FAQS & Links

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where can I find the Arizona State Board of Dispensing Opticians Statutes?
2. Where can I find the Arizona State Board of Dispensing Opticians Rules?
3. How can I Contact the Arizona Board of Dispensing Opticians?
4. How can I contact the United Opticians Association?
5. How can I contact the American Board of Opticianry/National Contact Lens Examiners?
6. What is a Dispensing Optician?
7. What is the difference between a Dispensing Optician, an Optometrist and an Ophthalmologist?
8. What Continuing Education Credits are required?
9. Who or What is ABO and NCLE?
10. How does someone take the ABO and NCLE exams?
11. How is the Arizona Practical Examination offered?
12. Which are the state approve schools?

• 1.

  Where can I find the Arizona State Board of Dispensing Opticians Statutes?

  The Arizona State Board of Dispensing Opticians Statutes can be found on the Arizona State Board of Dispensing Opticians website or by clicking here.

• 2.

  Where can I find the Arizona State Board of Dispensing Opticians Rules?

  The Arizona State Board of Dispensing Opticians Rules can be found on the Arizona State Board of Dispensing Opticians website or by clicking here.

• 3.

  How can I Contact the Arizona Board of Dispensing Opticians?

  Arizona State Board of Dispensing Opticians
  1400 W. Washington #230
  Phoenix, AZ 85007
  Phone 602-542-3095
  Fax 602-542-3093
  director@ asbdo.state.az.us
  http://do.az.gov/

• 4.

  How can I contact the United Opticians Association?

  United Opticians Association, Inc
  217 North Upper Street, Suite 201
  Herndon, Virginia 20170
  Phone: 703-437-8780
  800-433-8997
  Fax : 703-437-0727
  www.oaa.org

• 5.

  How can I contact the American Board of Opticianry/National Contact Lens Examiners?

  American Board of Opticianry/National Contact Lens Examiners
  ABO-NCLE
  6506 Loisdale Rd., Suite 209
  Lexington, Kentucky 40507
  Phone: 2-Opticians
  www.Opticians.org/uoa

• 6.

  What is a Dispensing Optician?

  (A.R.S. §32-1671.3) “Dispensing optician” means any person, except as provided in section A.R.S. §32-1691, who dispenses lenses, contact lenses, frames, artificial eyes, optical devices, appurtenances thereto or parts thereof to the intended wearer on written prescription from a duly licensed physician or optometrist, and in accordance with such prescription interprets, measures, adapts, fits or adjusts the same for the aid or correction of visual or ocular anomalies of the human eye or who duplicates, replaces, reproduces or repeats the same without prescription when there is no change in refractive value, provided that contact lenses shall never be dispensed without a written contact lens prescription being on file in any optical establishment, office of an optometrist or office of a physician or verbal confirmation of that written prescription. The dispensing optician shall advise the intended wearer at the time that contact lenses are delivered to return to the prescribing physician or optometrist for evaluation and follow-up care.

• 7.

  What is the difference between a Dispensing Optician, an Optometrist and an Ophthalmologist?

  A Dispensing Optician makes and/or sells (fits) the eyeglasses or contacts. An Optometrist is the doctor who does the examination and writes the prescription. An Ophthalmologist is a medical doctor specializing in diseases of the eye.

• 8.

  What Continuing Education Credits are required?

  Of the 12 hours of continuing education, at least 4 hours in eyeglass fitting and dispensing, at least 3 hours of contact lens fitting and dispensing, and at least one hour of state or national opticianry standards are required.

• 9.

  Who or What is ABO and NCLE?

  ABO and NCLE are national not-for-profit organizations for the voluntary certification of ophthalmic dispensers.
  ABO, the American Board of Opticianry, certifies opticians — those who dispense and work with spectacles. NCLE, the National Contact Lens Examiners, certifies those ophthalmic dispensers who fit and work with contact lenses.
  Successful completion of both ABO and NCLE examinations are required to become licensed in Arizona.

• 10.

  How does someone take the ABO and NCLE exams?

  You may contact the ABO-NCLE at www.abo-ncle.org or at 1-703-719-5800

• 11.

  How is the Arizona Practical Examination offered?

  The state practical examination is offered at ABO-NCLE.org. Check their Web Site’s for Dates and Times.

• 12.

  Which are the state approve schools?

  1. Optical Training Institute-Optician Development Program
  Contact info: opticaltraining.com
  2. NAO- Ophthalmic Career Progression Program Contact info: nao.org