Information from OAA National Office Website

CPD F.A.Q.

Optometrists Association Australia is introducing a new continuing professional development (CPD) system from January 1, 2004. The new system aims to improve optometric CPD by simplifying recording of members' participation, removing anomalies in the previous CPE system, and broadening the range of activities that attract CPD points.

What are the main changes in the new CPD system?

The main changes introduced in the new Optometrists Association Australia CPD system (introduced on January 1, 2004) are:

  • Members are now required to earn 40 CPD points per year
  • A wider range of CPD activities attract CPD points
  • Some activities attract a higher number of points than under the previous system
  • The period used for calculating CPD points has changed from membership years (July-June) to calendar years.
  • Members can average their CPD points over a two-year period

 

What is the CPD requirement for members?

The annual requirement for Optometrists Association Australia members is 40 CPD points. Members may average their points over a two calendar year period, so at the end of each year you should have earned at least 80 points over the previous 24 months.

Does this requirement apply to everyone?

The requirement applies to all OAA members, unless they are granted an exemption. Exemptions are granted at the discretion of Optometrists Association Australia State Divisions, and are usually provided to members who are retired from practice, or who have been unable to meet the CPD requirement through unavoidable circumstances, such as serious illness. Exemptions will generally not be granted to members for other reasons, such as the member being in part-time practice or temporary absence from practice.

Members who believe that they have a genuine claim for exemption should contact their State Division.

What kinds of activities earn points?

The range of CPD activities that earn CPD points has been expanded, and is shown in the table below. Points are allocated at different rates for different types of activities. For example, courses that include assessment are awarded points at a higher rate than unassessed courses.

As the primary aim of optometric CPD is to maintain and improve the standard of patient care, activities that have a patient-care focus attract more points. The system recognises that other types of CPD, such as courses on practice administration are also important for optometrists, and awards them points as well.

Group

CPD activity

Points allocation

1

Lectures, seminars, large group presentations, etc - with assessment

3 points/hour

2

Lectures, seminars, large group presentations, etc - without assessment

2 points/hour

3

Practical, small-group workshops, grand rounds

3 points/hour

4

Peer-group discussions, structured and facilitated (including case conferences, journal clubs, etc)

2 points/hour

5

Remote learning - with assessment (including on-line education, CD-ROMs, videos, etc)

2 points/hour, or
2 points/major assessment task

6

Remote learning - without assessment (including on-line education, CD-ROMs, videos, etc)

1 point/hour, or
1 point/activity

7

Participation in optometric undergraduate education (lecturing, clinical instruction, etc)

5 points/semester

8

Publishing papers in peer-reviewed health care or research journals

8 points/paper

9

Participation in voluntary eye care projects

5 points/activity

10

Subscriptions to peer-reviewed health care or vision research journals

1 point/subscription

11

Education relevant to optometric practice, not directly related to patient care

1 point/hour

How are points recorded?

Members' CPD points are centrally recorded at Optometrists Association Australia's national office. In most cases, information on your participation in accredited CPD activities will be forwarded to Optometrists Association Australia by the course provider. In order to ensure that your points are awarded to the right person, you will need to supply your Optometrists Association Australia membership number to the course provider.

To claim CPD points for some activities (eg. journal subscriptions) you will need to notify Optometrists Association Australia national office of your participation, and supply details of the activities so the correct number of points can be allocated. You will receive an annual claim form that will allow you to claim your points for these activities.

How can I find out how many points I have?

Members should maintain their own records of the CPD activities they have participated in.

You can check your points on the Optometrists Association Australia website. Log in using your membership number and password, and follow the 'Your courses' link.

Note that the website shows your points for the current biennium (ie. the current calendar year and the previous year). Points for recent events may also not be displayed, due to the time required to receive and process attendance data.

I think my information on the website isn't accurate. What's the reason?

Every effort is made to ensure that the CPD information on the website is accurate and up to date. Occasionally there may be a genuine mistake made in entering the data, but the most common reasons that information about a course is missing are:

  • The course is too recent, and data for the course has not yet been received and processed by Optometrists Association Australia.
  • The course is too old. The website only displays data for the current biennium - the current calendar year and the previous year. Earlier courses will not be displayed.
  • The course was not accredited. Optometrists Association Australia only receives data on accredited courses. There is more information on how to apply for points for unaccredited courses below.

Do I need to keep my own CPD records?

Yes, you should always maintain your own records of CPD participation. While Optometrists Association Australia will make every effort to maintain accurate records of participation in accredited CPD courses (where we will receive information from the course provider), there are many CPD activities that we cannot record without your assistance.

Keeping a record of all the CPD activities you participate in will allow you to make an annual claim for additional points (where appropriate), and will help us correct any errors that may occur.

How do I tell if a course is accredited?

You should always check to see if a course is accredited before enrolling. You can do this by checking the list of accredited courses on the Optometrists Association Australia website, by asking the course providers, or by checking for the Optometrists Association Australia CPD logo (shown above). The logo can only be used in relation to accredited courses, and shows the number of CPD points that can be earned by completing the course (in some cases, partial completion of the course may earn a lower number of points). The sample logo at the top of this page would indicate a course accredited for 88 points.

What if I attend an unaccredited course?

You will not generally receive points for unaccredited courses conducted in Australia. If you are attending a course which is not accredited, you should talk to the course providers about seeking accreditation.

If the course providers are unwilling to seek accreditation, you can apply to have the course accredited yourself. In this situation you will need to provide the relevant information about the course, including details of the Optometrists Association Australia members who attended.

How can I claim points for attending courses overseas?

To claim CPD points for overseas courses you will need to inform Optometrists Association Australia of your participation. You will need to provide an outline of the course (eg. a conference program), and details of your attendance, so that the correct number of points can be calculated.

How do I claim points for other activities?

Each year, Optometrists Association Australia will provide members with a form for claiming CPD points for other activities. This will generally not be used for claiming points for attending formal courses in Australia, as these should have been accredited and attendance information forwarded by the provider.

The form will be used to claim points for activities such as publishing papers in peer-reviewed journals, participation in undergraduate education, and subscriptions to optometric journals.

Optometrists Association Australia will process one claim per member each year. You should keep a record of the CPD you participate in, and claim all the CPD points when you receive the claim form.

Before submitting a claim, you should check your current CPD points via the Optometrists Association Australia website. If you already have over 80 points for the current calendar year, you have already met your CPD requirement for both the current and the next biennium, and there is no need for you to claim additional points.

If a member has exceeded 80 CPD points for the current calendar year, Optometrists Association Australia may opt not to process claims for additional points for that member until the following year. This is simply to avoid wasting time and resources in processing claims for members who have already exceeded the requirements. Points will still be awarded for participation in accredited courses.

How will my participation be recognised?

Members who meet the annual CPD requirement will received a certificate noting their achievement.

What happens if I don't earn enough points?

Members who fail to meet the annual CPD requirement, and who are not exempted from the requirement, will be removed from the lists the Association uses to refer members of the public to optometrists, including the search facility on the Optometrists Association Australia website. They will also be subject to a higher excess payment on their professional indemnity insurance. These penalties will apply for the following calendar year.

How to Register an Event for CPD Accreditation

If you are an OAA Member we suggest your contact your state division for assistance in applying for and accrediting your events for CPD Points.

For non-members please click here for further information.

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