ABDO has received approval from the General Optical Council (GOC) to begin delivering the Diploma in Contact Lens Practice syllabus from September 2024. As the awarding organisation, ABDO will be working in partnership with two education centres – ABDO College and Bradford College.
ABDO is currently the only provider that can recruit students to the GOC’s new education and training requirements for contact lens opticians.
Dean Dunning, ABDO deputy head of professional qualifications and education and chief contact lens examiner, said: “We are delighted that we are now able to deliver our 2024 syllabus, which is the first of its kind to follow the GOC’s requirements for approved qualifications for contact lens opticians. It has been a huge undertaking, lasting over two years, and wouldn’t have been possible without a great deal of help from educators, industry professionals, registrants, students and employers, for whom we are extremely grateful.
“We have worked very hard to ensure that we have a syllabus that meets the needs for a modern contact lens optician to practice safely and successfully, embracing the fast-paced changes happening in the contact lens industry.
“We look forward to collaborating with our training partners at ABDO College and Bradford College along with the GOC over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition to the new syllabus,” added Dean.
Samara Morgan, GOC head of education and CPD development, commented: “We are delighted to note ABDO’s contact lens qualification as the first contact lens specialty to meet the updated education and training requirements. This means we have seen adaptations against all of the updated education and training requirements for optometry and dispensing optics, additional supply, supplementary prescribing, and/or independent prescribing, and for contact lens opticians.
“It’s been exciting to see how optical education providers of GOC-approved qualifications are adapting their qualifications to meet the new education and training requirements. We know it’s involved a lot of hard work from providers, and we appreciate their dedication to ensure they offer courses that are fit for the future.”
The GOC’s updated education and training requirements for optometry and dispensing optics came into effect in March 2021.