N.M. Stat. § 61-2-2

Current through 2024, ch. 69

Section 61-2-2 - Definitions

As used in the Optometry Act:

A. "practice of optometry" means:

(1) the employment of any subjective or objective means or methods, including but not limited to the use of lenses, prisms, autorefractors or other automated testing devices, and includes the prescription or administration of drugs for the purpose of diagnosing the visual defects or abnormal conditions of the human eye and its adnexa;

(2) the employing, adapting or prescribing of preventive or corrective measures, including but not limited to lenses, prisms, contact or corneal lenses or other optical appliances, ocular exercises, vision therapy, vision training and vision rehabilitation services, and includes the prescription or administration of all drugs rational for the correction, relief or referral of visual defects or abnormal conditions of the human eye and its adnexa; and

(3) does not include the use of surgery or injections in the treatment of eye diseases except for the use of the following types of in-office minor surgical procedures:

(a) non-laser removal, destruction or drainage of superficial eyelid lesions and conjunctival cysts;

(b) removal of nonperforating foreign bodies from the cornea, conjunctiva and eyelid;

(c) non-laser corneal debridement, culture, scrape or anterior puncture, not including removal of pterygium, corneal biopsy or removal of corneal neoplasias;

(d) removal of eyelashes; and

(e) probing, dilation, irrigation or closure of the tear drainage structures of the eyelid; scalpel use is to be applied only for the purpose of use on the skin surrounding the eye;

B. "ophthalmic lens" means a lens that has a spherical, cylindrical or prismatic value, is ground pursuant to a prescription and is intended to be used as eyeglasses;

C. "contact lens" means a lens to be worn on the anterior segment of the human eye;

D. "prescription" means a written order by an optometrist or a physician for an individual patient for:

(1) ophthalmic lenses;

(2) contact lenses; or

(3) a pharmaceutical agent that is regulated pursuant to the New Mexico Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act [Chapter 26, Article 1 NMSA 1978];

E. "eyeglasses" means an exterior optical device using ophthalmic lenses for the correction or relief of disturbances in and anomalies of human vision; and

F. "board" means the board of optometry.

NMS § 61-2-2

1953 Comp., § 67-1-2, enacted by Laws 1973, ch. 353, § 2; 1977, ch. 30, § 1; 1979, ch. 3, § 1; 1985, ch. 241, § 2; 1995, ch. 20, § 2; 2003, ch. 274, § 1; 2007, ch. 277, § 1; 2015, ch. 131, § 1.

Amended by 2015, c. 131,s. 1, eff. 6/19/2015.