Every registered optometrist in Australia declares at renewal that the Optometry Board of Australia's continuing professional development standard has been met. The standard changed on 1 December 2020 — hours rather than points, over a year rather than two, more for a scheduled medicines endorsement, and a cap on non-clinical CPD that matters for ethics courses — and the declaration is one Ahpra can audit after the event. This guide sets out what the standard asks for in 2026, how an ethics and professionalism course counts toward it, what to keep as evidence, and what happens if the records are asked for.
Optometry Board of Australia CPD Requirements at a Glance
The Optometry Board's registration standard, in force since 1 December 2020, asks for a minimum of 20 hours of CPD each year — 30 hours for an optometrist with a scheduled medicines endorsement, at least 10 of them on the endorsement. The registration period runs from 1 December to 30 November; registration is renewed by 30 November. CPD does not have to be accredited, but it must meet the standard: improve patient outcomes, draw on the best available evidence, and build on what you know.
| Registration | Minimum each year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist without an endorsement | 20 hours | Clinical and scientific CPD, with non-clinical and non-scientific CPD capped at 5 hours |
| Optometrist with a scheduled medicines endorsement | 30 hours | At least 10 on the endorsement; the same 5-hour cap on non-clinical CPD |
| Non-scientific and non-clinical CPD | Up to 5 hours a year | Ethics and professionalism, practice management, communication |
Student and non-practising registrants are exempt. The Board's CPD guidelines (2020) set out the evidence it expects.
An assessed two-hour ethics course is 2 hours on the non-clinical side of the standard, inside the 5-hour cap — two such courses a year fit it. Australian Optometrists can see the ethics and professionalism courses written for optometrists that count under the standard.
Planning CPD Around the Standard's Two Sides
The 2020 standard draws a line between clinical and scientific CPD, which makes up at least 15 of the 20 hours (25 of 30 with an endorsement), and non-clinical CPD, which is capped at 5 hours a year. Ethics, professionalism, communication and practice management sit on the non-clinical side, so they are planned inside that 5-hour allowance rather than added to it — a point worth settling at the start of the year, because the cap is per year and does not carry over. A short written plan names your scope of practice, the learning needs you have identified on each side of the line, and the activities you intend to complete.
Ethics and professionalism belong in the plan for every optometrist. The shared Code of conduct, in effect since 29 June 2022, the Board's guidelines for use of scheduled medicines and the advertising guidelines are what a notification about a missed diagnosis and its record, consent, a prescription under the endorsement, a boundary or the retail side of practice is measured against, and CPD that covers them is relevant by definition.
Ethics and Professionalism as CPD: How They Count
An online ethics course with an assessment you must pass to receive the certificate is CPD under the standard, logged in hours on the non-clinical side: a two-hour course is 2 of the 5 non-clinical hours allowed each year, and 2 toward the 20 (or 30). Two such courses a year sit inside the cap; a third would not count. The certificate records the course title, the provider, the date of completion and the hours, which is what the record and an audit need; the record adds a line of reflection on what changed in your practice.
For an optometrist responding to an Ahpra notification, under conditions, or preparing for a Performance and Professional Standards Panel, ethics CPD does a second job. A completed, assessed course on the standard you are said to have breached — consent, confidentiality, record-keeping, professional boundaries, scheduled medicines, the retail side of practice — is evidence of insight and remediation that the Optometry Board weighs alongside the written response. It shows engagement with the standard rather than a statement that you have read it. A dated certificate attached to the response, with a paragraph on what you took from the course and what you have changed, is the form that evidence takes.
For an optometrist renewing with no concern raised, the same course is a planned activity that answers the audit question before it is asked.
Recording and Keeping Your CPD Evidence
Nothing is submitted to Ahpra at renewal; you declare that the standard has been met. The record behind that declaration is yours to keep, and it is what an audit asks for. For each activity, record:
- The date, title, provider and hours, and whether it was clinical or non-clinical — so the 20 (or 30) hours, the 10 on the endorsement and the 5-hour cap can be read from the record.
- The evidence: the certificate, the attendance record or the assessment result.
- A line of reflection on what the activity changed in your practice.
Keep the plan and the records for at least five years. Ahpra can audit a past period, and a notification can reopen a question about CPD completed years earlier.
Ahpra CPD Audits and What Happens If You Fall Short
After each renewal Ahpra audits a sample of practitioners against the registration standards, CPD among them. Selection is largely random; being audited is not a sign of concern. You are asked to supply evidence for the declaration you made: the record for the year, with the clinical and non-clinical hours and the endorsement hours shown, and the certificates or records behind each entry. There is a set period to respond, and a response that is late or thin is itself a finding.
