Hamlyn Ben R, Hart Kerryn M, Kiely Patricia M
Member Support and Optometry Advancement, Optometry Australia, South Melbourne, Australia.
School of Medicine (Optometry), Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Australia.
Clin Exp Optom. 2025 Apr;108(3):380-393. doi: 10.1080/08164622.2024.2358578. Epub 2024 Jul 28.
The Entry-level Competency Standards for Optometry in Australia identify the required knowledge, skills and attributes for an optometrist to practise safely and competently. The 2022 competencies are the sixth generation of entry-level competency standards. To ensure the standards reflect contemporary practice and the expectations placed on optometrists, a full revision of the standards was commenced in late 2019. A steering committee was appointed by Optometry Australia to oversee the development of the Entry-level Competency Standards for Optometry. The development was informed by a review of best-practice design for health professional competency standards undertaken by Paul Hager on behalf of the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ) in 2019. To identify the changes required, workshops were held with optometrists and representatives from stakeholder organisations leading to the formation of draft Entry-level Competency Standards for Optometry in early 2020. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic meant development halted in March 2020, and resumed in late 2021. Consultation on the Entry-Level Competency Standards for Optometry 2022 was undertaken in two rounds with the first being targeted stakeholder consultation, followed by public consultation. Following consultation, feedback was considered by the steering committee and amendments were made to produce the final Entry-level Competency Standards for Optometry 2022. This document outlines the development process and the major changes in the updated standards. The major changes include a redesigning of the Domains, a reduction in the level of detail and a strengthening of the expectations around cultural responsiveness and culturally safe care. The revised standards capture the current entry requirements for the optometric profession as of 2022. The updated Entry-level Competency Standards for Optometry 2022 were endorsed by the national board of Optometry Australia and accepted by the Optometry Board of Australia in February 2023.
