The College’s Responsibility for Quality Assurance

The Quality Assurance Program is an important aspect of the College’s duty to serve and protect the public. All Colleges under the Health Professions Act must develop, establish and maintain:

• Standards of practice to enhance the quality of practice and reduce incompetent, impaired or unethical practice amongst registrants; and
• A continuing competency program to promote high practice standards amongst registrants.

Currently, the COBC supports opticians in maintaining acceptable standards and competence through mandatory continuing education (MCE).

The COBC requires all dispensing opticians and contact lens fitters to obtain a set number of credits over a three year cycle in the MCE program on an ongoing basis. Also, all CE course applications submitted to the COBC are evaluated according to the accreditation policy set by the Quality Assurance Committee (QAC).

The Quality Assurance Committee’s Accreditation Policy outlines how continuing education activities are accredited to support the MCE program. The College is also collaborating with continuing education providers to work on improving the quality of MCE activities and create a more effective learning environment for opticians.

The COBC Quality Assurance Program and Accreditation policy (PDF):

• QAC Mandatory Continuing Education Program & Accreditation Policy