Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 64B13-5.001 - Hours Requirement
(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.
(7) As
part of the thirty (30) clock hours, licensed practitioners are required to
complete a two (2) -hour course relating to prevention of medical errors, as
part of the renewal process. The course shall be approved by the Board and
shall include a study of root-cause analysis, error reduction and prevention,
and patient safety. If the course is being offered by a facility licensed
pursuant to chapter 395, F.S., for its employees, the Board approves one (1)
hour of the two (2) -hour course to be specifically related to error reduction
and prevention methods used in that facility. No more than two (2) hours of
continuing education relating to the prevention of medical errors may be
applied to the thirty (30) clock hour requirement in subsection (1).
(8) As required by section
456.0301(1)(a),
F.S., as part of the thirty (30) clock hours, all certified optometrists
registered with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) shall,
and all Licensed Practitioners may, complete a board approved two (2) hour
course on prescribing controlled substances. All certified optometrists
registered with the DEA must complete the course no later than January 31,
2019, and during each subsequent licensure renewal biennium. For all licensees,
the course may be completed in either a live or online/distance learning
format.
Notes
Rulemaking Authority 456.013(7), 456.0301(2), 463.005(1), 463.007 FS. Law Implemented 456.013(7), 456.0301(1), 463.007 FS.
New 11-13-79, Amended 5-28-80, 9-16-80, 1-13-81, 2-14-82, Formerly 21Q-5.01, Amended 12-16-86, 12-11-88, 4-19-89, 12-20-89, 9-22-92, 10-28-92, Formerly 21Q-5.001, Amended 8-31-93, Formerly 61F8-5.001, Amended 11-29-94, 7-5-95, 8-18-96, Formerly 59V-5.001, Amended 3-21-00, 10-2-01, 1-8-02, 5-8-02, 3-20-03, 12-25-06, 1-11-14, 4-10-14, 10-2-18, 2-21-19, 6-26-19.
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