(a) It shall be unlawful for any state board, body, agency, or institution or any public official to discriminate against optometrists licensed under Chapter 30 of Title 43 or against physicians licensed under Chapter 34 of Title 43 in the suggestion or recommendation for visual care which is within the scope of the practice licensed by those chapters.

(b) Nothing contained in this Code section shall be construed to prevent a person having custodial care of another person from referring such person to the practitioner of his choice.

(c) Nothing contained in this Code section shall be construed to prevent a physician from referring patients to any practitioner of his choice.