License Renewal FAQ’s

The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine regulations state that to renew a license, a physician will need:

• 100 total credit hours of CME in the two-year license cycle
• A minimum of 20 of the total credit hours in AOA Category 1-A credit
• 12 credit hours in the areas of patient safety or risk management
• 2 continuing education credits from a Department of Human Services (DHS) approved course on the topic of mandated child abuse recognition and reporting
• 2 hours of continuing education in pain management, identification of addiction, or the practices of prescribing of opioids.

While a licensee with an active-retired license is exempt from the standard 100-credit hour CME requirement, an active-retired licensee is still required to complete the 2 credits of the child abuse recognition and reporting as well as 2 credits in pain management, identification of addiction, or the practice of prescribing or dispensing of opioids every license cycle. Licensees who do not have a DEA registration number or do not use the DEA registration of another individual or entity to prescribe controlled substances are exempted from the opioid education requirement.

License cycles begin November 1 of an even year through October 31 of the next even year. DOs must renew by October 31 of the next even year.

The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine is not requiring a report of CME at the time of license renewal. The license renewal form will contain an area for physicians to attest that they have completed the required hours.

By attesting that the requirement is completed, a physician may be subject to a random audit by the Board of Osteopathic Medicine. If audited, a physician will need to show evidence of the completion of the required credit hours. Failure to produce the requested evidence will result in a fine and possible suspension of license.

AOA Category 1-A credits are earned by attending formal, face-to-face educational programs or interactive online programs that are designed to enhance clinical competence, improve patient care and are sponsored by an AOA-accredited Category 1-A CME sponsor.

In addition to AOA Category 1-A credits, AOA Category 1-B, AOA Category 2-A and AOA Category 2-B credits are eligible. Visit the AOA’s site to learn more about these credit types.

The regulations state that Category 2 credit hours must be documented in the form of a physician log or diary and a certificate will be provided by the education program coordinator if it is a live program. Documentation in the form of a physician log or diary must include the following:

• Activity title
• Subject or content area
• Date(s) of participation (i.e., month/day/year)
• Number of credits claimed (actual time spent in the activity)
• Do the patient safety or risk management credit hours need to be in Category 1?
• According to the regulations, the patient safety or risk management credit hours can be in either Category 1 or Category 2.

Yes. If any of the patient-safety credit hours that a physician has earned are Category 1 credit hours, they can be counted toward both the Category 1 requirement and the patient safety/risk management requirement.

The following list of topics that will satisfy the patient safety/risk management requirement:

• Improving medical records and record keeping
• Reducing medical errors
• Professional conduct and ethics
• Improving communication among physicians and with other health care personnel
• Communication between physicians and patients
• Preventive medicine education
• Health care quality improvement
  
  

As long as the CME activity falls within these topics, you can count it toward the patient safety/risk management requirement. The course does not have to state, and very likely may not, that it is a patient safety or risk management course.

The child abuse recognition and reporting requirement can be met with any course approved by the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine. However, in order to qualify for the 100 credit hour requirement, the credits must be earned at a DHS approved course.

Yes, These count as part of the 100-hours required for continuing education, not in addition to the 100-hour requirement.

The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine will accept opioids continuing education courses in either Category 1 or Category 2.

Yes. The requirements include:

• Three continuing education credits from a DHS approved course on the topic of mandated child abuse recognition and reporting.
• Documentation acceptable to the licensing board of the completion of at least two hours of education in pain management or identification of addiction and at least two hours of education in the practices of prescribing of opioids. The education may occur as part of the individual’s professional degree educational program or continuing education program. This documentation must be submitted no later than 12 months after obtaining an initial license or certification.

Physicians with an active-retired license are exempt from the 100-credit CME requirement that physicians with active status must meet.

However, an active-retired licensee is required to complete 2-credits of CME in child abuse recognition and reporting as well as 2-credits of CME in pain management, identification of addiction, or the practice of prescribing or dispensing of opioids. There are certain exemptions to the opioid education requirement. These exemptions apply unless a physician has a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number or prescribes under another individual or entity’s DEA registration. Click here for additional information on these exemptions.  

There are no additional licensure CME requirements for active-retired licensees other than the required opioid and child abuse recognition/reporting education. 

If a volunteer physician only holds an active volunteer license (with an inactive/expired/active-retired unrestricted license), 20 hours of continuing medical education per license cycle is required.

Volunteer licensees are subject to the CME requirements imposed by the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) and must take 2 approved CME hours in mandated child abuse recognition and reporting.

Volunteer licensees are not required to complete the opioids education requirements if they meet the following requirements:

• Is exempt from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) requirements for registration under its applicable laws and regulations, as well as any state law; and
• Does not use the registration of another person or entity as permitted by law to prescribe controlled substances in any manner.
• Volunteer physicians who hold an active unrestricted DO or MD license must fulfill the requirements for those licenses instead.
  
  

The Pennsylvania Medical Society has a more in-depth FAQ on renewing your medical license, available here. (You will need to log in to your Pennsylvania Medical Society account)

To renew your license, please visit either the PA Department of State’s Licensing Services page or the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS)  page.