• For registered practitioners
  • Annual practising certificates
  • Obligations of registered practitioners
  • Practitioners' health
  • Competence assurance
    • CPD/Recertification
    • Random self audits
    • Competence reviews
    • Competence assurance policies
  • Practice standards
    • Standards of Clinical Competence
    • Standards of Cultural Competence
    • Standards of Ethical Conduct
    • Competence in DPA use
    • Statements and Guidelines
  • Discipline
    • Professional Conduct and Discipline
    • Discipline cases
  • Change of details
  • Registration services
    • Changing scope of practice
    • Certificates of Good Standing
    • Certificates of Registration
    • Non-practising practitioners
  • Fees

Competence in the use of Diagnostic Pharmaceutical Agents (DPAs)

From 2004 until 31 March 2010, the Board ran a recertification programme requiring all optometrists who did not hold certain qualifications to demonstrate competence in the use of DPAs (techniques necessary to assist in examination of the eye and diagnosis of ocular disease).

Optometrists who have not demonstrated competence in the use of DPAs will not be authorised to practise in New Zealand until they have done so.

Optometrists who need to meet requirements

Options available to practitioners needing to meet didactic requirements will be at the practitioner's expense and will be:

• satisfactory completion of OPTOM 781 (University of Auckland), or
• satisfactory completion of the OCANZ Competency in Optometry examination.

Options available to practitioners needing to meet practical requirements will be at the practitioner's expense and will be:

• satisfactory completion of OPTOM 784 (university pre-requisite is OPTOM 781), or
• satisfactory completion of the OCANZ Competency in Optometry examination, or
• a satisfactory pass in the CAA OSCE run by the Department of Vision Sciences at Auckland University, or
• satisfactory demonstration of competence in the use of gonioscopy, binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy and slit lamp fundoscopy, through a completed declaration from a suitably registered and practising specialist ophthalmologist.

  Options available to practitioners needing to meet both didactic and practical requirements will be at the practitioner’s expense and will be:

• satisfactory completion of the OCANZ Competency in Optometry examination, or
• satisfactory completion of both OPTOM 781 and OPTOM 784, or
• satisfactory completion of OPTOM 781 and a satisfactory pass in the CAA OSCE run by the Department of Vision Sciences at Auckland University
• satisfactory completion of OPTOM 781 and satisfactory demonstration of competence in the use of gonioscopy,  binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy and slit lamp fundoscopy, through a completed declaration from a suitably registered and practising specialist ophthalmologist.

Exemptions from meeting didactic requirements

Optometrists with an MBCO/MCOptom and who meet certain other criteria can apply for an exemption from the didactic component, using the Written exemption form.