Arkansas State Board of Optometry Arkansas Department of Health

Arkansas State Board of Optometry

**2024 License Renewals

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

A legislative mandate to reduce board licensure fees by 95% is in effect from July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. All fees will return to the regular rates on July 1, 2025.

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 Exam

The 2024 Jurisprudence online correspondence exam is now available. You are now able to take the exam and pay for it using a credit card or checking account. The exam will be graded online, and the results forwarded to the Board office.

**Please Note – You must get 28 questions correct to pass the exam. 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 exam. You will need your license number and date of birth to begin.

Jurisprudence Exam

Board Information

Board of Directors

Beatrice Reed, O.D., President
Susan DeBlack, O.D., Vice-President
Robert Fitzhugh, O.D., Secretary-Treasurer
Matthew Jones, O.D.
James Hertzog, O.D.
Open Position – Consumer Representative Age 60+
Open Position – Consumer Representative

Staff

Suzette Weast, 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.

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