The Ultimate Guide to Continuing Education For Optometrists

How has the pandemic changed CE?

What is a synchronous activity?

How about asynchronous learning?

Revisions in COPE categories

A) Clinical optometry

• Contact lenses (CL)
• Functional vision/pediatrics (FV): Additions of sports vision and vision development.
• General optometry (GO)
• Low vision/vision impairment and rehabilitation (LV)
• Public health (PB): Addition of health policy and social and behavioral sciences management.

B) Ocular disease

• Glaucoma (GL)
• Injection skills (IS)
• Laser Procedures (LP): Addition of punctoplasty.
• Peri-operative management of ophthalmic surgery (PO)
• Surgery procedures (Optometric) (SP)
• Treatment and management of ocular disease (TD): Addition of courses that study the ocular manifestations of systemic diseases should be placed in this category when the majority of the course content or emphasis is on the ocular manifestations of the systemic disease and not the systemic disease itself.

C) Related systemic disease

• Neuro-optometry (NO): Additions of Myasthenia Gravis, papilledema, and Horner's syndrome.
• Pharmacology (PH)
• Systemic disease (SD)

D) Optometric business management

• Practice management (PM): Additions of courses designed to help market practices, educate office staff, improve billing efficiency and coding skills, improve clinical recordkeeping, and enhance fiscal efficiency. Electronic health record (EHR) and ICD-10 courses are included in this category.
• Ethics/jurisprudence (EJ)

Costs of continuing education for optometrists

How to acquire CE as cost-effectively as possible:

1. Understand how many credits of CE you can obtain online per your state's rules and regulations.
2. Use an online resource that offers CE at an affordable price (Clinical and Refractive Optometry and Review of Optometry are great options) and max those hours out. Many organizations—including Eyes On Eyecare—offer events with free COPE-approved CE, as well! Sometimes these online journals will offer free CE!
3. Attend your local society meetings and obtain CE. Our local society in western Pennsylvania holds four meetings annually and generally offers 2 to 4 credits per meeting. Those add up quickly over the course of 2 years! The best part—it's free for members!
4. Check out opportunities for continuing education offered by large practices in your area or laser corrective centers. TLC Laser Eye Center holds CE meetings several times a year where you can get live, in-person COPE-approved CE for next to nothing. Additionally, some ophthalmology groups in my area host CE conferences throughout the year, once again for next to nothing!
5. Attend one of those big six conferences to knock out the remaining CE credit requirements, hang out with your old friends and make some new ones!

Examples of asynchronous continuing education for optometrists

• Online interactive: As the quickest and easiest way to obtain CE, it's easy to understand why online courses are becoming increasingly popular. With this being said, many states restrict the number of hours you can obtain online! Keep in mind, most optometry schools have online CE available too—check out their websites!
• Print: Much more popular before the digital era, many publications still offer printed CE. One drawback is the time it takes to mail your answers to the CE quiz, which validates that you actually read the article. Still, next time you're reading your favorite eyecare publication, be sure to look between the pages to see if they offer any free printed CE (and see whether there is a QR code or link to the online version)!

The Big 6: where optometrists can get CE

1. Eyes On events

2. Optometry's Meeting

• Workshops and hands-on learning
• Paraoptometric CE and professional development
• EYETalks
• D-EYE-agnosis—Optometry
• Optometric surgical assisting: a paraoptometric micro-credential
• AOA+ recommended courses
• Human trafficking—Ring of Silence screening and expert panel
• Weekend wrapup and more!

3. Academy

4. SECO

5. Vision Expo East and Vision Expo West

6. ARVO

Continuing education requirements for optometrists by state

Alabama

• Alabama optometrists holding therapeutic licenses must obtain 20 approved hours of continuing education annually. At least half of these hours must relate to diagnosing, treating, and managing eye disease.
• Hours earned during the renewal period can be used for this year or next year, but not both.
• Alabama law requires that the individual licensee maintain their own CE records in case of an audit.

Alaska

• If the applicant for renewal holds a valid federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number, make sure to document that the applicant:
  • Has complied with the requirements of AS 08.72.181(d).
  • Is registered with the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program controlled substance prescription database under AS 17.30.200 and 12 AAC 48.360.

