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Board debates whether DEA opioid training counts as optometry continuing education; decision to investigate and delay policy change
Summary
Board members discussed whether an 8‑hour DEA opioid training should qualify for continuing education credit for Kansas optometrists, raised concerns about content, course delivery and verification, and directed staff and board members to research providers and COPE/KOA processes before making a binding decision.
Board members discussed whether an 8‑hour opioid awareness course required by the Drug Enforcement Administration should be eligible for continuing education (CE) credit toward Kansas licensure requirements.
The board’s secretary‑treasurer summarized the question as whether to accept all, part or none of the single‑event online DEA course for CE credit. Members noted several issues: (1) multiple course versions and providers exist, which complicates consistent approval; (2) the course is a single‑time requirement on the DEA website currently described as a one‑time requirement; (3) some board members who took the course said much of the content is broad substance‑use material and not specific to optometry practice; and (4) many course instances are not approved by COPE (the optometric CE accreditor) and therefore fall into a residual category requiring board approval on a case‑by‑case basis.
Board members asked how the OE tracker (the state continuing education tracking system) handles submissions and whether staff can verify course content when an attendee self‑submits hours. Jan Murray, board administrative staff, explained that once an entry is submitted to the OE tracker it is downloaded into the board’s system and a back‑end mapping assigns Kansas CE categories; she noted that the board does not separately track COPE IDs except to translate course types for the Kansas categories.
Several members said they would be uncomfortable granting full credit without reviewing specific course content and the hosting provider. One member who had completed the DEA course said the content would not, in their view, justify full credit for optometry CE and recommended partial credit if any. Another member observed that clinicians can opt out of DEA registration, which can make the CE moot for some licensees.
The board agreed not to make a final policy change at this meeting. Instead they directed Dr. Beaver to contact the Kansas Optometric Association (KOA) and to explore whether COPE approval could be sought for the DEA course; the board will also consider surveying other states through ARBO (Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry) to learn how they handle the course. The board asked staff to inform licensees via the next newsletter that the course is not currently board‑approved and that reliance on the course for CE credit is at the applicant’s risk. The matter will be revisited at a future meeting after the board collects sample course materials and COPE/KOA responses.
No formal vote was taken; the board recorded a direction to investigate and to table a final determination until additional review and outreach are complete.
