22 January 2026

Plan your CPD for 2026 with The Colleges’ leading range of online learning courses and events

Independent prescribing

The College has expanded its range of online courses, specialty independent prescribing CPD, webinars, peer reviews and Docet resources for 2026.

The start of the new year is the perfect time for optometrists to update their Personal Development Plan and plan their CPD activities for the coming year. The College of Optometrists has a wide range of independent online CPD courses, articles and events on offer for registrants to fulfil their CPD requirements in 2026 for the second year of the current CPD cycle.  

As of today, the College has a total of 48 CPD points across all domains available for members on its CPD hub and more will be added during the current CPD cycle. 

The College also offers short courses across a wide range of topics to help members develop skills and knowledge at each stage of their career. View our full list of online CPD courses. 

College expands its Speciality Independent Prescribing CPD courses for 2026 

The College currently offers eight speciality CPD points and has recently added the updated Independent prescribing in the community (Updated 2026) course to the CPD hub, which covers four case studies to help members improve their skills and knowledge in diagnosis and management of therapeutics. These cases discuss treatment and management options for each patient. IP optometrists can gain 1 CPD point under the GOC domain Specialty CPD (IP), while non-IP optometrists can claim a CPD point under 'Clinical Practice' and 'Professionalism'. 

Further Speciality (IP) courses include: 

  • Independent prescribing – differential diagnoses and management (Updated 2025)
  • Independent prescribing – management in clinical practice (Updated 2025)
  • Monitor, manage, treat or refer? How to decide what is best for your patient
  • Itchy eyes - a little irritation or a big pain?
  • Tales of the unexpected: a recorded webinar exploring real case examples of patients who attended a large ophthalmic emergency department
  • Independent prescribing – effective patient management
  • Glaucoma – management in practice.

Online events and peer reviews 

The College’s packed programme of member events also provides the ideal opportunity for members to maintain and develop your clinical and professional knowledge and skills and gain essential interactive CPD points. 

Upcoming webinars include AI, optometry and the retina: where are we, and where are we going (quickly)?, offering 1 CPD point, and regular online peer reviews with spaces remaining. Keep an eye out on events webpage for more upcoming online event such as a webinar on ocular trauma with Mr Kam Balaggan and patient perspectives, and discussion workshops on Mastering Multifocal Torics in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Vision. 

Book onto upcoming College events. 

Docet 

Docet is funded by the three Departments of Health (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and is managed by the College. It provides award-winning online CPD courses, podcasts and webinars for GOC registered optometrists practicing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland at docet.  

“We urge optometrists to prioritise their CPD as an investment in themselves as clinicians. The start of the year is a great time to look ahead, update your professional development goals and plan your CPD activity for coming year. The College offers a wide range of CPD opportunities across different modes of learning, from online courses and articles to webinars and in person events, tailored to meet different aims across clinical learning and professional skills, such as leadership, professionalism and communication.

“The CPD cycle is an opportunity to tailor your learning to your individual goals for the next step in your career, as well as maintaining your clinical knowledge and skills to provide the best possible patient care.”

Andy Miller, Head of Learning at The College of Optometrists

Further information

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Related further reading

Online supervisor peer review: 4 March 2026

This online peer review is invite only allowing you to meet the GOC CPD requirements to be amongst the first to achieve the award of Optometric Practice Educator.

Supervision

Webinar - AI, optometry and the retina: where are we, and where are we going (quickly)?

An online webinar on AI and eyecare.

AI and technology

Online peer review 26 March 2026

This online peer review session is open to College members and will cover your GOC peer review requirement.