COBC is pleased to share the new Standards of Practice for BC opticians!
These standards are enforced as of June 1, 2022.
What has changed? The standards have been completely re-written. This process has taken place over a period of close to two years, with consultation from opticians and other stakeholders across BC and Canada. The new standards are designed to be more accessible, more applicable, more measurable, and more inclusive.
What are they? A “standard” is the minimum level of performance and professional practice required of an optician to ensure service that is ethical and safe for the public. Standards exist to promote, guide, and direct professional practice. As an optician, you are required to know and adhere to the standards of your profession.
Starting in June, 2022, we will be showcasing a standard each month in our newsletter and in the Blog section of our website. We will provide case studies and scenarios to demonstrate how that standard might be operationalized in a real-life practice environment, and how grey areas might be addressed.
The standards will be highlighted out of order, prioritizing those areas where COBC registrants have indicated they need more education. However, remember that all of the new standards are enforceable starting June 1.
The full standards document can be accessed by clicking the image above, or at the link below. You may also access each individual standard at the corresponding link below – if a case study has been created for a particular standard, it will also be linked below:
- Standards of Practice (full document)
- Standard 1: Client-Centred Practice
- Standard 2: Evidence-Informed Practice
- Standard 3: Collaborative Care
- Standard 4: Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility, and Anti-Racism
- Standard 5: Competence
- Standard 6: Professionalism
- Standard 7: Safety and Infection Control
- Standard 8: Dispensing of Vision Appliances
- Standard 9: Independent Automated Refraction
- Standard 10: Remote Practice and Technology
- Standard 11: Delegation and Supervision
- Standard 12: Privacy and Confidentiality
- Standard 13: Conflict of Interest
- Standard 14: Record Keeping and Billing
- Standard 15: Communication and Marketing
- Standard 16: Risk Management and Quality Improvement
Contact our team if you require clarification on any of the standards. We are excited to have them in effect, and look forward to any feedback!