COPE Introduction

Optometric continuing education (CE) is the primary method used by optometric licensing boards to certify continuing competence of licensed optometrists. There is a myriad of formats by which each optometry board or licensing jurisdiction approves CE courses, disseminates course information, records course attendance, and retrieves practitioner data on course completion. Other state boards duplicate much of the work done by one state board, and many boards approve the same CE courses every year.

The Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE), a national clearinghouse for all CE courses of a state-wide, regional or national scope, was created to remove these duplicative efforts by state boards, instructors, and program administrators. We expect that lectures given at local meetings will continue to be reviewed and approved for CE credit by the licensing boards.

By submitting your courses for Qualification, you will increase their potential to be selected by planners of state, regional and national CE meetings.

Organizationally, the Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE) is a committee of the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry (ARBO), which is the association that currently represents 50 US optometry boards, 4 US territories/jurisdictions, and 2 Canadian boards. COPE's mission is to:

• coordinate the review and approval of continuing optometric education courses on behalf of state boards on a national basis;
• reduce duplication of effort by state boards;
• create a uniform method of recording continuing education courses on a national basis;
• be the clearinghouse for information about continuing education programs and courses utilized by licensed optometrists to fulfill their continuing education requirements for license renewal; and
• encourage program sponsors to offer high quality CE in appropriate settings with adequate administrative structure.

To create this national clearinghouse, participating state boards have agreed upon: standards for administration of continuing education courses; a standard form for submission for course approval; a standard form for reporting continuing education courses.