DOs get guide to Section 60 changes

Dispensing opticians have been given an easy-to-grasp guidance package following the important changes to the Opticians Act. It follows the College of Optometrists guidance notes published last week (News, July 1).

ABDO has published the advice for its members in response to the changes brought in by the Section 60 order introduced this month.
A key area of guidance concerns indemnity insurance, which ABDO consultant John Baker said has been 'enlarged and refined to reflect the Section 60 order'.

On top of the legal requirement for all DOs to be covered by professional indemnity and products liability insurance, the guidelines warn practitioners working for more than one business to check their cover and to note that 'claims can be made many years after an event'.

'We've also improved guidelines on the duty to refer, which were less specific last year and advice on the supervision of students,' said Baker.

'And we've altered guidance on professional publicity and fitness to practise too.'

Guidance on contact lens practice has also been subject to change in line with the Section 60 order.

'It is very important that all our members read the guidelines even if they don't fit or supply contact lenses,' said ABDO's chairman of the working group on advice and guidance, Kim Devlin.

'The fitting and supply of contact lenses have been separated by changes in the legislation so that after fitting and specifications are issued a customer can take them to any supplier of contact lenses,' she said.

Devlin added that ABDO and the College have been working together to coordinate their guidelines.

'Much of our guidelines reflect those issued by the College,' she said. 'It doesn't matter whether you are an OO or a DO fitting contact lenses, the regulations are the same.'

For a complete copy of the guidance visit ABDO website,  www.abdo.org.uk