(1) The board shall
accept the following in satisfaction of continuing education for each biennium:
(a) Any continuing education program approved
by COPE or Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing
Education.
(b) Any in-person
continuing education program relevant to the practice of optometry provided by
one of the following organizations:
1.
Wisconsin Optometric Association.
2. American Optometric Association.
3. American Academy of Optometry.
4. Optometric Extension Program
Foundation.
5. Neuro-Optometric
Rehabilitation Association.
6.
College of Optometrists in Vision Development.
7. A school or college of optometry
accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric
Education.
(2)
The board may approve a continuing education program not accepted under sub.
(1) . To apply for approval of a continuing education program, a provider shall
submit to the board an application on forms provided by the department at least
30 days prior to the program. An application filed under this subsection or s.
Opt 8.02(3e) or (3m) (b) shall include
all of the following:
(a) Title of the
program.
(b) Date of the
program.
(c) General description
and timed outline of the program.
(d) Name and qualifications of the
instructor.
(e) Sponsoring
organization of the program.
(f)
Category of the program relevant to the practice of optometry.
(g) Approved number of continuing education
program hours requested.
(h)
Delivery method of the program.
(3) The provider of the continuing education
program under sub. (1) (b) or (2) agrees to monitor the attendance and furnish
a certificate of attendance to each participant. The certificate of attendance
shall certify successful completion of the program.
(4) In cases of hardship under s.
Opt 8.02(3m), the board may waive any
requirement under this section or s.
Opt 8.02(3e) as deemed appropriate by the
board.
Note: Application forms for continuing education
program approval are available on the department's website at dsps.wi.gov, or
by request from the Department of Safety and Professional Services, P.O. Box
8366, Madison, Wisconsin 53708, or call (608) 266-2112.
Note: This section is repealed and recreated eff.
12-15-19 by CR 18-021. Prior to 12-15-19 it reads:
Opt 8.03 Approval of continuing education courses.
(1) Except as provided in sub. (5), to apply
for approval of a continuing education course, a course provider shall submit
to the board office an application on forms provided by the department and
shall include the title, general description and an outline of the course, the
dates, the location, the name and qualifications of the instructor of the
course, and the sponsor of the course.
Note: An application for continuing education course approval
may be obtained from the board office at the Department of Safety and
Professional Services, Office of Education and Examinations, P.O. Box 8366,
Madison, Wisconsin, 53708, or from the department's website at:
http://dsps.wi.gov.
(2) A continuing education course must meet
all of the following criteria to be approved as a continuing education course:
(a) The subject matter of the course pertains
to the practice of optometry.
(b)
The provider of the continuing education course agrees to monitor the
attendance and furnish a certificate of attendance to each participant. The
certificate of attendance shall certify successful completion of the
course.
(c) The provider of the
course is approved by the board.
(d)
The course content and instructional methodologies are approved by the
board.
(3) Except as
provided in sub. (5), a separate application shall be submitted for each
continuing education course approval request.
(4) The board may approve alternate delivery
method continuing education courses such as home-study courses, self-study
packages, computer courses, televideo conferencing and other methods.
(5) A continuing education course approved by
COPE, or sponsored by a state optometric association, the American Optometric
Association, the American Academy of Optometry, or an accredited school or
college of optometry, which satisfies the criteria established under sub. (2),
shall be approved by the board without receipt of a course approval application
from the course provider.
The Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE),
which is a committee of the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry
(ARBO), may be contacted at 1750 South Brentwood Boulevard, Suite 503, St.
Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 785-6000. The American Optometric Association may
be contacted at 243 N. Lindbergh Blvd., 1st Floor, St. Louis, MO 63141, (800)
365-2219. The American Academy of Optometry may be contacted at 6110 Executive
Blvd., Suite 506, Rockville, MD 20852, (301)
984-1441.
