Calendar – OAC – BC Chapter

AHEAD OF THE CURVE – INNOVATION IN OPTICIANRY @ Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel

Mar 8 all-day

** MINIMUM OF 10 CE CREDITS AVAILABLE **

ATTEND ON-SITE OR VIA LIVE WEBINAR
Space is limited on-site to 100 participants, so don’t wait to register!
Live webinar is available in real time during the event only.

Modern Technology: Blessing or Nightmare?
Presented by Sherry Klassen, Licensed Optician, Sponsored by: HOYA
Canadian Optical Retail (Part 1) – Digital Marketing Workshop (3 hours)
Facilitated by Grant Larsen, Sponsored by Digital ECP
The Fourth “O”
Presented by Leif Erickson, Ocularist, Sponsored by Opticians Association of Canada
Professional Liability insurance – Why The Need?
Presented by OAC – BC Chapter
Opticians Forum
Facilitated by College of Opticians of British Columbia

Categories: All Events Professional Learning

Oct

Fri

Vision Canada 2015 @ Pacific Gateway

Oct 2 – Oct 4 all-day

Vision Canada is an annual convention & trade show hosted by the Opticians Association of Canada that alternates between a venue in the East and West each year.

Each Vision Canada convention offers a dynamic two-day line-up of educational presentations and workshops aimed towards professional development of Opticians. All presentations and workshops at Vision Canada are fully accredited across Canada, helping attendees meet their CE and professional development requirements.

When participants aren’t attending presentations and workshops, the trade show exhibit is sure to please by showcasing many prestigious and innovative exhibitors. The trade show exhibit also provides attendees with networking opportunities, fun events and give-aways!

VISION CANADA BRINGS TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL ACROSS CANADA TO DISCUSS OPTICIANRY
Meetings of the following Optician groups take place in conjunction with Vision Canada: Opticians Council of Canada, National Association of Canadian Optician Regulators, Canadian Association of Optical Educators and the Opticians Association of Canada. Representatives from all across Canada meet face-to-face in one place to discuss relevant issues affecting of our profession.

Categories: All Events Professional Learning Trade Show

Mar

Sun

Vision Vancouver Spring Event @ Delta Burnaby Hotel & Conference Center

Mar 20 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Join the OAC – BC Chapter for a full day of learning, brainstorming & networking at the Vision Vancouver Spring Event. Attend education sessions from 9:00 AM to 5:10 PM on Sunday, March 20, 2016 and earn 12 CE credits.

PRE-REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED

ON-SITE REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE AT THE
DELTA BURNABY ON SUNDAY, MARCH 20TH

Schedule:

8:00 AM – 8:55 AM: Registration
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Education Sessions
12:00 PM – 01:00 PM – Lunch
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Education Sessions

Registration Opens at 8:00 AM: You must pick up your registration package before attending your first lecture. Lecture room doors will close 5 minutes after the start of a lecture, so be sure you give yourself plenty of time to pick up your registration package before proceeding to your first lecture.

Presentations will begin promptly at 9:00 AM: To prevent disruption to the speaker and other attendees, lecture room doors will be closed 5 minutes after the start of a presentation. No one will be allowed to enter the room after that time.

Education Session Topics: EARN 12 EDUCATION CREDITS FOR ATTENDING

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SCHEDULE OF THE DAY
The Vision Vancouver Spring Event will be bringing you a full day of learning, including topics such as Refracting, Low Vision Aids, Blue Light and Digital Marketing. All education sessions have been accreditated in B.C. by NACOR. Attendees will earn 12 education credits for attending the full day.

Interested in staying at the Delta Burnaby Hotel during the weekend of Vision Vancouver?

Receive a special rate of $140/night when you mention Opticians Association of Canada – BC Chapter. Call the Delta Burnaby at 1-800-916-4339 to book your room.

Categories: All Events Professional Learning

March 2015 – March 2016 Mar 2015 – Mar 2016

Vision Kelowna Launches Master Program

April 27, 2017April 27, 2017

On Sunday April 23^rd 2017 the OAC – BC chapter hosted the Vision Kelowna Spring Educational Event, a full day of learning, brainstorming and networking that brought together a great number of Opticians who made the event a success! It was a great pleasure for the OAC – BC to have the opportunity to bring education and support closer to Opticians residing in the interior regions of BC.

During the event the OAC launched the Ophthalmic Dispensing Master Program, the next level of education for Opticians, designed to further our knowledge and skills, 'raising the bar' of professionalism across the country. Professor Ed August, a world-renowned educator and presenter, thought the first four courses of the Ophthalmic Dispensing Master Program, including History & Vision Care Technology, Lens Cross, Power of Cylinder Away From Axis, and Curves. The response to the program was tremendous, as we had both newly licensed Opticians and long term Opticians share their feedback and express that it was good to be challenged during the sessions, felt that by the end they had great learnings, and further expressing their desire to partake in the full program. Vision Kelowna also set stage for Jonathon Smith, who presented – “From Design to Production”, as well as for Dr. Andrea Lasby, who presented – “Addressing the Consequences of our Connected World: Digital Eye Fatigue”. Both fantastic topics that captured the attention of the audiences, providing with learning opportunities that will assist Opticians meet the needs of consumers while providing highest quality of eye care. The College of Opticians of British Columbia was also one of the key presenter at our event, as they introduced the new continuing competency program that will be launching in January 2018. This program will further elevate Opticianry in our province, assuring the quality of the practice of the profession and promoting continuing competence among Licensed Opticians. Our event was also supported by exhibitors such as Optik K&R, Cooper Vision and CNIB, who granted the opportunity for our members to learn about their products and services. It was wonderful to see among the attendees, Opticians of various areas of expertise, and a variety of experience levels networking during the event, as their shared their knowledge and experiences. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors: OAC, Marcolin, PPG, Optik K&R, Luxottica, and Cooper Vision, for making Visions Kelowna come to life. With gratitude, Claudia Rojas OAC Director, British Columbia Licensed Optician

