2005 West Virginia Code - §30-8-5. — Qualifications of applicant for registration; examination; duties of board as to examinations and certifications; education necessary for use of pharmaceutical agents.

§30-8-5. Qualifications of applicant for registration; examination; duties of board as to examinations and certifications; education necessary for use of pharmaceutical agents.

(a) An applicant for registration shall present satisfactory evidence that he or she is at least twenty-one years of age, of good moral character and has graduated from a school or college of optometry accepted by said board. No school or college of optometry shall be accepted by the West Virginia board of optometry unless at first it has been accredited by a regional or professional accreditation organization which is recognized by the national commission on accreditation or the United States commission of education. Each applicant shall submit to and be examined in all phases of optometry as is provided by a school or college of optometry.
(b) The West Virginia board of optometry shall be responsible to determine the educational training received by the applicant from the schools and colleges of optometry, the educational qualifications of each applicant and the administering of the examination and certification of each applicant commensurate with his or her education. No optometrist shall be registered or certified to practice optometry in the state of West Virginia in any area that is beyond the scope of his or her educational training as determined by the West Virginia board of optometry: Provided, That any optometrist presently registered in the state of West Virginia and who desires to employ the use of pharmaceutical agents must submit to the West Virginia board of optometry evidence of satisfactory completion of all necessary educational requirements as made mandatory by the West Virginia board of optometry: Provided, however, That the West Virginia board of optometry shall provide for continuing educational requirements to be completed from time to time by all optometrists desiring to employ the use of pharmaceutical agents.
(c) The board may propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, to provide for licensure by endorsement for applicants licensed by other states whose licensure requirements are equivalent to those of this state, and who meet the requirements as set forth in this article and in the legislative rules of the board.