Arizona

• The date of renewal is determined by the date of birth mm/dd. Licensees must renew their license every other year on or before their birthday.
• Licensee may claim 1 credit hour of continuing education for each day of instruction in a full-time program approved under R4-21-207 or for less than a full-time program on a pro-rata basis.
• No more than four hours of approved CE are claimed for publishing or presenting a paper, report, or book that deals with current developments, skills, procedures, or treatments related to the practice of the profession of optometry.
• No jurisprudence or practice management courses are accepted that are "state-specific" to a state that is not Arizona.

Arkansas

• One hour of Arkansas jurisprudence is required.
• *Only 4 hours of correspondence courses are allowed from magazines.
• Arkansas requires COPE accreditation for all out-of-state CE courses.

California

• California bases the CE period on the licensee's month of birth.
• California does not accept practice management courses.
• Of the required 50 hours of CE for TPA-certified optometrists, 35 must be in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of ocular disease in any combination of the following areas:
  • Glaucoma
  • Ocular infection
  • Ocular inflammation
  • Topical steroids
  • Systemic medication
  • Pain medication
• TPG- or TLG-certified optometrists follow the same continuing education requirements as TPA-certified optometrists, with one additional requirement.
  • Licensed optometrists that are glaucoma certified are required to complete 10 hours of glaucoma-specific continuing education every license renewal period. These 10 hours shall be part of the 35 hours on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of ocular disease.

Colorado

• One hour of CE credit may be obtained for every 2 hours of observation at a clinical facility specializing in eyecare staffed by professors or adjunct professors from optometry or ophthalmology at accredited optometry or medical schools. Only 4 hours of CE may be earned by this method in each 24-month cycle.
• Practice management topics or drug companies' sales pitches are not acceptable; study groups are also not acceptable.

Connecticut

• Not less than 6 hours in any of the following areas: pathology, detection of diabetes, and ocular treatment; and not less than 6 hours in treatment as it applies to the use of ocular agents-T.
• Coursework shall be provided through direct, live instruction that the licensee physically attends either individually, as part of a group of participants, through a formal home study, or distance learning program.
• Not more than 6 hours shall be earned through a home study or other distance learning program, and not more than 6 hours shall be in practice management.
• Qualifying continuing education activities include, but are not limited to, courses offered or approved by COPE, the American Optometric Association, state or local optometry associations and societies that are affiliated with the American Optometric Association, a hospital or other healthcare institution, a school or college of optometry or other institution of higher education accredited or recognized by COPE or AOA, a state or local health department, or a national, state or local medical association.
• The department does not approve continuing education courses, pre-approve specific coursework for individual licensees, or maintain a list of continuing education courses.
• Each licensee applying for license renewal, except a licensee applying for license renewal for the first time, shall sign a statement attesting that they have satisfied the continuing education requirements on the annual renewal application.

Delaware

• All therapeutically-licensed optometrists must also maintain current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certifications for both children and adults throughout the licensure period.
• *COPE-accredited self-reported study may include:
  • Reading optometric journals
  • Optometric tape journals
  • Optometric audiovisual material
  • Other materials given prior approval by the Board
• Proof of completion for self-reported study from the sponsoring agency is required for credit.
• Any new licensee shall be required to complete continuing education equivalent to one hour for each month between the date of licensure and the biennial renewal date.
• The first 12 hours of pro-rated continuing education must be in the treatment and management of ocular disease

District of Columbia (Washington DC)

• The Board may also approve up to 18 CE credits for the following:
  • Serving as an instructor or speaker at a conference, seminar, workshop, or in-service training.
  • Publishing a book or a chapter in a book, or publishing a book review, article, or abstract in a professional journal or bulletin.

Florida

• *A licensed practitioner may earn 2 hours of jurisprudence in Florida by attending a meeting of the Board for no less than 4 continuous hours.

