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Optician: Certifications in Alberta - alis
Under Alberta’s Health Professions Act [pdf], Health Professions Restricted Activity Regulation [pdf], and Opticians Profession Regulation [pdf], registration with the College of Opticians of Alberta (COA) is mandatory. Only registered members may provide restricted activities specified in the Regulations. This includes those who: Meet the identified competency requirements and provide professional services directly to the public Teach the practice of the profession to members or students of the profession Supervise registered members Use the titles or initials: optician, ophthalmic dispenser, optical dispenser, or RO
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Certifications in Alberta
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Optician

Opticians dispense eyeglasses, contact lenses, low vision aids, and prosthetics from written prescriptions or by duplicating existing optical products. They also may provide sight tests to patients under the supervision of prescribing physicians or optometrists.

Contact

College of Opticians of Alberta
201, 2528 Ellwood Dr. SW
Edmonton, Alberta T6X 0A9
Canada

Call: 780-429-2694
Call toll-free: 1-800-263-6026
Fax: 780-426-5576
Fax toll-free: 1-800-584-6896

Email: info@albertaopticians.ca
Website: albertaopticians.ca

Legislation

Under Alberta’s Health Professions Act [pdf], Health Professions Restricted Activity Regulation [pdf], and Opticians Profession Regulation [pdf], registration with the College of Opticians of Alberta (COA) is mandatory. Only registered members may provide restricted activities specified in the Regulations. This includes those who:

  • Meet the identified competency requirements and provide professional services directly to the public
  • Teach the practice of the profession to members or students of the profession
  • Supervise registered members
  • Use the titles or initials: optician, ophthalmic dispenser, optical dispenser, or RO

What You Need

To become a registered optician (RO) in Alberta, you need successful completion of:

There are 3 other registration categories for opticians.

A registered contact lens practitioner (RCLP) is a registered optician who:

  • Has completed education in contact lens dispensing
  • Has completed the NACOR Optical Sciences 2 (Advanced Practice, Contact Lens) Exam
  • Can use the titles or initials: contact lens practitioner, contact lens fitter, contact lens dispenser, or RCLP

A refracting optician is a registered optician who has completed training in refraction or sight testing.

A provisional optician:

  • Has completed the academic requirement for ROs
  • Must work under the supervision of a registered optician, optometrist, or ophthalmologist
  • Can use the title provisional optician

Applicants who have been out of practice for a period of time also may have to demonstrate that they are currently competent to practice.

For details about all registration requirements, contact the COA or visit the COA website.

 

Working in Alberta

Opticians who are registered by and in good standing with a regulatory body elsewhere in Canada may be eligible for registration in Alberta if their scope of practice and competencies are similar.

For more information, see What if I am already certified in another province or territory in Canada? and the COA website.

The COA has a prior learning assessment process for assessing credentials and training obtained through non-accredited training or outside Canada.

The certification information in this profile may change at any time and without notice. Before making any career decisions, we advise you to contact the regulatory organization or visit their website for the most updated information.

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