ABO ABO Professional Development 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under HIPAA, an optical dispensary must maintain patient prescription records for a minimum of how many years?
- 2 years
- 5 years
- 6 years (Correct answer)
- 10 years
Correct answer: 6 years
HIPAA requires covered entities to retain medical records and related documentation for a minimum of 6 years from creation or last effective date.
Question 2: An optician discovers a colleague is dispensing lenses without verifying the prescription source. The optician's professional obligation is to:
- Ignore it to avoid workplace conflict
- Report the concern to a supervisor or appropriate authority (Correct answer)
- Dispense lenses the same way to remain consistent with office practice
- Document the incident privately and take no further action
Correct answer: Report the concern to a supervisor or appropriate authority
Professional ethics and patient safety require reporting improper dispensing practices to a supervisor or regulatory authority.
Question 3: Which federal law prohibits optical retailers from refusing to release a patient's prescription to the patient upon request?
- The Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act (FCLCA)
- The Eyeglass Rule enforced by the FTC (Correct answer)
- HIPAA Privacy Rule
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Correct answer: The Eyeglass Rule enforced by the FTC
The FTC's Eyeglass Rule mandates that prescribers give patients a copy of their eyeglass prescription at no charge after an eye exam.
Question 4: What is the recommended professional response when a patient presents a prescription that the optician suspects is fraudulent?
- Fill the prescription immediately to avoid legal liability
- Refuse to fill the prescription and call law enforcement
- Verify the prescription with the prescribing doctor's office before dispensing (Correct answer)
- Ask the patient to provide a second form of identification
Correct answer: Verify the prescription with the prescribing doctor's office before dispensing
Contacting the prescribing doctor's office to verify authenticity is the appropriate professional step before refusing or filling a suspicious prescription.
Question 5: The ABO Code of Ethics requires opticians to represent their qualifications honestly. This means an optician should NOT:
- List ABO certification on business cards
- Claim to hold an NCLE certification without having earned it (Correct answer)
- Inform patients of the difference between an optician and an optometrist
- Display state licensure credentials at the dispensary
Correct answer: Claim to hold an NCLE certification without having earned it
Falsely claiming credentials such as NCLE certification violates the ABO Code of Ethics and professional honesty standards.
Question 6: Which of the following best defines scope of practice for an ABO-certified optician?
- Performing refractions and determining prescriptions
- Interpreting and filling prescriptions for corrective eyewear (Correct answer)
- Diagnosing ocular disease and prescribing medications
- Managing surgical follow-up care for cataract patients
Correct answer: Interpreting and filling prescriptions for corrective eyewear
Opticians are trained to interpret, fit, and dispense corrective lenses based on prescriptions written by optometrists or ophthalmologists.
Question 7: In a state that does not require optician licensure, ABO certification primarily serves to:
- Grant legal authority to perform refractions
- Demonstrate voluntary professional competency to employers and patients (Correct answer)
- Replace any requirement for supervised practice hours
- Allow the optician to supervise licensed optometrists
Correct answer: Demonstrate voluntary professional competency to employers and patients
In unlicensed states, ABO certification voluntarily demonstrates a professional standard of competency and commitment to the field.
ABO ABO Professional Development 3
Under HIPAA, an optical dispensary must maintain patient prescription records for a minimum of how many years?