Saturday, January 28, 2012

Protecting & Enhancing your
eyesight is the job of Opticians
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The College of Opticians of British Columbia is the health regulatory college for all Opticians in BC. The College establishes qualifications for Opticians and works to ensure Opticians are providing competent and effective care.


Our Mission is Regulating and Improving the Practice of Opticians to Ensure Quality Professional Care for the Consumers of British Columbia.



What is An Optician? 



An optician is a licensed professional trained to help you see better – whether you’re near or far-sighted, or have low vision due to more complex eye health issues.

It’s reassuring to know the profession of Opticianry in British Columbia is regulated and governed by strict standards to protect your vision and ensure opticians provide you care of the highest standard.

Visit www.licensedoptician.ca


Mandatory Refraction Jurisprudence Seminar (Victoria & Kelowna)

Current refracting opticians must attend a seminar to ensure understanding of the laws affecting refracting opticians. This seminar is free of charge and worth 6 EC credits for refracting opticians.

Victoria Area: 10AM-12PM on Feb 12, 2012 at the Comfort Hotel & Conference Centre (3020 Blanshard Street, Victoria, BC).

Kelowna Area: 10AM-12PM on Feb 19, 2012 at the Manteo Resort Waterfront Hotel (3762 Lakeshore Road, Kelowna, BC).

Refracting opticians do not need to register. Since the refraction jurisprudence seminar is mandatory, we will keep track of seminar attendees.

If you have questions regarding this seminar, please contact Connie Chong at cchong@cobc.ca or 604.278.7510 extension 202.


Find An Optician


 

A Licensed Optician is a health professional who works with you to understand your daily vision needs so as to create, with technical precision, lenses that are exactly correct so that you see clearly without eye strain or headaches from wrong lenses. There are 1200 opticians in British Columbia.

Click here to find the closest optician to you


New Opticians Regulation

On May 1, 2010 the Minister of Health signed into force the new Opticians Regulation.

The amendments removed most restrictions on who may dispense corrective eyewear, allow independent sight-testing by opticians, require that interpupillary distance be provided in sight-tests and that opticians provide copies of sight-test results free of charge and whether or not requested, and implement the new shared scope of practice/restricted activities regulatory model for opticianry.

For a legal summary of the key features of the new Opticians Regulation click here.

Click here for more information and frequently asked questions about the government's regulation amendments.

Announcements

COBC Board Meeting - January 29, 2012 View Full Story Minimize
January 24, 2012 |
The first COBC board meeting for 2012 is on January 29 at 10 AM at the Granville Island Hotel in the Quarter Deck Room (1253 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC). The first COBC board meeting for 2012 is on January 29 at 10 AM at the Granville Island Hotel in the Quarter Deck Room (1253 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC).
Meetings of the Board are open to COBC registrants and members of the public on a pre-arranged basis. The objectives of open board meetings are to enhance the Board's accountability to those who have an interest in the organization's affairs and to facilitate understanding of the Board's governance of the opticianry profession in the public interest. Participation in discussions during the meeting is limited to Board members. If you wish to observe at a board meeting, please notify the College office before the board meeting.


Become a Vision Screening Optician View Full Story Minimize
January 19, 2012 |
Vision screening is an important tool to identify people that need to be under the care of an eye care professional. BC opticians represent a task force that is in the front-line position to provide free vision screening as part of a community outreach program. Under 40% of the population see an eye care professional. That means that there are a lot of people that have yet to truly experience a world where they can see to their very best. Take for example adults age 40 years and older. This group of people are at greatest risk for eye diseases. The major eye diseases for this age group are age-related macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. In particular, adults age 40 years and older are highly at-risk for presbyopia, the normal aging of the eyes, and require vision correction. However, many adults are self-diagnosing themselves with ready readers instead of seeing an Optician because they don't know how Opticians can make them see better. How can you reach out to these people and let them know what they are missing when they can't see their world to their very best?

Vision screening is an important tool to identify people that need to be under the care of an eye care professional. BC opticians represent a task force that is in the front-line position to provide free vision screening as part of a community outreach program.

By becoming an Optician with advanced practice credentials in vision screening, you will be able to:

  • increase your profile in your community by being the first contact in the vision care system
  • identify potential consumers who are at risk for eye disease or unaware they need corrective eyewear
  • educate consumers about the roles and services of Opticians and
  • list yourself as a Vision Screening Optician on the College of Opticians online registry (under "Specialties")
The College of Opticians will recognize you as a Vision Screening Optician after you complete the following requirements:

1) Complete part 1 of the vision screening program (community outreach) worth 9 EC credits:
  • Course material (workshop or online module offered by the OBC)
  • Online multiple choice exam
  • Practicum (3 hours of community outreach volunteering)
2) Complete part 2 of the vision screening program (specialize in children/adults) worth 6 EC credits:
  • Course material (workshop or online module offered by
  • Online multiple choice exam
Part 2 of the vision screening program will become available Fall 2012

In addition, the College of Opticians and OBC: Opticians of British Columbia are partnering together on a vision screening campaign, featuring a vision screening mobile that will tour around BC to hold various vision screening events during the spring and summer of 2012.

Opticians who have completed part 1 of the vision screening course material will have the opportunity to complete their practicum by volunteering at a vision screening event.

Stay tuned for announcements on the dates of upcoming vision screening events.

To register for part 1 of the vision screening course (community outreach) with the OBC, visit http://www.opticians.bc.ca


Read All Announcements