(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Health facility” means a health facility as defined in Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code, exclusive of a hospital defined in subdivision (a) or (b) of that section.
(2) “Residential care facility” means a residential facility, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 1502 of the Health and Safety Code, licensed by the State Department of Social Services, including, but not limited to, the following:
(A) Adult residential facilities.
(B) Adult residential facilities for persons with special health care needs.
(C) Residential care facilities for the chronically ill.
(D) Residential care facilities for the elderly.
(E) Continuing care retirement communities.
(F) Social rehabilitation facilities.
(b) An optometrist may engage in the practice of optometry at any health facility or residential care facility provided that all of the following requirements are satisfied:
(1) The optometrist maintains a primary business office, separate from the health facility or residential care facility, that meets all of the following requirements:
(A) Is open to the public during normal business hours by telephone and for purposes of billing services or access to patient records.
(B) Is licensed to the optometrist or the employer of the optometrist as a local business with the city or county in which it is located.
(C) Is registered by the optometrist with the Board of Optometry.
(D) Is owned or leased by the optometrist or by the employer of the optometrist.
(E) Is not located in or connected with a residential dwelling.
(2) The optometrist maintains or discloses patient records in the following manner:
(A) Records are maintained and made available to the patient in such a way that the type and extent of services provided to the patient are conspicuously disclosed. The disclosure of records shall be made at or near the time services are rendered and shall be maintained at the primary business office specified in paragraph (1).
(B) The optometrist complies with all federal and state laws and regulations regarding the maintenance and protection of medical records, including, but not limited to, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300gg).
(C) Pursuant to Section 3007, the optometrist keeps all necessary records for a minimum of seven years from the date of service in order to disclose fully the extent of services furnished to a patient. Any information included on a printed copy of an original document to a patient shall be certified by the optometrist as being true, accurate, and complete.
(D) If a prescription is issued to a patient, records shall be maintained for each prescription as part of the patient’s chart, including all of the following information about the optometrist:
(i) Name.
(ii) Optometrist license number.
(iii) The place of practice and the primary business office.
(iv) Description of the goods and services for which the patient is charged and the amount charged.
(E) A copy of any referral or order requesting optometric services for a patient from the health facility’s or residential care facility’s administrator, director of social services, the attending physician and surgeon, the patient, or a family member shall be kept in the patient’s medical record.
(3) The optometrist possesses and appropriately uses the instruments and equipment required for all optometric services and procedures performed within the health facility or residential care facility.
(c) An optometrist who satisfies all of the requirements in this section for the practice of optometry at a health facility or residential care facility shall not be required to comply with Section 3070 with regard to providing notification to the board of each facility or residential care facility at which he or she practices.
(Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 604, Sec. 5. (AB 2683) Effective January 1, 2011.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018