Georgia

• To be accepted, practice management CE must be related to patient care.
• Only 1 hour of jurisprudence is approved if the licensee has multiple hours in this category and is not required if the licensee is not practicing in Georgia.
• Grand rounds up to 8 hrs (1 hr of credit for 2 hrs of work)
• Total required hours 36 (beginning in the third year of licensing, 18 hours if licensed in the first year of the current biennium. No hours are required if licensed in the 2nd year of the biennium.)
• Current CPR certification is required, with no specific number of hours. This is not included in the required 36 hours of CE.
• Georgia has pre-approved CE courses given by the Schools and Colleges of Optometry, AOA, GOA, any AOA-state affiliate, SOPO, SECO, ABO, AAO, and any COPE-approved courses.
• Ophthalmologic courses via the Medical College of Georgia, Emory University, Mercer University, and Morehouse College are pre-approved, with a maximum of 10 hours allowed from these providers per biennium.
• Also, 18 of the 36 required hours must be on topics related to ophthalmic pharmacology and pathology.
• Georgia prefers that licensees submit their CE coursework to the ARBO OE TRACKER system. The OE TRACKER system is used to perform biennial audits of CE performance. If the licensee does not use the OE TRACKER, they must submit evidence of CE performance via paper records in case of an audit.
• Licensees should retain CE records for a minimum of 3 years from the date of attendance.

Guam*

Hawaii

• For TPA-certified optometrists, 36 hours of treatment and management of ocular disease (TMOD) CE is required.

Idaho

• Approved optometric continuing education courses or meetings shall be those post-graduate optometric education courses or meetings approved in advance by the Board of Optometry or post-graduate study sessions or seminars at an accredited school or college of optometry.
• All COPE-approved courses are approved for continuing education credit.
  • If an optometrist attends or plans to attend a course of study or seminar which has not been approved in advance, they may petition the Board for approval of that educational course of study, setting forth a description of the course.
  • The Board may, at its discretion, approve the course upon review of the material submitted either in advance or after completion of the course.

Illinois

• All Illinois optometrists must be orals certified.
• Illinois does not license any TPA-only or non-DPA optometrists.
• *Up to 12 hours of verified teaching of students at an approved optometry school is allowed for CE credit.
• Up to 1 hour in CPR certified by American Red Cross, American Heart Association, an Illinois licensed hospital, or an approved medical or optometric institution.
• Out-of-state CE must be submitted by the licensee for approval unless it is accredited by COPE.
• Any CE taken in Illinois must be from an Illinois-licensed sponsor if to be used to meet renewal requirements.

Indiana

• Completion of 20 hours for optometry license renewal and 20 hours for optometric legend drug certificate renewal for a total of 40 hours.
  • Of the 20 hours required for the optometry renewal, 2 hours in the areas of medical charting, billing and coding, healthcare compliance, or compliance with federal or Indiana state laws or regulations are required.

Iowa

• Proof of current CELMO certification or a combined total of 40 hours, which must come from COPE category B and COPE category C, with a minimum of 14 hours in each category.
  • Hours obtained in category D may not exceed 6 hours of the total continuing education hours requirement.
• Up to 2 hours in dependent adult and child abuse identification.
• *Current CPR certification offered in person by the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or an equivalent organization. At least 2 hours per biennium is required, but credit will be granted for 4 hours.

Kansas

• Kansas licensees shall complete 24 hours of continuing education each year. The license period goes from June 1st to May 31st and requires a total of 48 hours. Failure to obtain the correct number of CE each year will result in fines.
• No more than 4 of the 24 annually required hours may be obtained through observing ophthalmic surgery.

Kentucky

• *Optometrists that are credentialed in expanded therapeutic procedures (ETP) must complete 5 hours of ETP CE annually, and none of the hours can be completed via the internet. The 5 hours is part of the 20 hours required to renew licenses annually.
• All optometrists with a DEA number must register with KY All Scheduled Prescriptions Electronic Reporting (KASPER) and take a 2-hour course annually in pain management/addiction disorders. This 2-hour course is part of the total hours required to renew a license.

Louisiana

• Practice management courses are not accepted.
• Certain restrictions apply to COPE hours. Contact the Louisiana Board for more information.

Maine

• Courses offered in the state of Maine sponsored by optometric colleges or national, state, or regional optometric associations are subject to Board approval.
  • Courses defined as category I and approved by the AOA, AMA, AAO, ACPE, or COPE will be accepted by the Board without the requirement of prior Board review.
  • Any course not approved by the above-listed organizations may be submitted to the Board for prior approval.
• CPR is not required, but ODs may claim 2 hours of CE credit for CPR if the course is approved 30 days prior.

