N.J. Admin. Code § 13:33-1.8 - Ophthalmic dispenser apprentice; licensing examination

(a) An ophthalmic dispenser apprentice shall complete not less than 12 credit hours of course work in Materials I and Materials II Lecture and Materials I and Materials II Lab. The 12 credits shall be completed within the first 12 months of the apprenticeship and shall be from a school accredited by the Commission on Opticianry Accreditation and a regional accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education.

(b) The ophthalmic dispenser apprentice shall, at the completion of the first 12 months of the apprenticeship, apply for the first scheduled Qualifying Technical examination. The Qualifying Technical examination shall be offered twice annually and shall consist of a written test and practical tests in neutralization and fabrication. In the event of illness, extreme emergency, or other good cause, an extension of application to the next succeeding examination may be granted by the Board.

(c) If the ophthalmic dispenser apprentice fails the qualifying technical examination, he or she shall return the apprentice permit to the Board within five days of receipt of a notice of failure and shall no longer act as an ophthalmic dispenser apprentice. An ophthalmic dispenser apprentice who has failed the qualifying technical examination shall not accumulate time towards the three-year apprenticeship requirement until the apprentice passes the qualifying technical examination. If the ophthalmic dispenser apprentice passes the qualifying technical examination, the Board shall return his or her apprentice permit and he or she may engage in ophthalmic dispenser apprentice activities. In the event that the ophthalmic dispenser apprentice meets the requirements to sit for examination and neither applies for, appears at nor is excused from said examination, an automatic failure will be imposed.

(d) An individual who has failed the Qualifying Technical examination three times may take the Ophthalmic Technician Licensing examination. If the individual passes the Ophthalmic Technician Licensing examination, he or she shall be reinstated in the Ophthalmic Dispensing Apprenticeship. The individual may take the Ophthalmic Technician Licensing examination three times.

(e) During the 36 months of the apprenticeship, the ophthalmic dispenser apprentice shall complete at least 30 credit-hours of course work in ophthalmic science from a school accredited by the Commission on Opticianry Accreditation and a regional accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education. Apprentices shall obtain a grade of either a "C," or better, or a numerical grade of 70, or better, in all required optical science courses. The 30 credits shall include:

1. Materials I and II Lecture and Materials I and II Lab, taken within the first 12 months of the apprenticeship;

2. Dispensing I and II Lecture and Dispensing I and II Lab;

3. Principles of Optics (Theory of Optics);

4. Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye; and

5. Contact Lens Theory.

(f) The Materials I and II Lab and Dispensing I and II Lab portion of the education an ophthalmic dispenser applicant completed pursuant to (e) above shall be provided only by instructors who are legally permitted to practice ophthalmic dispensing in the state in which the instruction is provided. Instructors and students shall be physically present at the site at which the Materials I and II Lab and Dispensing I and II Lab instruction is being provided.

(g) The requirements at (f) above shall not apply to an applicant who began an apprenticeship prior to December 20, 2021.

(h) At the completion of the 36-month apprenticeship, the ophthalmic dispenser apprentice shall apply for the first scheduled ophthalmic dispenser licensing examination. In the event of illness, extreme emergency, or other good cause, an extension of application to the next succeeding examination may be granted by the Board.

(i) If the ophthalmic dispenser apprentice fails three consecutive ophthalmic dispenser licensing examinations, the apprentice dispenser shall return the dispenser permit to the Board. An ophthalmic dispenser apprentice who has returned his or her permit to the Board may retake the ophthalmic dispensing licensing examination provided that the last year of experience as an apprentice dispenser was acquired within the past two years.

(j) In the event that the ophthalmic dispenser apprentice meets the requirements to sit for examination and neither applies for, appears at, or is excused from said examination, an automatic failure will be imposed.

Notes

N.J. Admin. Code § 13:33-1.8

Amended by R.1983 d.15, effective 2/7/1983.
See: 14 N.J.R. 545(a), 15 N.J.R. 157(a).
Deleted old text and added new text.
Amended by R.1987 d.323, effective 8/3/1987.
See: 19 N.J.R. 917(a), 19 N.J.R. 1455(a).
Substantially amended.
Amended by R.1995 d.192, effective 4/3/1995.
See: 27 N.J.R. 298(a), 27 N.J.R. 1428(a).
Amended by R.2000 d.146, effective 4/3/2000.
See: 32 N.J.R. 241(a), 32 N.J.R. 1236(a).
Rewrote the section.
Recodified from N.J.A.C. 13:33-1.13b y R.2005 d.305, effective 9/6/2005.
See: 37 N.J.R. 938(a), 37 N.J.R. 3437(a).
Former N.J.A.C. 13:33-1.8r ecodified as N.J.A.C. 13:33-8.3.
Amended by R.2011 d.074, effective 3/7/2011.
See: 42 N.J.R. 1994(b), 43 N.J.R. 642(a)
In (a), inserted "and a regional accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education"; and rewrote (c) and (e).
Amended by R.2021 d.144, effective 12/20/2021.
See: 51 N.J.R. 1334(a), 53 N.J.R. 2229(b).
Recodified former (f) through (h) as (h) through (j), and added (f) and (g).