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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 18. Professional And Occupational Licensing
Agency 105. Board of Optometry
Chapter 20. Regulations Governing the Practice of Optometry
5/7/2025

18VAC105-20-5. Definitions.

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Acute pain" means pain that occurs within the normal course of a disease or condition for which controlled substances may be prescribed for no more than three months.

"Active clinical practice" means an average of 20 hours per week or 640 hours per year of providing patient care.

"Adnexa" is defined as the conjoined, subordinate, or immediately associated anatomic parts of the human eye, including eyelids and eyebrows.

"Board" means the Virginia Board of Optometry.

"Chronic pain" means nonmalignant pain that goes beyond the normal course of a disease or condition for which controlled substances may be prescribed for a period greater than three months.

"Controlled substance" means drugs listed in the Drug Control Act (§ 54.1-3400 et seq. of the Code of Virginia) in Schedules II through V.

"Laser surgery certification" means a certification issued by the board to a Virginia-licensed TPA-certified optometrist who has demonstrated compliance with the board's criteria for performance of peripheral iridotomy, selective laser trabeculoplasty, and YAG capsulotomy.

"LSPE" means the Laser and Surgical Procedures Examination administered by the NBEO.

"MME" means morphine milligram equivalent.

"NBEO" means the National Board of Examiners in Optometry.

"Prescription Monitoring Program" means the electronic system within the Department of Health Professions that monitors the dispensing of certain controlled substances.

"Proctored session" means any surgery on a live patient or procedure performed on a model eye that is observed and evaluated by a proctor for the purpose of obtaining laser surgery certification pursuant to subdivision 4 b of 18VAC105-20-80[].

"Proctoring" means an objective evaluation of an optometrist's clinical competence to perform laser surgery pursuant to § 54.1-3225 of the Code of Virginia.

"TMOD" means the treatment and management of ocular disease portion of the NBEO examination.

"TPA" means therapeutic pharmaceutical agents.

"TPA certification" means authorization by the Virginia Board of Optometry for an optometrist to treat diseases and abnormal conditions of the human eye and its adnexa and to prescribe and administer certain therapeutic pharmaceutical agents.

Statutory Authority

§§ 54.1-2400, 54.1-3223, and 54.1-3225 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 22, Issue 4, eff. November 30, 2005; amended, Virginia Register Volume 22, Issue 20, eff. July 12, 2006; Volume 36, Issue 4, eff. November 13, 2019; Volume 36, Issue 6, eff. December 11, 2019; Volume 41, Issue 14, eff. May 1, 2025.

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