or needles.

The proposed legislation amends Chapter 463, The Optometry Practice Act, to create two new categories of certification for licensed optometrists; “certified optometrists in pharmaceutical agents,' and “certified optometrists in ophthalmic surgery.”