Section R4-21-101. Definitions

In addition to the definitions in A.R.S. §§ 32-1701 and 32-1771, the following apply to this Chapter:

“Accredited” means approved by the ACOE.

“ACOE” means the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.

“Advertisement”  means  a  written,  oral,   or  electronic communication that an ordinary person would perceive is designed to influence, directly or indirectly, a decision regarding ophthalmic goods or optometric services. “Applicant” means:

An  individual   who  applies  to   the  Board   under

A.R.S. § 32-1722 or 32-1723 for a license to prac- tice the profession of optometry but has not been granted the license;

A licensee who applies under R4-21-205 for license renewal;

A licensee who applies under R4-21-208 for a phar- maceutical agents number;

A licensee or provider of continuing education that applies for approval of a continuing education under R4-21-210; or

A person who applies to the Board under A.R.S. § 32-1774 and R4-21-213 for registration as a non-res- ident dispenser of replacement soft contact lenses.

“Application package” means the forms, documents, and fees that the Board requires an applicant to submit or have submitted on the applicant’s behalf.

“Approved continuing education” means a planned edu- cational experience relevant to the practice of the profes- sion of optometry that the Board determines meets the criteria at R4-21-210.

“Certificate of special qualification” means a document that specifies whether the holder, who was licensed by the Board before  July 1, 2000, and has not completed a course of study approved by the Board, may prescribe, administer, and dispense a pharmaceutical agent and if so, whether the holder may prescribe, administer, and dis- pense:

A topical diagnostic pharmaceutical agent only, or Topical diagnostic and topical therapeutic pharma- ceutical agents.

“Course of study,” as used in A.R.S. § 32-1722, means education approved by the Board under R4-21-207 that qualifies an optometrist to prescribe, administer, and dis-

pense topical diagnostic, topical therapeutic, and oral pharmaceutical agents.

“Epinephrine auto-injector” means an intramuscular dose of epinephrine used for emergency treatment of an aller- gic reaction and delivered by a spring-loaded syringe. “Good cause” means a reason that is substantial enough to afford a legal excuse.

“Incompetence,” as used in A.R.S. § 32-1701(8), means lack of professional skill, fidelity, or physical or mental fitness, or substandard examination or treatment while practicing the profession of optometry.

“Low vision” means chronic impairment to vision that significantly interferes with daily routine activities and cannot be adequately corrected with medical, surgical, or therapeutic means or conventional eyewear or contact lenses.

“Low-vision  rehabilitation”  means  use  of  optical  and non-optical devices, adaptive techniques, and community resources to assist an individual to compensate for low vision in performing daily routine activities. “Negligence,” as used in A.R.S. § 32-1701(8), means conduct that falls below the standard of care for the pro- tection of patients and the public against unreasonable risk of harm and that is a departure from the conduct expected of a reasonably prudent licensee under the cir- cumstances.

“Oral pharmaceutical agent,” as used in A.R.S. § 32- 1728, means an ingested prescription or non-prescription substance used to examine, diagnose, or treat disease of the eye and its adnexa.

“Party” has the same meaning as prescribed in A.R.S. § 41-1001.

“Plano lenses” means contact lenses that have cosmetic function only.

“Practice management” means the study of management of the affairs of optometric practice.

“Self-instructed media” means educational material in a printed, audio, video, or electronic format.

“Topical diagnostic pharmaceutical agent,” as used in

A.R.S. § 32-1728, means an externally applied prescrip- tion or non-prescription substance used to examine and diagnose disease and conditions of the eye and its adnexa. “Topical therapeutic pharmaceutical agent,” as used in

A.R.S. § 32-1728, means an externally applied prescrip- tion or non-prescription substance used to treat disease of the eye and its adnexa.

“Vision rehabilitation” means an individualized course of treatment and education prescribed to improve conditions of the human eye or adnexa or develop compensatory approaches. Vision rehabilitation is designed to help indi- viduals learn, relearn, or reinforce specific vision skills, including eye movement control, focusing control, eye coordination, and the teamwork of the two eyes. Vision rehabilitation includes, but is not limited to optical, non- optical, electronic, or other assistive treatments.

Historical Note

Former Rule Section 1. Former Section R4-21-01 repealed, new Section R4-21-101 adopted effective Feb- ruary 7, 1986 (Supp. 86-1). Amended effective April 1,

1991 (Supp. 91-2). Amended effective November 5, 1998 (Supp. 98-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 6 A.A.R.

3812, effective September 13, 2000 (Supp. 00-3).

Amended by final rulemaking at 11 A.A.R. 1864, effec- tive May 3, 2005 (Supp. 05-2). Amended by final rule- making at 14 A.A.R. 12, effective February 2, 2008

(Supp. 07-4).