CME Requirements for Physicians and Physician Assistants

The CME requirement for physicians and physician assistants is twenty-five (25) AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ or equivalent annually (calendar year).  Credits must be earned between January 1 and December 31 of each year.  In addition, credits cannot be carried over from one year to the next.  Licensees are responsible for being familiar with and reading the Board rules Chapter 540-X-14 concerning CME.

Notice: The licensure CME requirement was waived for all licensees for 2020.  Licensees are expected to obtain the annual requirement of 25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ or equivalent during 2021.

Notice: The ACSC CME requirement was waived for all licensees for 2020.  The two-year period to obtain two credits is extended by one year.  If your two-year period was 2019-2020, it is now 2019-2021, and 2020-2021 is now 2020-2022.  The two-year period for QACSC holders to obtain four CME credits is likewise extended.

Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate (MD/DO)
ACSC holders must receive two (2) AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ or equivalent every two years in the areas of:
• Controlled substance prescribing practices,
• Recognizing signs of the abuse or misuse of controlled substances, or
• Controlled substance prescribing for chronic pain management.

Any program in these areas is acceptable to meet the CME credits required of all ACSC holders every two years.  You do not need to obtain pre-approval of the courses you choose.

Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate (CRNP/CNM/PA)
Initial QACSC:
Complete within 12 months preceding the application 12 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ that include the course “Prescribing Controlled Drugs; Critical Issues and Common Pitfalls” (8 credits) and four credits through a Board approved course relating to advanced pharmacology and prescribing trends.

QACSC Renewal:
Obtain four AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ every two years through a Board approved course.

For more information regarding Continuing Medical Education requirements, please visit:
https://www.albme.org/resources/licensees/continuing-medical-education/

For more information regarding the Board approved courses, please visit:
https://www.albme.gov/uploads/pdfs/ApprovedCMECourses.pdf