Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 11, November 22, 2024
Section 95-7 - Optometrists' Offices. General Requirements, Patient Records Handling, and Sanitary StandardsA. General Requirements1. All office facilities, which include mobile units, shall be maintained adequately and appropriately for the practice of optometry. The minimum standard for all facilities shall include: a. Adequate heating and cooling;b. Sufficient ventilation in all areas;c. Sufficient lighting in all areas;d. Sanitary storage that is adequate for the size of the facility; ande. Proper identification of all personnel and displaying of license(s) in accordance with S.C. Code Section 40-37-325.2. All equipment and instruments must be kept in working order. All office facilities, including mobile units, shall be equipped with, but not limited to, the following diagnostic equipment:b. Visual acuity testing distance and near charts and/or projectord. Keratometer and/or autokeratometere. Ophthalmoscope: direct and binocular indirect with condensing lensesg. Biomicroscope (Slit Lamp)k. Diagnostic pharmaceutical agents within expiration datesl. Foreign body removal kitm. Blood pressure measuring device3. A licensed optometrist is responsible for maintaining an official business address of record and telephone number on file with the Board office for each registered branch office or mobile unit.4. Branch office registrations shall be renewed in conjunction with the optometrist's license renewal.5. An office facility, including a mobile unit, must comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances, and the office facility, including a mobile unit, shall possess all applicable county, state, and city licenses or permits to operate at the location(s) where services are being provided.6. Pharmaceutical agents must be stored in a secure, sanitary place.B. Patient Records Handling. 1. In addition to the requirements set forth in Regulation 95-6, all patient records must include the office facility's, including mobile unit's, name, contact information, including the official business address of record and the telephone number on file with the Board office, as well as the name(s) of the optometrist(s) rendering services.2. If the patient is a minor, the patient's parent or legal guardian must be provided with a consent form prior to the examination. No services may be performed on a minor without consent from the minor's parent or legal guardian. The consent form must be saved in the patient's records and shall expire one (1) year from the date of initial consent.3. For all office facilities, including mobile units, medical records and patient information must be stored on the premises in a confidential, secured location not accessible to the public. Medical records and patient information must be stored either physically or with an electronic health record system.C. Sanitary Standards 1. All office facilities, which include mobile units, shall provide and maintain sanitary facilities and conditions in accordance with the following:a. Premises shall be kept neat and clean, free of accumulated rubbish and substances of similar nature which create a public health nuisance.b. All instruments or equipment used for examination and treatment purposes shall be cleaned and disinfected between patients. Cleaning and disinfection, as needed, of equipment used and/or maintained in each area, appropriate to the area and the equipment's purpose or use, shall be accomplished. A method of monitoring disinfectant performance shall be employed.c. Instruments and testing equipment must be maintained in a clean and hygienic manner. This includes cleaning all clinical equipment that comes into contact with patients with alcohol wipes or other standard methods recommended by the CDC.d. Premises shall be kept free of all insects and vermin.e. Medical waste containers must be secure and properly maintained.Added by State Register Volume 47, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/26/2023.