MOC Handbook

Opticians of Manitoba Maintenance of Competency Requirements

SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 TO AUGUST 31, 2024

(Three year cycle)

SUMMARY OF THE OPTICIANS OF MANITOBA MOC POLICY

Members of the Opticians of Manitoba are required to obtain a minimum number of MOC credits during every three-year MOC cycle. All credits must be related to the maintenance of the member’s standards of practice or competence. Credits will be calculated and applied in accordance with the OOM Maintenance of Competency Policy. Please note that it is the responsibility of each optician, not the Opticians of Manitoba to ensure that they are getting the required credits in each area for the cycle.

HOW MANY MOC CREDITS DO YOU REQUIRE?

It is strongly recommended that Opticians complete one third (1/3) of the total number of credits required for the three year cycle, by August 31 of each year of the three year cycle, in order to avoid having to obtain credits required in order to be eligible for obtaining a license at the end of the third year of the cycle. PLEASE NOTE however that members who had failed to comply with MOC requirements at the end of the previous three year cycle, will be required to complete one third of the total number of credits in each year of the next cycle.

Note: If you move into Manitoba from another province where you were licensed your MOC requirements are the same as a Licensed Optician or a Contact Lens Licensed Optician who becomes licensed during the third year of an MOC cycle, i.e. zero credits are to be earned to the end of the current cycle but the optician will be required to earn the full complement of credits during the next 3 year cycle.

LICENSED OPTICIANS

• Licensed Opticians including inactive who became licensed prior to September 1, 2021 i.e. (the first day of year one of the 3 year cycle).   14 MOC credits to be earned over the three-year MOC cycle comprised of:
  • Minimum of 4 credits shall be accumulated for MOC activities in eyeglasses practice
  • Minimum of 4 credits shall be accumulated for MOC activities in contact lens practice.
  • Of the total 14 credit requirement a maximum of 6 credits may be substituted by an activity in the ‘Related Field ’ category (Appendix A)
• Licensed Opticians who become licensed during the first year of the three year MOC cycle, i.e. 2021/2022.     10 MOC credits to be earned over the three-year MOC cycle, comprised of:
  • Minimum of 3 credits shall be accumulated for MOC activities in eyeglasses practice.
  • Minimum of 3 credits shall be accumulated for MOC activities in contact lens practice.
  • Of the total 10 credit requirement a maximum of 4 credits may be substituted by an activity in the “Related Field” category (Appendix A)
• Licensed Opticians who become licensed during the second year of the three year MOC cycle i.e. 2022/2023.   5 MOC credits to be earned over the three-year MOC cycle comprised of:
  • Minimum of 2 credits shall be accumulated for MOC activities in eyeglasses practice.
  • Minimum of 1 credit shall be accumulated for MOC activities in contact lens practice.
  • Of the total 5 credit requirement a maximum of 2 credits may be substituted by an activity in the “Related Field” category (Appendix A)
• Licensed Opticians who become licensed during the third year of the three year MOC cycle i.e. 2023/2024.   Zero MOC credits to be earned to the end of the current MOC cycle. The optician will be expected to earn the full complement of credits during the next three-year MOC cycle.

CONTACT LENS LICENSED OPTICIANS

• Contact Lens Licensed Opticians, including inactive, who were licensed in contact lenses prior to September 1, 2021 (the first day of year one of the 3 year cycle)   18 MOC credits to be earned over a three-year MOC cycle, comprised of:
  • Minimum of 8 credits shall be accumulated for MOC activities in contact lens practice.
  • Minimum of 4 credits shall be accumulated for MOC activities in eyeglasses practice.
  • Of the total 18 credit requirement a maximum of 6 credits may be substituted by an activity in the ‘Related Field ’ category (Appendix A)
• Contact Lens Licensed Opticians who were licensed during the first year of the three year MOC cycle i.e. 2021/2022.   16 MOC credits to be earned over a three-year MOC cycle comprised of:
  • Minimum of 6 credits shall be accumulated for MOC activities in contact lens practice.
  • Minimum of 4 credits shall be accumulated for MOC activities in eyeglasses practice.
  • Of the total 16 credit requirement a maximum of 6 credits may be substituted by an activity in the ‘Related Field’ category (Appendix A)
• Contact Lens Licensed Opticians who become licensed during the second year of the three year MOC cycle i.e. 2022/2023.   15 MOC credits to be earned over a three-year MOC cycle comprised of:
  • Minimum of 5 credits shall be accumulated for MOC activities in contact lens practice.
  • Minimum of 4 credits shall be accumulated for MOC activities in eyeglasses practice.
  • Of the total 15 credit requirement a maximum of 6 credits may be substituted by an activity in the ‘Related Field’ category (Appendix A)
• Contact Lens Licensed Opticians who become licensed during the third year of the three year MOC cycle i.e. 2023/2024.   14 MOC credits to be earned over a three-year MOC cycle comprised of:
  • Minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 credits shall be accumulated for MOC activities in contact lens practice.
  • Minimum of 4 and a maximum of 6 credits shall be accumulated for MOC activities in eyeglasses practice.Of the total 14 credit requirement a maximum 6 credits may be substituted by an activity in the ‘Related Field’ category credits (Appendix A)

