Who We Are
Our Purpose
The College of Opticians of Alberta (COA) is the regulatory body that governs the practice of opticianry in the province. Formerly the Alberta College and Association of Opticians (ACAO), the COA was established on January 1, 2022, with the sole mandate of protecting the public by:
- Setting the requirements for entry into the opticianry profession;
- Licensing Registered Opticians (RO) and Registered Contact Lens Practitioners (RCLP) and protecting the use of these titles and abbreviations;
- Establishing and overseeing the Regulations, Standards of Practice, and Code of Ethics governing opticians;
- Managing a complaints and discipline process to hear, investigate, and adjudicate complaints filed against opticians; and
- Monitoring the continuing competence of opticians to ensure the provision of safe, competent, and ethical care for Albertans
Vision
Our vision is that registered opticians offer quality patient care through safe, competent, and ethical practice.
We strive to achieve our vision through accountability and accessibility to the public and a commitment to progressive regulatory governance.
Mission
Our mission is to protect the public through proactive regulation of registered opticians.
Our primary concern is patient health and safety. We protect the public by overseeing and regulating the opticianry profession in Alberta.
Values
We hold ourselves accountable to the public and take responsibility for the practice of opticians in the province.
We take the ethical responsibilities of health professionals seriously and ensure our conduct and the conduct of the profession are held to high standard.
We treat all stakeholders equally and with respect and are committed to operating with integrity, objectivity, and fair-mindedness.
We constantly strive to improve our effectiveness as a regulatory body and monitor trends and best practices in regulation to achieve our strategic objectives.
We believe that fostering an open dialogue with stakeholders supports our performance and we encourage active participation in Council and committee meetings.
We commit to transparency for the public, registrants, and other stakeholders and make information about our activities and operations publicly available.