College Newsletter April 2020

There is Still Time to Renew Your License - Late Fees Cancelled

Late Fees Cancelled

We are pleased to inform you that our Board of Directors has confirmed we are able to remove the late fee for this renewal cycle. That means you can still renew your license without paying the late fee even though our official renewal period ended on March 31st.
 

This renewal season has been a uniquely challenging one. We understand the amount of uncertainty many of you are facing right now and are aware that a lot of optician stores and dispensaries are closing due to the physical distancing measure advised by the government. However, it may be necessary for you to return to work to provide care to your patients at some point in the future and if you are planning to provide care over the phone, you need to be registered as practicing.

The final deadline for renewal will remain as April 30th. Licenses will be suspended if not reenwed by this date. 
 

Options for Renewal

In response to some of the questions we have received from registrants regarding options for renewal, we would like to remind you of the following: 

Renew as non-practicing
If you want to maintain your license but know you won’t be working for a while, you can renew as non-practicing and change your status back to practicing when the time comes. To do this, login to your profile as you would for renewal and select ‘Change Status’. There you will find an option to ‘Renew and Change Status to Non-Practicing’.

Allow your license to expire and reinstate later
If you choose not to renew your license you can reinstate later. All the information about how the reinstatement process works can be found here. Please ensure you read and understand the process before you choose this option. If you choose this option, you do not need to do anything. Your license will not renew and will be temporarily suspended until you decide to reinstate.

If you would like to discuss these options, or have other questions or concerns please contact COBC at reception@cobc.ca and we will be happy to assist you.

We would like to extend our appreciation to you for your continued belief in the value of regulation and your dedication to upholding excellent standards of care in the field of optical health. Being a Licensed Optician is a title to be proud of and we would be happy to have you as a registrant, particularly during such uncertain times.

 

Renew Now

 
 

Sample Learning Goal: Infection Control 

Infection control is an important part of a Licensed Optician’s expertise and due to the current coronavirus pandemic, we have been receiving more requests for guidance on the topic than usual. It will likely continue to be a very pertinent issue once registrants return to work so now is a great time to brush up on your knowledge of the topic and incorporate it into one of your learning goals for your Continuing Competency Program (CCP).

Read More
 

COVID-19 Resource Page 

We have created a resource page on our website for everything COVID-19 related. You can find communications from COBC, the Provincial Health Officer and links to websites with information pertaining to the pandemic. This page is updated regularly so check back often. Please contact us if you have any specific questions.

COVID-19

 

Easter Holiday Closure

The College of Opticians of BC will be closed this coming Friday 10th and Monday 13th for the holidays. You can still call and leave us vociemails which we will return as soon as possible. Happy holidays!
 

Did You Know?

You can access your receipts directly from our website. Simply login to your profile and you will see an option to download receipts on the first page. 

College of Opticians of BC operates on the traditional, ancestral and unceded Coast Salish territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.
 

Unsubscribing from this email will revoke your consent to receive email correspondance from us as outlined in Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). We will no longer be able to send you important reminders pertaining to your license which may affect your registration with the College of Opticians of BC. Please contact us if you have any questions.