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Ohio Administrative Code (Last Updated: January 12, 2021) |
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4725 Ohio Vision Professional Board |
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Chapter4725-9. Continuing Education |
4725-9-03. Board approval of continuing education
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Continuing education programs must meet the following requirements in order to receive board approval and credit.
(A) Programs shall relate to the practice of optometry that will contribute to the advancement, extension and enhancement of professional skill, clinical and scientific knowledge of the participants and enable them to render continuously better and more comprehensive optometric service to the recipients of their care.
(B) Speakers, lecturers and others participating in the presentation of the programs must be recognized as possessing requisite qualifications and being expert and of recognized repute in their area of instruction.
(C) Programs shall be available to all Ohio optometrists. Limitations may be necessary based on space, time or format of presentation and must be so noted on application. Any program that is too restrictive may be denied approval.
(D) Programs cannot be used to market the sponsor's/presenter's products or services.
(E) The board will not approve for continuing education credit lectures or articles written by the optometrist requesting the credit.
(F) Practice management and/or ethics jurisprudence courses are approved for a maximum of two hours continuing education credit in any one compliance year.
(G) Written home study or electronic media (cd-rom, internet, webinars) courses will receive credit when the board is provided a record showing results of tests given on the course which is graded by an accredited optometric college or institution as approved by the board. No more than ten hours credit will be granted in this category in any one year unless the optometrist can document inability to attend live, on-site courses. This does not preclude a presenter from using electronic media programs in conjunction with their presentation.
(H) One hour of credit requires at least fifty minutes of instruction.
(I) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation refresher training is acceptable for up to three hours credit for any one continuing education period once every two years. The three hours can be utilized for pharmacology continuing education compliance.
(J) Grand rounds, surgery observation, and other procedure oriented methods may be approved for continuing education credit. No more than eight hours credit will be granted in this category in any one year.
(K) Licensees may be granted up to no more than eight hours credit each CE study year by providing volunteer health care services to indigent and uninsured persons at a rate of one credit hour for each sixty minutes spent providing volunteer health care services in accordance with section 4745.04 of the Revised Code. These services shall be performed without receiving any compensation or other form of remuneration. Hours will not apply towards the ten pharmacology hour requirement.
(L) Applications for approval of optician and ocularistry continuing education not currently approved by a nationally recognized agency for credentialing of continuing education such as American board of opticianry, national contact lens examiners, National examining board of ocularists shall be submitted on a form as designated by the board not less than sixty days prior to the date of the proposed program. The application shall include, but is not limited to:
(1) Sponsor name and sponsor contact information;
(2) Registration information;
(3) Speaker credentials indicating that the speaker or presenter possesses requisite qualifications and expertise in the area of instruction;
(4) Course start and end times;
(5) Summary of the types of hours requested;
(6) Presentation format and course outline;
(7) A copy of the proof of completion certificate, which includes the following information:
(a) Space for the printed name and signature of the licensee and license number;
(b) Title and date of the program;
(c) Name of the provider; and,
(d) The number and type of hours earned.
(M) All continuing education shall relate to the practice of opticianry or ocularistry as applicable and in accordance with rules of this chapter.
(N) Continuing education related to practice management, office procedures, social legislation and any other courses not directly relating to optical dispensing or ocularistry may be considered for management credit.
(O) Programs shall be made available to any Ohio licensed dispensing optician or licensed ocularist.
(P) Credit shall be awarded on the basis of an academic hour. To receive an hour credit, one must attend one full academic hour. No fractional hour shall be awarded.
(Q) Any of the following may be used by a licensed optician or licensed ocularist to satisfy the continuing education requirements set forth in section 4725.51 of the Revised Code and this chapter of the Administrative Code:
(1) A continuing education activity which has been approved by the board;
(2) A continuing education activity which has been approved by a nationally recognized accreditation system of continuing education for opticians or ocularists, such as, but not limited to:
(a) American board of opticianry (ABO);
(b) National contact lens examiners (NCLE); and
(c) National examining board of ocularists.
(R) The following activities shall not be used by a licensed optician or licensed ocularist to satisfy the continuing education requirements of section 4725.51 of the Revised Code and this chapter:
(1) Repetition of any education activity with identical content and course objectives within a single reporting period;
(2) An agency specific orientation or in-service program;
(3) A self-directed independent study such as reading of texts or journal articles which have not been approved by the board as an independent study;
(4) Participation in clinical practice which is not part of an approved continuing education activity;
(5) A personal development activity;
(6) Professional meetings or conventions except for those portions designated as a board-approved continuing education activity;
(7) Community service or volunteer practice;
(8) Continuing education ordered by the board pursuant to disciplinary action;
(9) Membership in an opticianry or ocularistry organization; or
(10) Any other as determined by the board.