Indiana Optometry CE Requirements

Continuing Education Requirements for the April 1, 2024 Renewal

Optometrist licenses and legend drug certificates are required to be renewed by April 1, 2024, a process that is regulated by the Indiana Optometry Board (IOB). 

HOW MANY HOURS DO I NEED?

Indiana ODs are required to have completed twenty (20) hours of continuing education for their optometry license and twenty (20) hours of continuing education if they hold an optometric legend drug certificate.

I RECEIVED MY OPTOMETRY LICENSE BETWEEN THE DATES OF APRIL 1, 2022, AND APRIL 1, 2023. WHAT ARE MY CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS?

An OD who was issued an original optometry license between the dates of April 1, 2022 and April 1, 2023, is only required to submit ten (10) hours of continuing education to renew their optometry license.   ODs who are issued an original optometric legend drug certificate between the dates of April 1, 2022 and April 1, 2023, are required to submit ten (10) hours of continuing education to renew their optometric legend drug certificate.  

I WILL RECEIVE MY ORIGINAL OPTOMETRY LICENSE AFTER APRIL 1, 2023. WHAT ARE MY CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS?

An OD who is issued an original optometry license after April 1, 2023, is not required to submit continuing education for the April 1, 2024, renewal. An OD who is issued an optometric legend drug certificate after April 1, 2023, is not required to have continuing education for the April 1, 2024, renewal. 

ARE THERE ANY SPECIAL CE REQUIREMENTS?

ODs are required, as part of the twenty (20) hour requirement, to complete two (2) hours of continuing education in any of the following areas:

Medical charting, billing and coding, healthcare compliance, or compliance with federal or Indiana state laws or regulations.

Generally, the IOB does not accept practice management courses for continuing education credit. However, courses which are approved by the board or the Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE) in the area of jurisprudence and medical recordkeeping will be accepted and are not considered practice management courses.

I HAVE A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES REGISTRATION.  WHAT DO I NEED FOR RENEWAL?

An optometrist who applies for registration or re-registration to distribute or dispense a controlled substance must have completed two (2) hours of continuing education during the previous two (2) years addressing the topic of opioid prescribing and opioid abuse.

HOW MANY HOURS CAN I CLAIM FOR ONLINE OR VIRTUAL CE?

Indiana law limits self-study continuing education for an optometry license and optometric legend drug certificate renewal to a total of eight (8) hours biennially.  Self-study CE must include an examination or post-evaluation in order to qualify for credit.

WHAT IS SELF-STUDY CONTINUING EDUCATION?

  • Self-study includes live streamed and static online CE courses. 

  • CE must be sponsored by an approved organization, such as IOA, COPE, a university, or the program must be specifically approved by the Indiana Optometry Board.

  • Self-study CE must include a written examination or post evaluation.

DOES CE HAVE TO BE COPE APPROVED IN INDIANA? 

No, Indiana law does not require courses to be COPE approved to count for continuing education credit.

I TOOK A LIVE COPE COURSE ONLINE. DOES THIS COUNT AS CE CREDIT?

As long as this course was presented by an approved provider and included a post-test, it will count as CE credit. Indiana law requires any online program to include a post-test. The majority of streamed courses do not meet this requirement. Live online courses are considered self-study and the eight hour limit applies.

HOW CAN I TELL IF A COURSE QUALIFIES FOR LEGEND DRUG CERTIFICATE CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT?

As previously noted, COPE approval is not required for continuing education credit in Indiana.  However, all courses must be provided by an approved provider or approved by the IOB. The IOB rules include information on what type of courses qualify for legend drug (therapeutics) continuing education. According to the rules of the IOB, the following subject matter areas are approved for legend drug credit:

(1) Glaucoma (GL).

(2) Perioperative management of ophthalmic surgery (PO).

(3) Refractive surgery management (RS).

(4) Treatment and management of ocular disease: anterior segment (AS). May also be referred to as treatment and management of ocular disease (TD)

(5) Treatment and management of ocular disease: posterior segment (PS). May also be referred to as treatment and management of ocular disease (TD)

(6) Pharmacology (PH).

(7) Systemic and ocular disease (SD).

(8) Oral pharmaceutical (OP).

(9) Other COPE courses approved by the board.

The IOB also accepts courses for legend drug credit in Injection skills (IS), Laser Procedures (LP), and Surgery Procedures (SP).    

Licenses can be renewed through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency website:  https://mylicense.in.gov/eGov/index.html

The Indiana Optometry Board's continuing education requirements can be found here: https://www.in.gov/pla/professions/optometry-home/