Opticians are regulated health care professionals that are accountable to providing safe, ethical and competent patient care.
You can expect that your optician will:
- Assist you with lens + frame choices that fit your lifestyle needs and optical needs. + your budget
- Supervise non-licensed staff
- Verify your order before dispensing it to you
- Adjust your eyewear upon pick-up to best fit your face
- Provide contact lens fittings, and replacement contact lenses
- Follow-up with you to ensure your contact lenses are working
- Put your needs first
Your optician must provide you with a copy of your assessment record if you’ve had an independent automated refraction. The assessment record must contain our interpupillary distance (P.D) and be provided to you free of charge once your service has been completed. Your optician may require you to return to them for a follow-up before they consider the service completed.
If you’ve had a contact lens fitting, your optician must provide you with a copy of your contact lens record free of charge once the service has been completed. If this is the first time you are being fit with contact lenses, or your first time at a new location, your optician will require you to return for a follow-up before they consider the service completed.
Opticians must display their certificates of registration issued by COBC. You should be able to see your optician’s certificate of registration clearly in their store. If you are unsure whether a staff member helping you is an optician, you can ask. Opticians are required to disclose their licensure status and licence number to clients upon request. Please note not everyone who works at an optical store is an optician.
The Standards of Practice, regulations, and other relevant policies for opticians can be found here.
If you have concerns, or questions about the care you’ve received you can contact COBC at reception@cobc.ca or 604-742-6472.