Self-directed Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points were now available to registrants with a specialty after a review of the scheme was carried out by the General Optical Council.
Steve Brooker, director of regulatory strategy at the GOC, said: ‘On the back of our review, specialty registrants will now be able to take advantage of specialty self-directed CPD.
'Uptake of self-directed CPD has been low so far, and in the coming months we will do further promotion to support registrants to take advantage of this easy and flexible way of gaining CPD points.’
Registrants with a specialty, such as contact lens opticians (CLOs) or optometrists with prescribing rights, could now count learning from sources other than GOC-approved providers towards their points totals.
Examples included reading a relevant article, giving a lecture, or mentoring a colleague, and registrants were able to claim points for activities completed at any stage of this cycle. Additionally, CLOs were able to participate in peer review with optometrists in line with the CPD rules.
Association of Optometrists (AOP) head of education, Dr Ian Beasley, welcomed the decision: ‘We are pleased to see the GOC implement this long-awaited change that will give specialty registrants improved flexibility in gaining CPD points from activities that directly apply to their professional practice,' he said.