Mandatory Registration
As an employer in Alberta, it is crucial to ensure that all opticians in your organization are properly registered under the Health Professions Act. This legislation is in place to protect the public by ensuring that all practicing opticians are qualified, competent, and accountable.
Employers must ensure their employees hold a current and valid practice permit in Alberta and are responsible for verifying the registration status of their employees. Verification of their registration status is not only a legal requirement but also essential for fostering trust in the optical services you provide to the community.
An optician’s license number can only be used for the opticianry services provided by that optician.
Why Verifying Registration is important for Employers:
- Reputation: Employing registered opticians helps build trust with your clients.
- Enhance Quality of Care: Registered opticians are trained and held to professional standards and support the provision of high-quality care to your clients. This can lead to better patient outcomes and increased customer satisfaction.
- Avoid Legal Issues: If an unregistered optician is employed, your business could face penalties or liability issues. Compliance with legislative requirements protects your organization from penalties or liability issues.
- Streamline Operations: Understanding and verifying registration can help you avoid service disruptions. It ensures your staff is always ready to provide professional services without disruption due to compliance concerns.
Key Points:
- Mandatory registration: Every optician must be registered with the College of Opticians of Alberta if they:
- Provide professional services directly to the public
- Teach the practice of opticianry
- Supervise regulated members who provide professional services to the public
- Provide professional services directly to the public
- Verification is essential: It’s your responsibility to check and confirm the registration status of your opticians. Make it your practice to check the registration status of all opticians in your organization.
- Employers should confirm that the optician has a current and valid practice permit and follow any conditions identified on the practice permit.
- The effective date and end dates are identified on the practice permit.
- The practice year for a Registered Optician runs from January 1-December 31.
- Practice permits must be renewed yearly.
- Graduates of an opticianry program must be registered as a provisional optician before being employed and providing professional services.
- Employers should confirm that the optician has a current and valid practice permit and follow any conditions identified on the practice permit.
- Courtesy Permits: Employers wishing to temporarily employ an optician who is registered in another province may do so, but the Optician requires a valid practice permit to provide services in Alberta.
- Legal Consequences: Failing to comply with registration requirements can lead to serious consequences for both the employee and your organization
We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the registration processes and requirements for opticians to ensure your compliance before employing an optician in your organization.
For more information on Mandatory Registration, please review section 46 of the Health Professions Act and the College of Opticians of Alberta website for additional information. By working together, we can maintain high standards in our profession and keep our community safe.