WASHINGTON, DC -- Congressman Collin C. Peterson (DFL-7th District) announced today that the Veterans Administration is putting on hold an optometry service guideline which would allow Optometrists to prescribe medications and conduct laser surgery on veterans.
"After hearing from several Ophthalmologists in Minnesota who were upset over these guidelines, which would take away their role and allow optometrists to perform serious operations which they are not trained to do, I contacted Dr. Kenneth Kizer, the Undersecretary of Health for the VA," Peterson said. "Dr. Kizer responded positively by putting the portion of the guideline that deals with Optometrists prescribing medications and performing laser surgery on veterans on hold and ordering future meetings to be held.
"The State of Minnesota does not allow optometrists to perform operations for which they are not trained, and therefore the VA hospitals should not allow this either," Peterson said. "There is no reason why veterans deserve lower quality health care than the rest of the country."