Maryland

• Maryland has an even and odd year cycle.
  • TPA-certified optometrists must document 50 hours, 30 of which must be therapeutic and have current CPR certification.
  • DPA-certified optometrists must document 36 hours, 6 of which must be diagnostic and have current CPR certification.
  • Non-certified optometrists are required to document 36 hours.
  • Fractional credit hours are allowed.
• *CPR is required for DPA and TPA certification. DPA- and TPA-certified optometrists are responsible for maintaining proficiency with the current CPR procedures as recommended by the American Heart Association. The Board will grant a maximum of 3 hours in the 2-year period for CPR recertification.
• Approval codes: The Board accepts only COPE-accredited or Maryland Board-approved continuing education programs. The following COPE categories are accepted as therapeutic: AS, GL, IS, LP, NO, PD, OP, PH, PO, PS, RE, SD, SP, and RS. These COPE categories are accepted as general: CL, EJ, FV, GO, LV, PB, and PM.
• Board meeting attendance: the Board will allow continuing education credit of up to 4 hours in the 2-year period for attendance at the regular session of Board meetings. Licensees will receive 2 hours and a certificate for each meeting attended.
• Clinical observation: Observation of clinical procedures (without a corresponding lecture) will be accepted for CE credit up to a maximum of 8 hours in the 2-year period. The site must be pre-approved by the Board. The licensee must obtain a letter verifying the number of hours from the person or facility where the observation is done.
• Types of general hours may include the following:
  • CPR: Required for DPA and TPA certification. DPA- and TPA-certified optometrists are responsible for maintaining proficiency with the current CPR procedures as the American Heart Association recommends. The Board will grant a maximum of 3 hours in the 2-year period for CPR recertification.
  • Cultural Competency: The Board will allow up to a maximum of 4 hours for Board-approved courses in cultural competency.
  • Ethics: The Board will allow up to a maximum of 4 hours for Board-approved courses in optometric ethics.
  • Journal and internet courses: Courses given in optometric or other professional journals with a post-test or internet courses will be accepted for CE credit up to a maximum of 30 hours in the 2-year period. Anyone with a physical handicap or other problem that precludes attendance at continuing education courses can request a waiver of the 30-hour limit from the Board.
  • Lecture: There is no limit to the number of hours for attending face-to-face/in-person/live lectures. Optometrists licensed by the Board must complete a minimum of 10 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle by attending in-person trainings conducted in Maryland by an accredited administrator. The in-person trainings may include courses given by the Maryland Optometric Association, another statewide association, or a nonprofit organization approved by the Board.
  • Presented program: Licensees who present approved CE programs will be allowed continuing education hours for the preparation and presentation of the program as follows: for each hour of presentation, the licensee will be allowed 1 hour for preparation and 1 hour for presentation up to a maximum of 16 hours in the 2-year period.
  • Pro bono work: The Board will allow 1 credit hour for every 3 hours of approved continuing education activity, up to a maximum of 6 credit hours per renewal cycle.
  • Published Paper: The Board will allow continuing education credit for a maximum of 12 hours in the 2-year period for papers that have been either published or peer–reviewed.

Massachusetts

• Massachusetts allows 6 hours maximum of practice management (including AIDS education and CPR).
• Massachusetts requires all in-state CE to be Massachusetts Board- or COPE-accredited. All out-of-state CE must be COPE-accredited.

Michigan

• Beginning with the 2018 renewal cycle and all renewal cycles thereafter, licensees are required to complete 2 hours of board-approved continuing education in pain and symptom management.
  • Continuing education hours in pain and symptom management, as they relate to the practice of optometry, may include, but are not limited to the following: ethics and health policy related to pain; pain definitions; basic sciences related to pain, including pharmacology, psychology, sociology, and anthropology; clinical sciences related to pain, including specific pain conditions and pain in special contexts and settings; clinician-patient communications related to pain; management of pain, including evaluation and treatment, non-pharmacological and pharmacological management; ensuring quality pain care; Michigan programs, and resources relevant to pain.

Minnesota

Mississippi

• *14 of the 20 hours reported must be accredited by COPE, and 10 of the 20 hours must be therapeutic.

