Ohio Administrative Code|Rule 4725-9-03 | Board approval of continuing education.

                                                
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.