The ODOB is considering revoking OTEN's accreditation for its DOs in NZ

The optometrists and dispensing opticians board (ODOB) is currently consulting on the revocation of the accreditation of the ‘Certificate IV in Optical Dispensing’ course offered by OTEN/TAFE in New South Wales after OTEN failed to provide additional material requested for its accreditation. If the accreditation is revoked, dispensing opticians (DOs) trained at OTEN will no longer be recognised for registration in New Zealand.

In New Zealand, the ODOB is charged under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 to ensure DOs are competent and fit to practise when they apply for registration, which requires the ODOB to prescribe the qualifications required to meet the current scopes of practice.

The ODOB first prescribed the dispensing course offered by OTEN as a qualification for optical dispensing in 2005. In October 2014, the ODOB asked OTEN for its reaccreditation application, but OTEN advised that its course was under review, so the ODOB placed its reaccreditation on hold. In June 2016, OTEN provided its reaccreditation application and when asked for additional information, NZ Optics’ understands OTEN again asked for the reaccreditation to be placed on hold due to an impending governance restructure. As this was the second request and reaccreditation was well overdue, the ODOB declined and gave OTEN a deadline of 14 July 2017, which it failed to meet.

“The course might well still be suitable for dispensing in New Zealand but OTEN have had more than enough time to satisfy the board of this by providing documentation and have failed to do so - hence the consultation on revocation of their accreditation,” said Lindsey Pine, ODOB registrar. “The board will consider submissions once the consultation closes and make a final decision. If the course is revoked, notice will officially be published in the New Zealand Gazette.

“OTEN were advised some time ago that they needed to let these students know the Board's decision to propose revocation of the qualification.”

Donald Crichton, president of the Association of Dispensing Opticians of New Zealand (ADONZ) said, “This will not affect currently registered dispensing opticians who studied with OTEN, only those choosing to embark on the OTEN course from 2018. There are no New Zealand students currently studying through OTEN. Students can train through the Australasian College of Dispensing (ACOD) with the support of OptiBlocks. There are currently more than 50 students enrolled in this course, many of any of whom will be ready to join the register as dispensing opticians by the end of this year.”

When contacted, a spokesman for TAFE NSW said the college was reapplying for reaccreditation and was currently midway through the process.