Missouri

• Of the 32 hours of board-approved CE required for license renewal, no more than 16 hours may be obtained through distance learning methods such as correspondence courses, online-only courses, magazine articles, or other methods where the licensee is not physically present with the course speaker or presenter.
  • Live interactive virtual presentations shall not be considered distance learning courses and shall not be restricted.
• Educational programs that currently are approved as meeting the minimum standards include the following:
  • Educational meetings of the American Optometric Association.
  • Educational meetings of the National Optometric Association.
  • Educational meetings of the Missouri Optometric Association or any other state or regional optometric association affiliated with the American Optometric Association. This excludes local society meetings unless the courses are approved by an entity pursuant to this rule.
  • Scientific sections and continuing education courses of the American Academy of Optometry.
  • Postgraduate courses offered by any accredited college of optometry.
  • Educational meetings of the Southern Council of Optometrists.
  • Educational meetings accredited by COPE.
  • Educational meetings of the North Central States Optometric Council.
  • Educational meetings of the Heart of America Optometric Congress and the Heart of America Contact Lens Society.
  • Educational meetings of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development.
  • Educational meetings of the Optometric Extension Program.
  • Optometric-related meetings of any accredited school of medicine.
• Instruction courses sponsored for commercial purposes by individuals, institutions, or programs in which the speaker advertises or urges the use of any particular ophthalmic product or appliance shall not be recognized for educational credit.

Montana

• Montana randomly audits for CE in odd-numbered years.

Nebraska

• List of acceptable continuing education:
  • State and national meetings.
  • Formal education courses related to the practice of optometry.
  • Continuing education courses sponsored by an optometric college or school.
  • Home study courses with testing mechanism: (limited to 8 hours during the 24-month renewal period).
    • Examples include but are not limited to, professional journal articles, profession-related Internet courses, CD courses, videotape courses, and audiotape courses.
  • CPR certification or re-certification (limited to 2 hours during the 24-month renewal period).
  • Practice management courses (limited to 4 hours during the 24-month renewal period)
    • Examples of non-acceptable subject matter include, but are not limited to, practice management programs and education provided by a business entity for the purpose of promotion of their products or services.

Nevada

• 50 hours required for optometric pharmaceutical agent certification (OPAC, formerly TPA) every 2 years.
  • Of the 50 hours, not fewer than 30 CE hours must relate to the diagnosis or treatment of conditions of the eye or prescribing optometric pharmaceutical agents.
  • If a licensee who is OPAC-certified also holds a current Nevada controlled substances number, then not fewer than 2 of the minimum of 30 OPAC CE hours must be related to prescribing opioids, addiction, substance abuse, and/or pain management.

New Hampshire

• TPA licensees must earn 20 CE hours in ocular disease (class I), the remainder of the hours may be class II.
• Non-TPA licensees must earn 15 CE hours in ocular disease (class I).

New Jersey

• Ocular disease and pharmacology courses:
  • 20 hours of topical TPA
  • 10 hours of oral TPA

New Mexico

• At least 10 of the 22 hours must be in a Board-approved clinical or ocular therapeutic pharmacology program.
• At least 1 of the 22 hours must be in a Board-approved course in pain management or a related topic pursuant to 16.16.25.11 NMAC.
• New Mexico requires all courses to be COPE-accredited. For exceptions, see NMAC continuing education rules (16.16.13.9).

New York

• During each triennial registration period, an applicant for registration shall complete at least 36 hours of formal continuing education acceptable to the department.
• At least ¾ of such CE in a registration period shall consist of live in-person instruction in a formal course of study. Live courses are those in which you can interact with the instructor.
  • For example: a live lecture; a webinar, a telecourse or teleconference in which you and the instructor can speak directly with each other; a course in which you and other practitioners discuss a taped presentation with a facilitator's assistance; and a computerized course in which you can interact directly with the instructor.
• Up to ¼ of such CE in a registration period may consist of live instruction in a formal course of study offered through audio, audio-visual, written, online, and other media, during which the student must be able to communicate and interact with the instructor.
• During each registration or certification period of less than 3 years duration, an applicant shall complete acceptable continuing education, as defined in paragraph two of this subdivision, on a prorated basis at the rate of 1 hour of CE per month for such a registration period.
• Continuing education shall be in ocular disease and pharmacology and may include didactic and clinical components.

