LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky’s optometry licensing process is facing scrutiny after a national review revealed that 21 optometrists were issued licenses without passing one or more required sections of the three-part national exam, according to the National Board of Examiners in Optometry .

The discovery was made by the national testing board and later addressed by Kentucky officials.

In October, Attorney General Russell Coleman issued an opinion stating that while the board may substitute a Canadian exam for a portion of the U.S. test, it violated state law by waiving testing requirements without going through the proper regulatory process.

That finding leaves open a major question: Are those optometrists properly licensed?

Dr. Ryan Smith, a Lexington ophthalmologist and the preside

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