Arkansas State Board of Optometry Arkansas Department of Health

Arkansas State Board of Optometry

2024 License Renewals

2023 Rules Promulgation – Public Notice.

The Arkansas Department of Health, Division of Health Related Boards & Commissions/Arkansas Board of Optometry hereby issue the following proposed amendments to its Rules pursuant to its authority under Ark. Code Ann. § 17-90-204.

The Board is updating its existing rules to update existing rules regarding licensure for military personnel per Ark. Code Ann. § 17-4-101 et seq.

The dates this public notice will run in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette are 11/5/2023, 11/6/2023, and 11/7/2023.

The public comment period will end on 12/5/2023.

Our Mission

To protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Arkansas.

What We Do

Provide laws and regulations to govern the practice of optometry.
Examine, license, and regulate Arkansas optometrists.
Safeguard against unprofessional, unlawful, and incompetent practice of optometry.
Regulate out-of-state contact lens dispensers.

**FDA Eyedrop Recall

Announcements

Office of Inspector General Advisory Opinion on Potential Violation of Federal Anti-Kickback Legislation

Office of Inspector General Advisory Opinion

Continuing Education

Outline of Continuing Education Hours beginning July 1, 2022

Optometric Physicians:

20 Total Hours
- All 20 hours may be obtained through Live in Person Education or:
  - 12 Hours – Live in Person Education (Cope and/or Board approved)
    - Any CE obtained out of state must be Cope approved
  - 8 Hours - Distance Learning…can be any of the following
    - Interactive Distance Learning (Synchronous…live event online)
    - Enduring Distance Learning (Asynchronous…recorded event online…with a test)
    - Printed Material with test
    - Online Jurisprudence Hour (www.aroptometry.org)

Optometrists (Non-Optometric Physicians):

12 Total Hours
- All 12 hours may be obtained through Live in Person Education or
  - 8 Hours – Live in Person Education (Cope and/or Board approved)
    - Any CE obtained out of state must be Cope approved
  - 4 Hours - Distance Learning…can be any of the following
    - Interactive Distance Learning (Synchronous…live event online)
    - Enduring Distance Learning (Asynchronous…recorded event online…with a test)
    - Printed Material with test
    - Online Jurisprudence Hour (www.aroptometry.org)

Act 651 Information

During the February 17, 2022 Board meeting the Board voted to accept Act 651 Guidelines. This policy provides direction for prescribing an opioid antagonist to a patient when an opioid prescription is prescribed or dispensed. All optometric physicians prescribing opioids to patients must begin following these guidelines.

Jurisprudence Continuing Education - Correspondence Quiz

The 2023 Jurisprudence online correspondence quiz is now available. You are now able to take the quiz and pay for it using a credit card or checking account. The quiz will be graded online, and the results forwarded to the Board office.

**Please Note – You must get 28 questions correct to pass the quiz. Payment is collected at the end after the scores are tabulated. If you have any questions, please contact the Board office.

Click the link below to be directed to the quiz. You will need your license number and date of birth to begin.

Online Jurisprudence Quiz

Board Information

Board of Directors

Bryant Ashley, O.D., President
Daniel Hennessey, O.D., Vice-President
Beatrice Reed, O.D., Secretary-Treasurer
Susan DeBlack, O.D.
Robert Fitzhugh, O.D.
Mr. Bill White
Mr. Mitchell Gentry

Staff

Tanya H. Ford, Director
Amber LeClerc, Fiscal Support Specialist

Board Meetings: Meetings are held at 1:30pm at Freeway Medical Tower, 5800 W. 10th St., Suite 906, Little Rock, AR 72204.

February 15, 2024
April 25, 2024
June 13, 2024
August 15, 2024
October 17, 2024
November 21, 2024

Meeting Minutes (for older meeting minutes, contact the ASBO office)

Applicants

Doctor Directory

Doctor Lookup

Laws & Rules

Resources & Forms

Office	Address	Phone	Fax
Arkansas State Board of Optometry	Mailing Address: 4815 W. Markham St., Slot 70 Little Rock, AR 72205 Physical Address: 5800 W. 10th St. Suite 100, Office A108 Little Rock, AR 72204	501-534-6139	501-534-6026