North Carolina

• *Of the 25-hour requirement, a minimum of 15 hours must be "certified," i.e., the subject is in the fields of ocular and general pharmacology, diagnosis and therapeutics, or advanced clinical procedures. All courses must meet be accredited by COPE or the ACCME.

North Dakota

• Half of all CE, regardless of license status, must be in the area of therapeutic treatment and management of eye disease.
• Newly licensed optometrists that receive their licenses mid-cycle must accrue 17 hours of CE for each full year after receiving their license.
• The North Dakota Board of Optometry will only approve courses offered by the state optometric associations of North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Montana. All other courses must be approved by COPE.
• The Board will award 12 therapeutic hours of CE credit to those optometrists who voluntarily take the Continued Professional Development in Optometry (CPDO) test offered by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry.

Ohio

• The Board, at its discretion, may approve a sponsor's CE documentation for a presenter to receive continuing education credit. The presenter's credit will be the same number of hours as the actual continuing education course.
• The maximum number of continuing education credits earned per annual CE year is 6 hours. The continuing education credit earned shall be only once per course, with no exceptions.
• Written home study or electronic media (internet, webinars) courses will receive credit when the board is provided a record showing results of tests given on the course, which is graded by an accredited optometric college or institution as approved by the Board.
  • No more than 15 hours of credit will be granted in this category in any 1 year unless the optometrist can document the inability to attend live, in-person, on-site courses.

Oklahoma

• All Oklahoma-licensed optometrists must obtain 25 hours of continuing education annually. Included in the 25 hours are a maximum of 3 practice management hours, a maximum of 6 remote learning hours (which includes internet hours), and a minimum of 1 judicious prescribing hour.
• Approved vendor's list:
  • Optometry college accredited by the American Optometric Council on Education
  • American Optometric Association, or an affiliate of the AOA
  • College of Optometrists in Vision Development
  • Annual convention of the American Optometric Association
  • Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians
  • Great Western Council of Optometry (GWCO)
  • Heart of America Contact Lens Society
  • American Academy of Optometry (AAO) or any affiliate of the AAO
  • State Optometric Associations of the United States
• Any optometrist desiring approval of any other program must make a written request for approval to the Secretary-Treasurer at least 15 days before they attend this program.

Oregon

• License renewal is due on the first day of the licensee's birth month and is renewed yearly. The license expires on the last day of the birth month. The license year begins on the first day of the following month.
• Credit will be given for no more than 5 hours of live observation in an approved surgical facility per license year.
• *Every other license year, 1 hour of optometric ethics or Oregon optometry law is due. The Oregon Board must approve ethics courses.
• A minimum of 9 ocular disease hours are required every year.
• *As of January 1, 2022, all licensees must complete at least 1 hour of pain management education every other license renewal. The Board accepts the Oregon Pain Management Commission course or other Board-approved courses. After the initial course/renewal, licensees can complete a COPE pain course if it's not in the EJ or PM categories.
• *For renewals on or after July 1, 2021, all licensees must report at least 1 hour of cultural competency education every other​ year.
• No practice management or COPE jurisprudence is accepted.

Pennsylvania

• The Board will not accept courses of study that do not relate to the actual practice of optometry, such as studies in office management and financial procedures.
• Licensed for diagnostics only "P" license: Must take 30 hours of continuing education (this also applies to "L" licenses.)
• Licensed for therapeutics only "T" license: Must take 30 hours of continuing education, and at least 6 hours must be in therapeutics.
• Licensed for therapeutics and glaucoma "G" license: Must take 30 hours CE. At least 4 hours must be in glaucoma, and at least an additional 2 hours must be TPA.
• If you are a new licensee who graduated from optometry school during your first biennial renewal period, you are exempt from CE requirements for your first renewal period.
• Effective January 1, 2015, all persons applying for issuance of an initial license shall be required to complete 3 hours of DHS-approved training in child abuse recognition and reporting requirements as a condition of licensure.
• Effective with the first license renewal after January 1, 2015, all health-related licensees and funeral directors applying for the renewal of a license issued by the Board shall be required to complete at least 2 hours of Board-approved CE in child abuse recognition and reporting requirements as a condition of renewal.
• Section 9.1(a)(2) of The Achieving Better Care by Monitoring All Prescriptions Program Act (ABC-MAP) requires that optometrists licensed for therapeutics or therapeutics and glaucoma complete at least 2 hours of continuing education in pain management, the identification of addiction, or the practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids.
  • The continuing education requirements of ABC-MAP will count towards the total number of continuing education credits required for renewal; however, they may not be applied toward the 6 hours required to maintain therapeutic certification.
  • This continuing education must be taken from a Board-approved optometry continuing education provider listed in Section 23.86(a) of the Board's regulations.

