The Optometrists & Opticians Act (OOA) was passed in Parliament in July 2007 to regulate the practice of Optometry and Opticianry in Singapore. To ensure that those who provide eye care services are properly trained and qualified.
From Jan 2008, all optometrists and opticians providing eye care services would have to be registered with OOB to continue practising. Under the Act, it is an offence to practise Optometry or Opticianry without a valid registration certificate and practising certificate.
Functions of Optometrists and Opticians Board
Under Section 5 of the Optometrists and Opticians Act, the functions of the Board are:
(a) To approve or reject applications for registration under this Act and to approve any such applications subject to such restrictions as it may think fit:
(b) To accredit courses in the practice of optometry and opticianry in Singapore for the purposes of registration;
(c) To issue guidelines on the standards for the practice of optometry and opticianry;
(d) To make recommendations to the appropriate authorities for the training and education of optometrists and opticians;
(e) To determine and regulate the conduct and ethics of optometrists and opticians; and
(f) Generally to do all such acts, matters and things as are necessary to be carried out under or for the purposes of this Act.
Board Members
The Optometrists and Opticians Board comprises of 12 members appointed by the Minister for Health. The members are:
| Chairman: |
Prof Lim Tock Han |
| Registrar: |
Dr Harold Tan |
| Members: |
A/Prof Wong Hon Tym |
| Mr Koh Lian Buck |
| Mr Daniel Cheong Lip Keong |
| Ms Jacqueline Tay Li Xin |
| Ms Jessica Yang Shan Mei |
| Dr Kingsley Muk Chee Yong |
| Mr Ken Tong Wei Jian |
| Mr Steve Lim Ngia Teck |
| Mr Charlie Tan Soon Hua |
| Dr Sethuraman Rama |
What is “Secretariat of healthcare Professional Boards”?
With effect from 1 Jan 2020, the Optometrists and Opticians Board (OOB) is supported by the Secretariat of healthcare Professional Boards (SPB) for its secretariat and operational functions. The registration and regulation of optometrists and opticians continue to be governed by OOB, which retains autonomy and independence over professional and statutory matters, as provided for under the Optometrists & Opticians Act 2007.