Where the evidence falls short of the standard, the Optometry Board can require the shortfall to be made up and may impose conditions on registration until it is. Where the declaration was not true — hours claimed for activities not completed — the matter is no longer a CPD question but a conduct one: a false declaration to the regulator is a probity matter, and the Board treats it as such. The practical protection is a contemporaneous record kept through the year, not a reconstruction after the audit letter arrives.
Choosing Ethics Courses That Count Toward Your Renewal
- An assessment you must pass. The assessment is what shows the learning happened; a course that only has to be opened is weaker evidence under the standard.
- A certificate with the detail an audit needs: your name, the course title, the provider, the date of completion and the hours.
- Content written for optometrists under the Board's standards. Relevance to your practice is a requirement of the standard, and a course built on the shared Code of conduct, the Board's guidelines for use of scheduled medicines and the advertising guidelines meets it directly.
- A provider you can name. An audit assesses the evidence, and evidence from an identifiable provider with a dated certificate is evidence that stands on its own.
Key Regulatory Resources for Australian Optometrists on CPD
- Optometry Board of Australia — the CPD registration standard and guidelines (1 December 2020), the shared Code of conduct, the guidelines for use of scheduled medicines, the advertising guidelines.
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) — renewal by 30 November, the renewal declarations and the audit process.
- Optometry Australia — the professional body; CPD programs, the Institute of Excellence and support when a notification arrives.
Related Reading: Australian Optometrists
How to Respond to an Ahpra Notification: A Practical Guide for Australian Optometrists →
Ahpra and Tribunal Disciplinary Process Step-by-Step for Australian Optometrists →
All Ethics Courses for Australian Optometrists →
Ethics CPD that satisfies your renewal and your audit
Online, immediate access, a dated certificate on completion, an assessment you must pass. Written for optometrists under Ahpra and Optometry Board standards: 2 CPD hours a course.
All ethics courses for optometrists →
Frequently asked questions
How many CPD hours do Australian optometrists need each year?
The Optometry Board of Australia's CPD registration standard, in force since 1 December 2020, asks for a minimum of 20 hours of CPD each year, or 30 hours for an optometrist with a scheduled medicines endorsement, at least 10 of them on the endorsement. Non-scientific and non-clinical CPD is capped at 5 hours a year.
Does CPD have to be accredited?
No. The Board says CPD does not need to be accredited, but it must meet the standard: improve patient outcomes and experience, draw on the best available evidence, improve your competence and build on what you know. An assessed ethics course with a dated certificate meets it.
Is ethics CPD mandatory for Australian optometrists?
The standard sets hours and the clinical / non-clinical split, not topics. Ethics and professionalism are relevant to every optometrist because the shared Code of conduct and the Board's guidelines are what a notification is measured against. An optometrist under conditions, or preparing a response to a notification, is often required or advised to complete structured ethics CPD as part of remediation.
How does an ethics course fit the 5-hour cap on non-clinical CPD?
Ethics and professionalism are non-clinical CPD, so they are counted inside the 5 hours the standard allows each year. A two-hour assessed course is 2 of those hours; two courses a year fit the cap. The cap is per year and does not carry over.
When do Australian optometrists renew their registration?
Optometrists renew by 30 November each year, with a one-month late period. The registration period runs from 1 December to 30 November, so the hours you declare are the ones completed in the period just ended.
What records should I keep?
For each activity: the date, title, provider and hours, whether it was clinical or non-clinical (and whether it was on the endorsement), the evidence behind it and a line of reflection. Keep the plan and the records for at least five years.
What happens if Ahpra audits my CPD?
Ahpra audits a sample of practitioners after renewal. You will be asked for the record for the year, with the clinical, non-clinical and endorsement hours shown, and the evidence behind each entry. If the evidence does not support the declaration, the Board can require further CPD, impose conditions, and treat a false declaration as a conduct matter in its own right.
Can ethics CPD completed during an Ahpra notification help the outcome?
It can. A completed, assessed ethics course with a dated certificate is evidence of insight and remediation that the Optometry Board can weigh alongside your written response. It shows engagement with the standard you are said to have breached. Attach the certificate to the response and say what you took from the course and what you have changed.
This article is published by Healthcare Ethics Australia for general information. It is not legal advice and does not replace advice from your indemnity insurer, professional association or a lawyer about your own matter.