Ontario · College of Optometrists / College of Opticians of Ontario

How to Respond to an Ontario Eye-Care College Complaint

Ontario regulates optometrists and opticians through two separate colleges that run the identical complaints process — and the single most serious risk in eye care sits on the line between the two scopes. Diagnosing and prescribing belong to the optometrist; an optician who crosses that line, and the optometrist who was meant to supervise, both face exposure. Understanding that boundary is where a considered response begins.

Two colleges, one process

Eye care in Ontario is regulated by two separate colleges. Optometrists are regulated by the College of Optometrists of Ontario under the Optometry Act, 1991; opticians are regulated by the College of Opticians of Ontario under the Opticianry Act, 1991. Both sit under the umbrella of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA).

The good news for anyone trying to understand the process is that it is the same at both colleges — the identical statutory machinery that governs every Ontario health College. What is at stake is your certificate of registration. The concept you may be found to have committed is professional misconduct (as defined in the misconduct regulation under your Act) or incompetence.

Throughout this guide, “the College” means whichever of the two regulates you. Where optometry and opticianry genuinely differ — and on one crucial point, they do — we say so.

The line that generates the most serious complaints

The single most important thing an Ontario eye-care professional can understand about regulatory risk is the boundary between the two scopes of practice, because crossing it is one of the most serious findings either college makes.

Under the RHPA, communicating a diagnosis and prescribing eyeglasses or contact lenses are controlled acts that an optometrist (or physician) may perform, and an optician may not. An optician dispenses and fits eyewear against a valid prescription; an optician does not examine eyes, diagnose, or prescribe.

Delegation: the responsibility stays with the optometrist

Controlled acts may be delegated under the RHPA, but only within the rules. For optometry, delegation requires supervision — being physically present to intervene — and can only occur after the optometrist has established the patient relationship through interview, assessment and informed consent. The responsibility ultimately remains with the optometrist. “My optician handled it” is not a defence; it is often the substance of the complaint.

How a complaint proceeds

Every complaint is handled by the College’s Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) — a statutory committee of professionals and public members. When a complaint is made:

1. The College notifies you, sends you a copy of the complaint and supporting documents, and provides your prior complaint history.
2. You have 30 days to respond in writing. The process is a documentary exchange; you generally do not give an in-person explanation.
3. The ICRC may direct an investigation, and can compel records and documents.
4. A panel of the ICRC reviews the paper record and makes its decision.

The dispositions — and which ones publish

The ICRC can take no further action; give advice or recommendations; require you to attend for an oral caution; require a Specified Continuing Education or Remediation Program (SCERP); accept an undertaking or acknowledgement; or refer specified allegations to the Discipline Committee.

Your first week

1. Get legal advice and notify your liability insurer before you write anything. Your written response is your single best opportunity to influence the outcome — it is the version of events the ICRC reads.
2. Diarise the 30-day deadline and ask for an extension early if you need one.
3. Preserve the record exactly as it stands — the examination record, the prescription, the dispensing record, the consent. Never alter it after a complaint arrives.
4. Do not contact the complainant.

This article is general information for optometrists registered with the College of Optometrists of Ontario and opticians registered with the College of Opticians of Ontario, and does not constitute legal advice. Regulatory processes and the law change, and every case turns on its own facts. If you are the subject of a complaint or investigation, obtain advice from a lawyer experienced in professional regulation, and notify your professional liability insurer, before you respond. Last updated July 14, 2026.