Continuing Education

Continuing Education Requirement Effective 1/1/2024:

*Reminder* All COPE-approved courses will automatically be added to your transcript from ARBO/OE Tracker. Please only send certificates if the course is not documented within two months of completion. All other course accreditation types must still be sent to info@ncoptometry.org



25 HOURS REQUIRED ANNUALLY


For definitions, see below.


BOARD & COPE DEFINITIONS: 



CRITERIA FOR ALL CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES

The course must be fully accredited by the Council on Optometric Practitioner Education.

1. Course must be COPE accredited (COPE number)
2. Event must have a COPE Event number
3. Vendor must be an Approved COPE Administrator or Accredited COPE Provider

-OR-

Courses can be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) or other healthcare professions' recognized accrediting body. 

 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS TO BE CLASSIFIED AS “CERTIFIED CREDIT”

Course must be on Subject Matter as listed below:

Self-Evaluation / Examination.

NBEO is no longer offering the CPDO Examination, effective 2024.


CRITERIA FOR “GENERAL” CREDIT:




New Licensees:

For those of you who graduated in the spring of the calendar year in which you have been licensed, the Board considers the time spent in your academic training as fulfilling the total requirement for the calendar year; however, all licensees will be required to fulfill the opioid course requirement.    Those who are being licensed in a year other than the year of your graduation from optometry school, are expected to meet the total requirement.  


COPE Optional Policy for NC State Optometric Society Districts

(in effect until December 31, 2022)

Each district must submit a completed course information form, found here: http://goo.gl/forms/P43N2WFiPO , no less than 7 days prior to the event. Upon receipt of the form and course outline, the board staff will review the documentation and respond with approval and determination of credit

Any courses submitted less than 7 days in advance will be denied approval of credit.

After the event, all attendance documentation must be submitted within 7 days


FAILURE TO MEET ANNUAL CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

21 NCAC 42B .0303 FAILURE TO MEET CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENT For a first failure to comply with 21 NCAC 42B .0302 the Board may require that the optometrist complete an additional five hours of attendance at approved continuing education programs. In the calendar year following such failure to comply, the optometrist must complete a sufficient number of hours at approved continuing education programs to cure the prior year's shortfall, meet the current year's continuing education obligation, and meet any penalty imposed as a result of the prior year's shortfall. Any subsequent failure to comply with 21 NCAC 42B .0302 may subject the optometrist to disciplinary action under G.S. 90-121.2.


Adopted June 1, 1989

Amended March 22, 2014

Amended August 29, 2015

Amended November 24, 2015

Amended February 12, 2016

Amended November 9, 2017

Amended November 8, 2018

Amended November 7, 2019

Amended March 18, 2020

Amended August 29, 2022

Amended March 01, 2023

Amended October 09, 2023

Amended November 30, 2023

Amended April 5, 2024