§ 5-35.1-18. Refusal, suspension, or revocation of license for unprofessional conduct. In addition to any and all other remedies provided in this chapter, the director may, after notice and hearing in the director's discretion, refuse to grant, refuse to renew, suspend, or revoke any license provided for in this chapter to any person who is guilty of unprofessional conduct or conduct of a character likely to deceive or defraud the public, or for any fraud or deception committed in obtaining a license. "Unprofessional conduct" is defined as including, but is not limited to:

(1) Conviction of one or more of the offenses set forth in § 23-17-37;

(2) Knowingly placing the health of a patient at serious risk without maintaining proper precautions;

(3) Advertising by means of false or deceptive statements;

(4) The use of drugs or alcohol to an extent that impairs the person's ability to properly engage in the profession;

(5) Use of any false or fraudulent statement in any document connected with his or her practice;

(6) Obtaining of any fee by fraud or willful misrepresentation of any kind whether from a patient or insurance plan;

(7) Knowingly performing any act that in any way aids or assists an unlicensed person to practice in violation of this chapter;

(8) Violating or attempting to violate, directly or indirectly, or assisting in, or abetting, the violation of, or conspiring to violate, any of the provisions of this chapter or regulations previously or hereafter issued pursuant to this chapter;

(9) Incompetence;

(10) Repeated acts of gross misconduct;

(11) An optometrist providing services to a person who is making a claim as a result of a personal injury, who charges or collects from the person any amount in excess of the reimbursement to the optometrist by the insurer as a condition of providing or continuing to provide services or treatment;

(12) Failure to conform to acceptable and prevailing community standard of optometric practice;

(13) Advertising by written or spoken words of a character tending to deceive or mislead the public;

(14) Practicing his or her profession under any oral or written contract, arrangement, or understanding where anyone not licensed to practice optometry in this state shares, directly or indirectly, in any fees received by that licensed optometrist;

(15) Grave and repeated misuse of any ocular pharmaceutical agent; or

(16) The use of any agent or procedure in the course of optometric practice by an optometrist not properly authorized under this chapter.

History of Section. (P.L. 2008, ch. 305, § 2; P.L. 2008, ch. 433, § 2.)