Kiely Patricia M, Slater Jared
Optometry Australia, Melbourne, Australia.
Clin Exp Optom. 2015 Jan;98(1):65-89. doi: 10.1111/cxo.12216.
Competency standards for entry-level to the profession of optometry in Australia were first developed in 1993, revised in 1997 and 2000, and again in 2008, when therapeutic competency standards were introduced but differentiated from the entry-level competencies. Therapeutic competencies were an additional requirement for the purpose of endorsing optometric registration to allow prescription of medicines for conditions of the eye. Recent changes to educational and registration requirements mean that therapeutic competencies are now required at entry-level. To address this and to ensure the standards reflect current best practice, a full revision of the standards was undertaken.
A steering committee oversaw the review of the standards, which involved a literature review, workshops with optometrists and broad consultation with stakeholders, including the Optometry Board of Australia, individual optometrists and employers of optometrists, to identify changes needed. Representatives of the profession from Australia and New Zealand and from academia in Australia were involved. A modified document based on the feedback received was circulated to the State Divisions and the National Board of the then Optometrists Association Australia.
The updated standards reflect the state of entry to the optometric profession in 2014; competencies for prescribing of scheduled medicines are included, new material has been added, other areas have been modified. The updated entry-level competency standards were adopted on behalf of the profession by the National Board of the then Optometrists Association Australia in March 2014.
Competency standards have been updated so that they continue to be current and useful for the profession, individual optometrists and Australian and New Zealand registration authorities for the purposes of accreditation of optometric programs and assessment of overseas-trained optometrists. This paper details the revision process and presents the 2014 version of competency standards for entry-level to the profession of optometry in Australia.
澳大利亚验光师行业的入门级能力标准于1993年首次制定，1997年、2000年及2008年进行了修订，2008年引入了治疗能力标准，但与入门级能力有所区分。治疗能力是认可验光师注册以便为眼部疾病开处方的一项额外要求。近期教育和注册要求的变化意味着现在入门级就需要具备治疗能力。为解决这一问题并确保标准反映当前的最佳实践，对标准进行了全面修订。
一个指导委员会监督标准的审查工作，审查包括文献综述、与验光师举办研讨会以及与利益相关者进行广泛磋商，利益相关者包括澳大利亚验光师委员会、个体验光师及验光师雇主，以确定所需的变更。来自澳大利亚和新西兰的行业代表以及澳大利亚学术界的代表参与其中。根据收到的反馈修改后的文件分发给了当时澳大利亚验光师协会的各个州分会和国家委员会。
更新后的标准反映了2014年验光师行业的入门状况；纳入了开具处方药的能力，增加了新内容，其他领域也进行了修改。当时澳大利亚验光师协会的国家委员会于2014年3月代表该行业通过了更新后的入门级能力标准。
能力标准已更新，以便它们对该行业、个体验光师以及澳大利亚和新西兰的注册机构在验光项目认证和海外培训验光师评估方面继续保持时效性和实用性。本文详细介绍了修订过程，并展示了2014年澳大利亚验光师行业入门级能力标准版本。