HOW DO I EARN CREDITS?

SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE MOC CREDITS MUST BE FROM “CATEGORY A” ACTIVITIES

Examples of providers include but are not limited to:

• The Opticians of Manitoba
  • Including acting as a council member
  • Including teaching the Eyeglasses and Contact Lens Course
• Opticians Association Of Canada including Online Modules
• Canadian and American National Opticians Associations
• Canadian and American Provincial or State Opticians Associations
• Provincial Regulated Health Professions Agencies, where the activity is accredited for their regulated members

“CATEGORY A” ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

• MOC SEMINARS
  • Eyeglasses related
  • Contact lens related

If you believe a learning module you have completed should be awarded credits you must apply to the Education Committee by filling out the ‘Application for MOC Credit’ form (APPENDIX B).

• ADVANCED PRACTICE COURSES

Opticians enrolled in Advanced Practice Contact Lenses will be awards 9 credits divided between the EG and CL categories, upon successful completion of the course year of studies. Graduates must however submit their certificate of successful completion of the course to the Opticians of Manitoba before the credits can be awarded.

TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE REMAINING MOC CREDITS MAY BE OBTAINED BY PARTICIPATING IN “CATEGORY B”, i.e. “RELATED FIELD” ACTIVITIES:

Related Field may be used to supplement the total MOC requirements subject to the minimum and maximum totals.

Related Field activities include relevant lectures or online MOC modules having content that can be applied to the practice of opticianry (e.g. St. John’s Ambulance, CPR, Management Seminars, Motivational Seminars etc.) These may be presentations sponsored by the OOM, or may be courses or seminars for which the individual has submitted course outlines so that the Education Committee may award credits.

You may also consider activities which contribute to the profession in some measure. Rather than being considered as an educational tool for the member, these would be considered as volunteer activities that add to the welfare of the optical community.

APPENDIX A is a chart of CATEGORY B “Related Field” activities.. To apply for approval of “Related Field” credits you must submit a completed “Application for Approval of ‘Related Field’ Credits” (APPENDIX C).

MEMBERS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

• Members may begin to accumulate credits as soon as they become licensed.
• It is the responsibility of each member to ensure they are in compliance with the Maintenance of Competency (MOC) requirements.
• Inactive members must continue to maintain all Maintenance of Competency requirements
• Members are responsible for submitting details of events attended which are not provided by the OOM including a completed application form for the credits (Appendix B).
• If a member does online MOC modules, the member must send a hard or electronic copy of the certificate they receive to the OOM so that it can be placed in the member’s permanent Optician file and the credits can be entered in the member’s electronic MOC credit bank.
• Reports identifying the number of credits reported and recorded are available in the members’ section of the OOM website. (See APPENDIX D-Log in information to members section of OOM website).
• At the end of each 3 year cycle you will receive a report on the status of your credits
• If you find you have more credits than you need for a cycle, it is your responsibility to advise the office in writing if you wish to have the surplus carried forward and ‘banked’ for the following cycle and specifically which credits you wish to carry forward. A maximum of 4 surplus credits may be carried forward to the next cycle.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Copies of MOC certificates will be provided to the member at the conclusion of each MOC event arranged by the OOM and after the member has submitted a completed evaluation form for the event. The member’s credits will be entered in their file.
• A $25.00 fee is charged to all Active members for attendance at events sponsored by the OOM. A $35.00 fee is charged for all inactive members to attend lectures or seminars arranged by the OOM.

APPENDIX A: “RELATED FIELD³ (RF)” (formerly Other) CATEGORY B CREDITS

APPENDIX B: Opticians of Manitoba Application for MOC Credits

APPENDIX C: Opticians of Manitoba Application for Approval of Related Field Credits

APPENDIX D: STEPS TO LOGGING INTO THE OOM WEBSITE IF I YOU WANT TO CHECK YOUR MOC CREDITS