The Optometry Board and AHPRA announce program administrator for CPD

18 Nov 2014

The Optometry Board of Australia and AHPRA are pleased to announce the appointment of Optometry Australia (OA) as the preferred provider to manage the Continual Professional Development (CPD) accreditation function for the optometry profession on behalf of the Board.

Optometry Acting Board Chair, Mr Ian Bluntish, said ‘We conducted a stringent and independent review process to ensure that all considerations pertinent to the optometry profession were carefully evaluated. OA exceeded most aspects of the evaluation criteria and therefore has been appointed as the program administrator for accreditation of CPD activities.’

The Board and AHPRA work together to implement the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, (National Scheme), which is the scheme regulating registered health practitioners in Australia, in the public interest.

The implementation of the National Scheme shifted the requirements for CPD from a professional association based requirement to one required by the National Law¹ and described in the mandatory CPD registration standard² developed by the Board. The provision of accredited CPD has a range of benefits:

These benefits include the following:

• stability in the provision of quality CPD activities for the profession over time 
• perceived and actual impartiality in the accreditation of CPD activities and or providers, and 
• an accreditation process that allows for the monitoring of quality and compliance over time.

Currently, optometrists must complete a minimum of 80 points of CPD activities over two registration periods. This can be met by undertaking accredited, non-accredited activities or a combination of both, as described in the Board’s Guidelines for continuing professional development for endorsed and non-endorsed optometrists³. OA will issue certificates advising participants of the point score aligned to each completed CPD activity, thus helping participants meet the 80 point requirement.

For more information

• Visit the AHPRA website
• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 8708 9001 (overseas callers) 
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200

Download a PDF of this Media release - The Optometry Board and AHPRA announce program administrator for CPD - 18 November 2014  (120 KB,PDF)

¹Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory
²Optometry Board of Australia Continuing professional development registration standard
³Available on the policies, codes and guidelines page