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Frequently Asked Questions:
About Quality Assurance

When are my credits due?

Your credits are due every three (3) years. Each three year period is called a cycle. Please click here for a chart outlining the cycles in further detail.

How many credits do I have to submit?

Each Optician is required to submit a minimum of thirty (30) Continuing Education Credits at the completion of their individual Quality Assurance cycle. The required breakdown of these credits is listed here.

All Registered Opticians who have received refracting status from the College are required to submit 8 EG/CL (refraction) credits in addition the credits required for the optician’s existing QA cycle in order to retain his or her refracting designation.

How many credits do I get for working?

An optician may claim 1 Dispensing Practice Experience (PE) credit for every 600 dispensing hours worked. There is no activity number associated with these credits, simply transfer the credit value from page 1 of the claims package to the space provided on page 4.

How many credits do I get for Volunteer Mission work?

You may claim (1) EG credit for each day that you practice Opticianry for uncompensated Volunteer Mission Work abroad up to a maximum of (10) EG credits. You must attach supporting documentation (such as a letter of employment from the organization) if you are claiming credits in this category.

What online courses can I take through the Seiko Eyewear website?

Please visit http://www.coptont.org/qa/seiko.html for a complete listing of all courses that are currently recognized by the College of Opticians of Ontario.

I've lost my credit slip, can the College give me another one?

Please contact the sponsor of the event, course, or workshop you attended for duplicate copies of credit slips.

Can the College tell me how many credits I have in my current cycle?

No. The College does not keep track of individual optician's credits. It is the responsibility of each optician to keep a record of how many credits they have acquired and how many more they need to complete their Quality Assurance requirement. If you have lost your credit slips, please contact the provider of the seminar/course for another copy.

Ontario Opticians Association: (905) 709-4141 or 1-877-709-4141
Academy of Ophthalmic Education: (905) 731-6022 or 1-866-417-0004

How do I send my credits to the College?

After you have downloaded the QA Claims Package from our website and filled in the forms, please send your completed package back to the College. Please ensure that you have included your credit slips as proof of completion. You may also drop off your claims package in person if you wish. The College does not accept faxed credit slips.

One of my colleagues received a notice in the mail that their credits are due but I haven't. Why?

QA cycles are staggered, meaning that all opticians are not required to submit packages at the same time. Your individual cycle depends on the year in which you were first registered as an optician. Please see this chart for a more detailed breakdown of QA cycles.

I can't remember the year that I was first registered
as an Optician. Can you tell me?

Please call the manager of Quality Assurance at 416-368-3616 x 207, who will be happy to provide you with this information. Alternatively, you can check your optician annual renewal form.

I didn’t receive a QA claims package in the mail, how do I get one?

Since 2008, the College has made the QA Claims Package available online for you to download. The College is now mailing out hard copies by request only. If you would like a hard copy of the QA Claims Package to be mailed to you, please email qa@coptont.org or phone 416-368-3616 ext. 207 or 1-800-990-9793 ext. 207.

I need an extension, how do I get one?

All requests for an extension must be submitted, in writing, to:

The Registrar
902-85 Richmond St. W.
Toronto, ON. M5H 2C9

Please include an explanation for the request.

I didn’t renew my certificate of registration, do I still need to submit a package?

If your certificate of registration has been suspended (you have not renewed your license), you are not required to submit a QA claims package. However, if you are intending on reinstating your license at a later date, you will owe any outstanding credits for each cycle you have missed.

I want to reinstate my certificate of registration. How many credits do I owe?

You will need to submit thirty (30) credits for every cycle that you have missed while your certificate of registration was suspended (or 38 credits if you have received refracting status from the College). If your certificate of registration has been suspended for a period longer than three (3) years, your application will go to the Registration committee for evaluation. The committee may instruct you to follow alternative QA requirements. Please read the Registration Policy and view the Reinstatement Process flowchart for more information.

I took a course that I believe is worth a credit value.
How can I get this accredited?

Please submit as much information about the event you attended, including proof that you completed/attended it, to the Quality Assurance committee for review. Please include a one (1) page (minimum) synopsis of what you learned at the event and how it will apply and/or help you in your profession. Remember that the more information you can provide, the greater the ability of the committee to assess it for a credit value.

Please review the College's Quality Assurance Accreditation Policy FOR REGISTRANTS, located in the Resource Room, before you submit your information to the Committee.

I am a newly registered optician. Do any seminars I take in the year I’m first registered count toward my credit requirement?

Yes. Even though, as a newly registered optician, your cycle does not begin until the year following your initial registration, any credits you accumulate in the year you are first licensed can be submitted.

For example: if you were first registered as an optician in 2008, your cycle does not begin until January 1, 2009. Your cycle will end December 31, 2011. Any credits you acquire in 2008 (after you become a licensed optician) will count towards your QA requirement.

I have more than 30 credits. Can I rollover credits to my next cycle?

Credits must be acquired within your cycle in order for them to fulfill your QA requirements. Credits acquired over and above the required thirty (30) cannot be used in subsequent cycles.

I just got my certificate of registration. When does my cycle start?

The first cycle for newly registered opticians begins on January 1st of the year following their initial registration.

Does the College print a booklet containing activity ID numbers?

You may view all previously accredited courses by the College of opticians on our website at http://www.coptont.org/MEMBERS/continuing.asp. If you are missing an activity ID number on a credit slip please contact the sponsor of the event you attended for that information.