Florida Administrative Code › 64 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH › 64B13 - Board of Optometry › Chapter 64B13-5 - CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION › Section 64B13-5.001 - Hours Requirement

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
(1) As a condition
				to the renewal of a biennial license, each licensed practitioner shall be
				required to maintain professional competency by completing thirty (30) clock
				hours of continuing education in subjects relating to optometry that have been
				approved by the Board. Licensed practitioners shall not be required to complete
				the continuing education requirements during the biennium in which they are
				initially licensed but must complete one (1) hour of approved continuing
				education in acquired immune deficiency syndrome that complies with the
				requirements of section
				 456.033, F.S. Credit for
				continuing education will be allowed on the basis of an hour for hour. To
				receive one (1) hour credit, a licensed practitioner must attend not less than
				fifty (50) minutes. There will be no fractional hour credits. No continuing
				education course may be completed for credit more than once per
				biennium.
(2) For licensed
				practitioners who are certified optometrists, at least six (6) of the required
				thirty (30) hours must be of "transcript quality." For purposes of this rule,
				the phrase "transcript quality" refers to coursework in ocular and systemic
				pharmacology and the diagnosis, treatment and management of ocular and systemic
				conditions and diseases. Transcript quality CE must be sponsored by a school or
				college of optometry or equivalent educational entity as approved by the Board,
				must be obtained at a live in-person attendance course, and must require a test
				and passing grade.
(3) Attendance
				at a continuing education program must be certified by the lecturer or someone
				in charge of the program. An instructor of a course may credit the hours taught
				towards completion of the instructor's required continuing education only once,
				regardless of the number of times the course is taught. However, the instructor
				of a course may not credit the hours taught towards completion of the
				"transcript quality" portion of the continuing education requirement.
				Continuing education hours must be obtained during the biennium preceding
				license renewal.
(4) Licensed
				practitioners shall be permitted to earn two (2) of the thirty (30) clock hours
				of continuing education credit upon demonstrating successful completion of
				approved training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation given by the American Heart
				Association or the American Red Cross.
(5) As part of the thirty (30) clock hours,
				licensed practitioners shall be permitted to obtain two (2) hours in the area
				of practice management. No more than two (2) hours of continuing education in
				the area of practice management may be applied to the thirty (30) clock hour
				requirement in subsection (1). These hours may be obtained through live,
				in-person or online/distance learning courses.
(6) As part of the thirty (30) clock hours,
				licensed practitioners shall be required to obtain two (2) hours in the area of
				Florida jurisprudence.
(a) No more than two
				(2) hours of continuing education in the area of Florida jurisprudence may be
				applied to the thirty (30) clock hour requirement in subsection (1).
(b) A licensed practitioner may earn two (2)
				hours in Florida jurisprudence by attending an in-person meeting of the Board
				at which another licensee is disciplined for no less than four (4) continuous
				hours or the duration of the meeting. Licensed practitioners will be required
				to sign-in and sign-out with board staff. Those licensed practitioners present
				for disciplinary purposes are not eligible to earn the two (2) clock hours for
				the Board meeting.