COBC Newsletter  May 2022


New Standards of Practice in effect June 1

 
COBC Standards of Practice

New Standards of Practice

COBC is pleased to share the new Standards of Practice for BC opticians! These standards will be in effect as of June 1, 2022.

What's changing?

The standards have been completely re-written. This process has taken place over a period of close to two years, with consultation from opticians and other stakeholders across BC and Canada. The new standards are designed to be more accessible, more applicable, more measurable, and more inclusive. You will note that Standard 4 (Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility, and Anti-Racism) remains in development; we anticipate that this standard will go into effect in the fall of 2022.

Knowing the standards is your responsibility

A "standard" is the minimum level of performance and professional practice required of an optician to ensure service that is ethical and safe for the public. Standards exist to promote, guide, and direct professional practice.

As an optician, you are required to know and adhere to the standards of your profession. In the coming weeks, please review the new standards, and contact the COBC team if you have any questions, so that you will prepared to operationalize them as of June 1. You may also wish to refer to the existing standards—in effect until May 31, 2022—to better understand what is changing.

The time you spend reviewing the standards and reflecting on how they apply to your practice can be put towards your Continuing Competency Program (CCP) goals! If you're not sure how to incorporate this learning, we encourage you to reach out to Chris with your questions.

Additional resources and guidance

Over the coming months, we will be showcasing a standard each month in our newsletter. We will provide case studies and scenarios to demonstrate how that standard might be operationalized in a real-life practice environment, and how grey areas might be addressed.

The standards will be highlighted out of order, prioritizing those areas where COBC registrants have indicated they need more education. However, remember that all of the new standards are enforceable starting June 1! You are responsible for familiarizing yourself with the standards ahead of time, and contacting our team if you require clarification.

We are excited to put these standards into effect, and we look forward to your feedback!

 

May holiday office closure

The COBC office will be closed on Monday, May 23. Our team will be responding to calls and emails once we're back at our desks on Tuesday, Tuesday, May 24.

 

Did you know?

Licensed Opticians have an obligation to ensure public safety in their workplaces. Titles such as "optician," "dispensing optician," "contact lens fitter," "optical dispenser," and "contact lens technician" may only be used by registrants of COBC. If someone you know uses a protected title or performs restricted activities, but is not licensed, you must report it. This includes individuals who were previously licensed but no longer are.

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 correspondence 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 licence, which may affect your registration with the College of Opticians of BC. Please contact us if you have any questions.