Unregulated

January 14, 2015January 14, 2015

The Risks Of Internet Dispensing Purchasing Eyewear on the Internet Online purchasing has made its way into virtually every aspect of life. In many cases, shopping on the Internet is easy and convenient and provides a quality, reliable service. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The attraction of buying prescription eyewear over the Internet is that it may be faster or cheaper than visiting an optical store. But at what cost? Buying prescription eyewear is not like shopping for books or clothes. In British Columbia, Licensed Opticians are regulated and guaranteed to be highly trained, follow a standard of care, ethical and accountable. Only registered contact lens fitters are legally permitted to fit contact lenses and automated refracting opticians are legally permitted to assess visual acuity. The information provided refers only to those circumstances where prescription eyewear is purchased over the Internet from someone who is not authorized to dispense – that is, from someone who is not a Licensed Optician, Optometrist of Ophthalmologist. Purchasing prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses from someone you do not know brings with it a range of risks. Some of these risks relate to the health of the eye (e.g. improperly fitted contact lenses can cause injury to the cornea) and some relate to the effectiveness of the eyewear (e.g. eyeglasses with lenses that do not match a patient’s eye measurements can impair vision). Improperly fitted eyewear can interfere with your ability to see, causing impaired depth perception, blurred vision, falls and other accidents, and worsened near or far-sightedness. The following is just a partial list of the risks and problems posed by Internet dispensing:

You have no guarantee that you are dealing with a Licensed Optician, Optometrist or Ophthalmologist. Vision care via the internet may be and sometimes is provided by inexperienced people who are not members of one of the regulated health professions.

Internet sellers may not be professionally responsible, leaving a Licensed Optician, Optometrist or Ophthalmologist to deal with the cleanup - upkeep, maintenance and troubleshooting - of online eyewear purchases. Licensed Opticians have the ability to recognize health issues dealing with the cornea and to refer a patient to another health professional before any serious harm can come to the eye. Licensed Opticians are also trained to take proper anatomical measurements, make appropriate initial and ongoing adjustments to eyewear, and to perform thorough pre and post-assessment of contact lenses to ensure vision health and safety, comfort, peak performance and clear accurate vision. You cannot get this kind of care over the Internet.

Eyeglasses and contact lenses need to be fitted to each individual patient based on measurements of the eye and face. This also cannot be done over the Internet.

Improperly fitted eyeglasses and contact lenses can cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea. These side effects can also prove dangerous if you are in a situation such as driving, carrying glass or hot beverages, handling machinery and so on.

Contact lenses are “medical devices” regulated by Health Canada. When you purchase contact lenses over the Internet, you may get a product that does not meet Health Canada’s requirements for safety, effectiveness and quality.

You may get a product that has been recalled due to safety concerns.

You may get a counterfeit product (e.g. a lower-quality product that is falsely labeled as being a higher-quality brand).

You may receive a product that has not been stored properly. Contact lenses need to be protected from freezing and heat. When you order contacts over the Internet, you do not know where the product has been stored or for how long.

You may receive a product that has expired. Contact lenses have an expiry date, after which it is not necessarily safe to use the product.

Internet dispensers may not be professionally accountable

Prescription eyewear is not “one size fits all”, Licensed Opticians are front line, regulated health care professionals who serve as public educators on eye care issues including disease prevention and detection and are trained to answer patients’ questions on a broad range of eye care issues, from dry eyes to corrective surgery. Licensed Opticians determine what kinds of lenses and frames are required based on a patient’s prescription, needs and individual circumstances. Licensed Opticians also receive training in eye health problems and may recognize an issue that should be treated by an Optometrist or Ophthalmologist.WHEN YOU PURCHASE PRESCRIPTION EYEGLASSES OR CONTACT LENSES, YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONSUMER – YOU ARE A PATIENT.Of the five senses - sight, sound, smell, touch and taste - the brain relies first and foremost on sight to provide essential information. The ability of the brain to assess and evaluate situations, determine courses of action and debate the risks associated with specific courses of action are determined, in part, by its ability to understand the images transferred from the eye. Only Licensed Opticians, Optometrists and Ophthalmologists have the necessary knowledge, skill, judgment, and accountability to dispense eyewear safely and competently. Beyond any doubt, poorly dispensed eyewear can be detrimental to your vision. It is critical that patients deal only with regulated eye care professionals who will ensure that their eyes, and their vision, remain healthy and protected.

Eyewear Incident Report