Dispensing Optician

Regulators
  • General Optical Council
Nations
United Kingdom
Sectors
  • Health and care

Regulatory or professional bodies

Primary regulator

Regulatory authority
General Optical Council
Address

10 Old Bailey
London
EC4M 7NG

Phone number
+44 (0)207 5803898

Regulation

Regulation summary

A dispensing optician advises on, fits and supplies the most appropriate spectacles or contact lenses after taking account of each patient's visual, lifestyle and vocational needs. They are also able to fit and provide aftercare for contact lenses after undergoing further specialist training and being entered onto the specialty register.

Regulation type

Licence

Reserved activities

1) Fitting contact lenses when not a registered optometrist, dispensing optician or medical practitioner
2) Selling optical appliances (with specific exceptions) or zero powered contact lenses otherwise than under the supervision of a registered optometrist, dispensing optician or medical practitioner

Protected titles

Dispensing optician
"Optician" unless nobody could reasonably think that they are registered with the GOC

More about regulated activities and titles
https://optical.org/en/publications/illegal-practice-protocol/

Qualifications and experience

New professionals

Routes to qualification

To qualify as a dispensing optician you must:

1) Complete and pass a GOC-approved qualification in dispensing optics. There are three modes of study to choose from:
a) A two-year full time training course at a GOC-approved GOC qualification followed by one year’s salaried work in a practice under supervision or
b) A GOC-approved three-year day release training course combined with suitable employment or
c) A GOC-approved three-year distance learning qualification, combined with suitable employment.

2) Pass all parts of the GOC-approved qualification, offered by either ABDO Exams or Anglia Ruskin University, depending on which training course you choose to follow.

3) Register with the GOC. Please note, students must be registered as student registrants from the beginning of their studies, for which a fee applies.

Professionals from outside the UK

Recognition for professionals outside the UK
Some - qualifications from some countries may be recognised, but professionals from other countries will have to re-qualify
Summary of routes

Full recognition under the EU Directive 2005/36/EU is only available for Swiss nationals and applicants, their spouses or dependents, or a UK national settled in Switzerland or their spouse or dependents.

Other overseas professionals will need to apply under the "International" route. This requires registering as a student and completing a pre-qualifying period before sitting professional qualifying examinations.

More about recognition for professionals outside the UK
https://optical.org/en/registration/register-from-overseas/

Registration

Registration requirements

If you have completed the relevant education and training in the UK and wish to be a dispensing optician, you must complete an application to be registered with us. It is illegal to practise if you are not registered.

You must also pay the appropriate application fee.


Legislation

Title of relevant act or charter

Opticians Act 1989

Title of relevant act or charter

GOC rules and regulations

Licence Finder

You may need licences and permits to carry out certain activities in the UK. These are called authorisations. Use the licence finder to find what you need.