In order to meet the Board's requirement for approval for "Certified Credit" the course(s) must be a minimum of two hours in length and given by a person(s) recognized as an expert(s) in the subject matter being presented. Further, the course(s) must be offered under the auspices and/or sponsorship of an association or organization recognized as being a local, state, regional or national professional association, a school, college or university of optometry or related health care profession. The subject matter may include any of the following:

• The diagnosis, treatment and management of diseases of the eye and its adnexa
• Pharmacology as related to topical and/or systemic medications
• Ocular side effects of systemic diseases
• Ocular side effects of systemic medications
• New procedures, instruments and technologies as they relate to the enhancement of patient care
• Ocular and systemic medications update
• Emergency care in the event of anaphylaxis including resuscitation
• Certification in CPR & ACLS
• Emergency care including certification in CPR and ACLS
• Patho-physiology of ocular and systemic disease
• Advanced procedures related to changing or expanded modes of practice

Courses sponsored or offered by "for profit" entities including, but not limited to, surgical practices, pharmaceutical companies, equipment or instrument manufacturers, non-professional organizations and trade fairs will be considered for "General Credit" only.

Courses such as "Grand Rounds", "Observation of Surgery", or similar courses where the optometrist spends time in an ophthalmologist's practice observing and discussing various treatments and surgical procedures will continue to be approved but for "General Credit" only. Further, the number of hours of education taken in this manner that will be allowed for credit towards the overall continuing education requirement of twenty (20) hours in any calendar year will be limited to two (2) hours.

Credit hours allowed for correspondence (self study) courses will be approved for "General Credit" and limited to four (4) hours a year. Further, credit for these types of courses will be credited toward the yearly requirement for the calendar year in which they were published.

Credit hours for courses classified and approved by the Board as "Practice Management" will be limited to three (3) hours a year.

Acceptance of "COPE" approved courses. In accepting COPE approved courses for credit from various vendors that have been approved by COPE, the Board shall retain its authority to assign credit for such courses in accordance with the criteria set forth above.