ATTENTION ALL KENTUCKY LICENSED OPTOMETRISTS
In 2009, all KY licensed optometrists will be required to take a one-hour HIV-AIDS course for optometrists. The course must be approved by the KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services for optometry. Your completion certificate must be dated in the 2009 calendar year and received in the Board Office by the end of December, 2009. This course, along with your other education, must be completed prior to 2010 license renewal. The one-hour HIV-AIDS course will be counted as one of total number of hours required each year. Click here for link to HIV/AIDS on-line courses.
http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/epi/HIVAIDS/ProfessionalEducation.htm
2009 OPTOMETRY SCHOOL GRADUATES
If you will be applying for a Kentucky license, the Board would like to have your application by May 1, 2009. This will give you adequate time to have the required supporting documents mailed to this office. If your supporting documents are received two weeks before July 11, 2009, the Board will review your application for license on that day. An application for license can be downloaded from this web page. A list of supporting documents is on the front page of the application.
The Kentucky Law Exam will be administered on July 11, 2009 at 1:30pm (eastern time). The location will be the Embassy Suites Hotel on Newtown Pike in Lexington, KY. A copy of the statutes and regulations can be downloaded from this web page. This is your study guide for the law exam.
If the Board licenses you on July 11, 2009, you will be given your initial licensure letter that day. The letter will indicate that a pro-rated licensure fee of $136 plus $50 for a TPA certificate and large wall certificate will be due. This fee must be paid before a license number will be issued. You will not be permitted to work prior to receiving your license number. If you want to pay the $186 fee on July 11, 2009, only checks will be accepted.
The Board staff will be available on Monday, July 13, 2009 from 1:00pm until 4:00pm if you want to come by the office and pick up your TPA certificate and license number.
ALERT ALERT ALERT
All continuing education taken for license renewal must be sponsored by a state, regional (multi-state like SECO) or national optometric association*, an accredited school of optometry or an accredited school of medicine. This is pursuant to 201 KAR 5:030 Section 2.
*National optometric association would be the American Optometric Association, American Academy of Optometry, College of Vision Development and the National Optometric Association.
This means that all education certificates submitted for 2008 license renewal, and thereafter, must be sponsored by one of the above groups including all COPE courses, and OEP courses, internet or correspondence or audio-digest. The only exception to this requirement is the one-hour HIV-AIDS course which must be approved by the KY Cabinet for Health & Family Services (CHFS). This course is required for newly licensed optometrists. All KY licensed optometrists will be required to take the course in 2009 for 2010 license renewal. Click this link to go to the CHFS HIV approved class information web page: HIV-AIDS Training.
If you use the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry's OE Tracker database to document your continuing education, please forward the printout with your signature to our office as soon as you complete the education. This will expedite the release of your license during renewals.