Puerto Rico

Rhode Island

• For optometrists with amplified therapeutic privileges: 20 hours of CE in optometry or other related health fields must be completed, which shall include 10 or more hours of approved courses in pharmacology for the treatment and management of ocular conditions of the eye.
• Courses offered, sponsored, or administered by any of the following approved organizations
  • American Optometric Association and its affiliated associations
  • Schools/colleges of optometry
  • Any course accredited by COPE
  • American Academy of Ophthalmology - Category I
  • All courses that meet the requirements of eligibility for Category I of the American Optometric Association Optometric Recognition Award
  • American Academy of Optometry
  • Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
  • Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)
• For optometrists without amplified therapeutic privileges: 16 hours of CE in optometry or other related health fields must be completed.
• Optometrists initially licensed after the February 1st renewal date shall be exempt from the continuing education requirements stated in this part until the date of the next renewal cycle (i.e., January 31st of the next year).

South Carolina

• All laser surgery education is considered general hours, not pharmacology.
• Of the 40 hours, 4 may be for courses directly related to mandated healthcare programs, including but not limited to HIPAA, Medicare and Medicaid, and Ethics or Jurisprudence.
• CPR certification courses are approved for 4 hours, and CPR re-certification courses are approved for 2 hours.
• CE courses must be on subjects relative to optometry, exclusive of office management or administration, at Board-approved and recognized educational seminars and courses or accredited institutions of learning.

South Dakota

• 5 hours per year must be TPA (no more than 2 can be self-directed learning) in the 3-year period.
• Surgical ophthalmologist observation is allowed for up to 1 hour for every 2 hours of observation, with a maximum of 4 hours.
• Video/recorded webinars/teleconferences are allowed for up to 2 hours of CE credit.
• Live webinars (must state "live" on the certificate) are allowed for up to 4 hours of CE credit.

Tennessee

• Each licensee shall maintain current certification in CPR. Such certification shall be obtained from a course approved or offered by the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, or any other entity approved by the Board. CE credit is not given for CPR courses.
• For those who are therapeutically certified, a minimum of 25 of the 40 hours of continuing education is required in courses pertaining to ocular disease and related systemic disease.
  • At least 2 of these 25 hours shall be a course designed specifically to address prescribing practices.
• Continuing education courses may include:
  • Lecture-type courses.
  • Multi-media courses: Must be submitted to the Board for review and are limited to a maximum of 12 credit hours.
  • Grand clinical rounds: Clinical optometric education performed in clinical treatment facilities shall be credited for every 2 hours of attendance, will receive 1 hour of credit, must be submitted for Board review, and are limited to a maximum of 6 credit hours during the 2-year cycle.

Texas

• Beginning with license renewals for 2021, the Board’s database will divide licensees into two groups to stagger license renewals.
  • Group 1 will receive a 2-year license; group 2 will renew for a 1-year 2021 license and then for 2 years the following year.
• Below are the requirements for licensees renewing for 2 years:
  • Of the 32 hours, 25 must be in diagnosis or treatment of ocular disease
  • 2 hours of professional responsibility
  • 2 hours of controlled substances course (if TG)
  • 1 hour of human trafficking
  • 2 hours of opioids CE (if the doctor prescribes opioids)

Utah

• 30 hours of COPE or optometry-related courses approved by the Council on Medical Education (CME) is required.
• Any provider that prescribes a controlled substance must obtain 4 hours of opioid-specific education through one of the division-approved courses. These hours are within the 30 required hours and are not an additional amount of total hours.

