New Mexico Register / Volume XXX, Issue 10 / May 28, 2019

This is an amendment to 16.16.13 NMAC, Section 8, effective 05-29-2019.

16.16.13.8 CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: A minimum of 22 clock-hours of optometry related, board approved continuing education or postgraduate programs, are required for license renewal each year beginning July 1, as detailed below.

A. The continuing education shall be submitted as follows:

(1) at least 10 of the 22 hours of continuing education must be in a board approved program in clinical or ocular therapeutic pharmacology; and

(2) at least one of the 22 hours of continuing education must be in a board approved course in pain management or related topic pursuant to [16.16.25.11] 16.16.15.11 NMAC. This requirement shall begin with the 2015 renewal period beginning July 2, 2014.

B. For optometrists on inactive status, a minimum of 10 hours of continuing education in a board approved program in clinical or ocular therapeutic pharmacology is required.

C. The continuing education must have been taken within the preceding renewal period (i.e. July 2 of one year through June 30 of the next).

D. The board may audit any licensee’s continuing education documentation for the current licensing year and the two previous years.

E. A licensee who receives a notice of audit shall submit to the board office on or before July 1, unless otherwise specified, evidence of continuing education hours for the requested period.

F. A license will be placed on expired status if the licensee fails to meet the continuing education requirements for renewal by the expiration date stated in this rule.

G. Reactivation of license expired due to non-renewal for failure to meet the continuing education requirement. The licensee may apply for license reactivation in the same manner as provided in Part 11 of 16.16 NMAC. The continuing education and fees will be calculated based on the number of years the license was expired due to non-renewal for failure to meet the continuing education requirement.

H. Newly licensed optometrists who graduated from optometry school within the same year of licensure may submit the completed curriculum of their last year of optometry school to meet their continuing education requirement the first year of renewal.

[11-17-73; 2-6-87; 10-14-95; 10-15-97; 2-15-99; 16.16.13.8 NMAC - Rn, 16 NMAC 16.13.8, 03-15-2001; A, 03-15-2004; A 03-22-2008; A, 07-06-2012; A, 04-24-2014; A, 03-02-2016; A, 05-29-2019]