Ethics and professionalism CPD for health practitioners in Australia [email protected]
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Online course · Australia

Ethics and Professionalism for Optometrists in Australia

Applying the Optometry Board's Code to Clinical, Commercial and Prescribing Decisions

  • About 3 hours
  • 20 scenario questions
  • Reflective account
  • Certificate of completion
  • Online, self-paced

About this course

Optometrists diagnose sight-threatening disease, prescribe scheduled medicines and sell products, sometimes in the same appointment. This three-hour course applies the Optometry Board's Code of conduct to clinical, prescribing and commercial decisions.

The course begins with the regulatory framework for optometry, registration standards and Board guidance, the Code in optometric practice and what notifications about optometrists show. Clinical judgement follows: thorough assessment, referral and urgency, working within competence, children and myopia management, and fitness to drive.

Prescribing scheduled medicines gets a full section covering the endorsement and its limits, safe prescribing, glaucoma and shared care, off-label and compounded medicines and commercial influence on prescribing. A section on optical appliances covers prescriptions, the patient's freedom of choice, honest recommendations and contact lens safety.

Later sections address business models and targets, disclosure, Medicare billing, advertising, communication and consent, culturally safe care, records and imaging, infection prevention and complaints, CPD, recency, insurance, self-reporting, mandatory notifications and supervision of remote services.

What you will learn

  • Explain how the National Law, the registration standards and the shared Code apply to optometry
  • Match the depth of an examination to the patient's risk and refer with the right urgency
  • Prescribe within the endorsement, the Board's list and state law, with safe review
  • Share care of glaucoma patients safely and take care with steroids and off-label use
  • Issue accurate optical prescriptions and respect the patient's right to take them elsewhere
  • Recommend lenses and products on clinical need and be open about any financial interest
  • Bill Medicare accurately and advertise optometry services lawfully
  • Meet CPD, recency, insurance and notification obligations

Who this course is for

  • Optometrists in independent and corporate practice
  • Optometrists with the scheduled medicines endorsement
  • Optometrists in glaucoma shared care arrangements
  • Practice owners and clinical directors
  • Optometrists working in rural, remote or outreach services

How the course works

  1. After checkout the course is added to My Courses in your account, so you can start straight away on any device with a modern browser.

  2. Move through 7 sections (30 lessons in total) in your own time; lessons open in sequence and the player remembers where you stopped on that device.

  3. Each section ends with key points and prompts for reflection. Your notes can be downloaded as a Word course pack or printed for your portfolio.

  4. Sit the 20-question assessment at the end. Score 80% or more (16 of 20) to pass; answer options are reshuffled if you retake.

  5. Complete the reflective account and feedback to finish. Your certificate of completion shows the estimated learning time (about 3 hours), and you record the time you actually spend in your CPD log.

Course content

8 sections · About 3 hours · 20-question final assessment

1The Regulatory Framework for Optometry4 lessons
  • Optometry Under the National Law
  • Registration Standards and Board Guidance
  • The Code of Conduct in Optometric Practice
  • What Notifications About Optometrists Tell Us
2Clinical Judgement and Duty of Care5 lessons
  • Thorough Assessment and Recognising Disease
  • Referral, Urgency and Communication
  • Working Within Competence and Using New Technology
  • Children and Myopia Management
  • Fitness to Drive
3Prescribing Scheduled Medicines5 lessons
  • The Endorsement and the Limits of Prescribing Authority
  • Safe Prescribing Practice
  • Glaucoma and Shared Care
  • Off-Label, Unapproved and Compounded Medicines
  • Prescribing Integrity and Commercial Influence
4Optical Appliances, Dispensing and Patient Choice4 lessons
  • Prescribing Optical Appliances
  • The Patient's Prescription and Freedom of Choice
  • Honest Recommendations for Lenses and Products
  • Contact Lens Safety and Aftercare
5Commercial Practice, Conflicts and Honest Billing4 lessons
  • Business Models, Targets and the Code
  • Disclosure and Presenting Options
  • Medicare and Honest Billing
  • Advertising Optometry Services
6Communication, Respect and Safe Systems4 lessons
  • Communication and Consent in the Consulting Room
  • Culturally Safe, Equitable and Accessible Care
  • Records, Imaging and Privacy
  • Infection Prevention and Complaints
7Professional Obligations and Accountability4 lessons
  • CPD and Keeping Up to Date
  • Recency, Insurance and Self-Reporting
  • Mandatory Notifications and Practitioner Health
  • Supervision, Delegation and Remote Services
8Conclusion, Final Assessment and Reflection4 lessons
  • Conclusion and key points
  • References and quick-reference guide
  • Final assessment (20 questions, 80% pass mark)
  • Your reflective account

Assessment and certificate

  • Certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time (about 3 hours); record the time you actually spend.
  • A written reflective account you can keep with your CPD records.

Questions about this course

Must I give a patient their spectacle prescription?

The course explains patients' access to their optical prescription and their freedom to choose where to buy appliances, and why withholding it creates professional risk.

Is glaucoma shared care covered?

Yes. A lesson covers shared care arrangements with ophthalmologists, monitoring and the limits of your prescribing authority.

Does it address Medicare billing for optometrists?

Yes. It covers accurate claiming and how billing integrity connects to professional standards.

How does this compare with the two-hour optometry courses?

This three-hour course combines clinical, prescribing and commercial standards. The two-hour courses go deeper on ethical reasoning and on registration standards and records.

What evidence do I get when I finish?

You receive a certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time, and you can download a course pack holding your learning record, a revision sheet and your own reflections. Your CPD log should show the time you actually spend.

Does completing the course satisfy a condition or undertaking?

Not automatically. Where a Board has set education as a condition or undertaking, the course usually has to be nominated and accepted first, so check with Ahpra or the Board, and your legal adviser or defence organisation, before you enrol.

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