Vermont

US Virgin Islands

Virginia

• Of the 20 hours of continuing education relating to optometry required, at least 10 hours shall be obtained through real-time, interactive activities, including in-person or electronic presentations, provided that during the course of the presentation, the licensee and the lecturer may communicate with one another.
• No more than 2 hours may consist of courses related to recordkeeping, including coding for diagnostic and treatment devices and procedures or the management of an optometry practice, provided that such courses are not primarily for the purpose of augmenting the licensee's income or promoting the sale of specific instruments or products.
• For TPA-certified optometrists, at least 10 hours shall be in the areas of ocular and general pharmacology, diagnosis and treatment of the human eye and its adnexa, including treatment with new pharmaceutical agents, or new or advanced clinical devices, techniques, modalities, or procedures.
• A licensee may also include up to 2 hours of training in CPR. A licensee who completes more than 20 hours of continuing education in a year shall be allowed to carry forward up to 10 hours of CE for the next annual renewal cycle.
• An approved continuing education course or program, whether offered by correspondence, electronically, or in person, shall be sponsored, accredited, or approved by one of the following:
  • The American Optometric Association and its constituent organizations
  • Regional optometric organizations
  • State optometric associations and their affiliate local societies
  • Accredited colleges and universities providing optometric or medical courses
  • The American Academy of Optometry and its affiliate organizations
  • The American Academy of Ophthalmology and its affiliate organizations
  • The Virginia Academy of Optometry
  • COPE
  • State or federal governmental agencies
  • College of Optometrists in Vision Development
  • The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education for Category 1 credit
  • Providers of training in CPR
  • Optometric Extension Program

Washington

• Optometrists must renew their licenses each year on or before their birthday.
• Licensed optometrists must complete 50 hours of continuing education every 2 years as required in chapter 246-12 WAC, Part 7.
  • In lieu of this requirement, licensees practicing solely outside of Washington may meet the continuing education requirements of the state or territory in which they practice.
• For initial licensure, a 4-hour HIV/AIDS training and a jurisprudence questionnaire are required.

West Virginia

• Licensees must complete the Drug Diversion Requirement. Each licensee who prescribes controlled substances must take a 3-hour course in drug diversion and best practices prescribing, available from the WVAOP every 2 years.
• The licensee who does not prescribe controlled substances has one of two choices to meet the Drug Diversion Requirement. Take the Drug Diversion Course for 3 hours of CE credit or sign a waiver stating they have not prescribed a controlled substance during the CE period. Please be aware that there is no CE credit for signing the waiver.
• Licensees who hold injection certification (IOD or IOD1) must take at least 2 hours of CE in administering injections. The injection-certified licensee must keep their CPR certification from the American Heart Association or the Red Cross up to date.
• All CE must be sponsored or approved by the following organizations:
  • The American Optometric Association or its affiliated organizations
  • The WV Association of Optometric Physicians or other state AOA organizations
  • The Academy of Optometry
  • Post-graduate courses offered by accredited optometry schools
  • Post-graduate courses offered by SECO
  • Post-graduate courses approved by COPE

Wisconsin

• Up to 6 hours can be earned in functional vision/pediatrics or contact lenses or low vision/visual impairment and rehabilitation or general optometry or practice management, or ethics/jurisprudence.
• CE shall relate to the diagnosis and management of eye disease. Those authorized to use DPA and TPA may also take CE-related courses to removal of superficial foreign bodies from the eye or an appendage to the eye.
• No more than 6 hours total per biennium may be claimed for courses related to contact lens, functional vision, general optometry, low vision, jurisprudence, and practice management.
• Courses in relevant content areas accredited by COPE or sponsored by a state optometric association, the AOA, the AAO, or an accredited school or college of optometry are approved without application to the Board. Other providers may apply to the Board for approval.

Wyoming

• Continuing education hours cannot be completed by correspondence.
• CE hours shall be completed by attending courses which are approved by COPE, AOA, AOA-recognized state associations, AAO, schools and colleges of optometry, COVD (College of Visual Development), OEP (Optometric Extension Program), and clinical facilities specializing in eyecare that are staffed by professors or adjunct professors of optometry or ophthalmology at accredited optometry or medical schools.
• Other courses may be submitted to the Board for pre-approval by the Education Committee.