The College of Opticians of Ontario (COO) regulates opticianry in the public interest, in accordance with the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) and the Opticianry Act, 1991. The Registration Regulation is a regulation under the Opticianry Act, 1991 that, together with the RHPA, sets out the requirements to be registered as an optician in Ontario.
Initial Amendments – June 12, 2017
On June 12, 2017, following extensive stakeholder consultation, the COO submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Health to make changes to the Registration Regulation. These changes will only come into effect if and when they are approved by the Ontario Government.
The proposed changes, if approved, will include the following:
Further Amendments – January 27, 2023
On January 27, 2023, the College posted further amendments to the Registration Regulation for stakeholder circulation. These amendments have been proposed in accordance with the requirements enacted by the Ontario Government under Bill 106, the Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness Act, 2022 that requires all health regulatory colleges to create an emergency class of registration.
These proposed changes, if approved, will establish an Emergency Class of registration that will be open to inactive opticians who have evidence of having practised opticianry in the previous six years. The Emergency Class will only be activated if and when the College’s Board of Directors determines that it is necessary to address a public health emergency.
Full Text of the Proposed Amendments
To view a copy of the proposed amendments, click here. Amendments that were proposed on June 12, 2017 are displayed in RED. Amendments that were proposed on January 27, 2023 are displayed in BLUE.
The College will notify opticians when the amendments come into effect.