21 NCAC 40 .0321             TRAINING ESTABLISHMENT REQUIREMENTS

(a)  Any North Carolina licensed optician, ophthalmologist, or optometrist as provided in G.S. 90-237(4) and G.S. 90‑240(a)(2) and (3) who are potential trainers for an apprentice or intern to become an optician can download an application form from the Board's website at www.ncopticiansboard.org. Any person not able to download an application form may request that the Board mail the materials which the Board will mail to the requesting person.

(1)           In completing the application, applicants shall provide address and contact information for optical place of business, optometry, or ophthalmology office where training will be given, name or names of training sponsors and license numbers, and pay registration fees per G.S. 90-246.

(2)           The registration fee shall be paid on initial registration and on or before June 30 each year for an annual renewal.

(b)  The apprentice or intern shall provide to the Board documentation to show that the training establishment provides optical equipment and instruments, reference resources and work processes and tasks to conduct training in opticianry.

(c)  Optical equipment and instruments required to be on site and used during training are:

(1)           Focimeter, also termed lensometer;

(2)           Pupillary distance ruler;

(3)           Pupillometer;

(4)           Lens clock;

(5)           Calipers, also termed thickness gauge;

(6)           Polariscope;

(7)           Salt or bead pan, also termed frame warmer;

(8)           Frame adjustment tools;

(9)           Distometer;

(10)         Staking kit, also termed punch kit;

(11)         Frame repair replacement parts to include screws, temples, and hinges; and

(12)         Training establishments wherein only interns are registered are not required to have a polariscope as set forth in Paragraph (c) of this Rule.

(d)  Reference materials required to be on site for use by trainees may be either one or both of:

(1)           The textbooks used by students of the certificate program administered by Durham Technical Community College, or

(2)           All volumes of the National Academy of Opticianry's home study Career Progression Program approved pursuant to Rule .0314(b)(1) or (2) of this Section.

(e)  Apprentice training shall be comprised of work processes required for proficiency, and successful completion of the licensure examination as defined in G.S. 90-240(b) and Rule .0303(a) of this Section.

(1)           Topics and processes to be covered during training, with minimum hours are:

(A)          Orientation to opticianry – 38 hours

(B)          Ophthalmic optics – 461 hours

(C)          Assembly and repair of eyewear – 576 hours

(D)          Eyewear fitting – 1,114 hours

(E)           Lens grinding – 422 hours

(F)           Ocular anatomy and physiology – 422 hours

(G)          Contact lenses – 653 hours

(H)          Recordkeeping – 177 hours

(2)           An apprentice shall complete a competency review test issued by the Board every six months of their registered apprenticeship and have their sponsoring trainer sign to its completion.

(A)          The review test shall cover the processes defined in the Board training topics in Paragraph (e) above that correspond to the six-month period of training in which the apprentice is registered and contain multiple-choice answers.

(B)          The Board shall return the graded answer sheet of the review test for the trainee and trainer to identify training topics and processes wherein additional training may be beneficial.

(C)          A passing score on the review test is not required for apprenticeship registration to continue.

(f)  Internship training shall be comprised of work processes required for review of training received during the apprenticeship defined in Paragraph (e) of this Rule, or as required by G.S. 90-240(a)(1) or G.S. 90-240(a1). Topics and processes to be covered during internship, with minimum hours are:

(1)           Assembly and repair of eyewear – 355 hours

(2)           Repair of eyewear – 160 hours

(3)           Eyewear fitting – 375 hours

(4)           Recordkeeping – 50 hours

(5)           Contact lenses – 100 hours

(g)  The apprentice or intern shall provide any information requested by the Board for documentation regarding the manner and method by which training is conducted and allow random inspections by Board staff of the facility wherein training is conducted.

(1)           At the time of inspection, Board staff shall verify the presence of the required training equipment and reference materials per Paragraph (d) and (e) of this Rule; the registrations and display of same for trainees and the facility per Rule .0209(a) and (b) of this Chapter; and the documentation maintained by the trainee of the topics and work processes covered in training by trainee and trainer per Paragraph (f) of this Rule.

(2)           The trainee and Board staff shall sign the inspection form verifying their acknowledgement of any missing equipment or resources, or missing or incomplete documentation required by this Rule.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 90‑237(4); 90-240(a)(3); 90‑243; 90-246; 90‑249; 90-249.1;

Eff. November 1, 1981;

Amended Eff. February 1, 1989;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. December 22, 2018;

Amended Eff. March 1, 2020.