Illinois Physician Assistants CE Requirements, Accreditations & Approvals

Illinois Physician Assistants

In support of improving patient care, NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

As a jointly accredited provider, NetCE is authorized to award Category 1 CME Credit to physician assistants certified through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

The Illinois Board of Medical Examiners accepts courses from any provider who is ACCME-accredited and awards AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Continuing Education Requirement

PAs are required 50 hours every two years. Licensed prescribers of controlled substances must complete 3 hours on safe opioid prescribing practices, every two years. Licensees with Schedule II controlled substances prescriptive authority are required 10 hours of pharmacology, every two years.

NEW Beginning with renewals on and after January 1, 2025, health care professionals who are licensed prescribers of controlled substances have an updated statutory mandate of at least 1 hour on safe opioid prescribing practices. (720 ILCS 570/315.5 IL Controlled Substances Act amended per PA 103-0531 enacted 8/11/2023 effective 1/1/2025)

NEW Beginning with renewals on and after January 1, 2025, health care professionals have a new statutorily mandated continuing education requirement of at least 1 hour in cultural competency. Completion deadline is within 3 biennial renewal periods. A health care professional may count this one hour for completion of this course toward meeting the minimum credit hours required for continuing education. (PA 103-0531 enacted 8/11/2023 eff 1/1/2025)

Beginning with DEA initial registrations or renewals starting June 27, 2023, all DEA-registered practitioners (with the exception of DVM-only license holders) are required 8 hours on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, including the appropriate clinical use of all FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of a substance use disorder, one-time only.

Beginning January 1, 2023, a health care professional who has continuing education requirements for license registration or renewal must complete at least one hour of training on implicit bias awareness per renewal period. A health care professional may count this one hour toward meeting the minimum credit hours required for continuing education.

Beginning January 1, 2023, a health care professional who has continuing education requirements for license registration or renewal who provides health care services to patients 26 years of age and older, is required at least 1 hour in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of individuals with Alzheimer disease and other dementias every renewal period. A health care professional may count this 1 hour toward meeting the minimum credit hours required for continuing education. This requirement begins for physician assistants renewing in 2024.

Beginning January 1, 2020, all licensees are required to complete 1 hour of continuing education specific to sexual harassment prevention every renewal.

Beginning January 1, 2021, all licensees who are considered mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect are required to complete training on the subject within 3 months of engagement in a professional or official capacity as a mandated reporter. Physician assistants must complete the training at least every 6 years thereafter. The training will count toward meeting a licensee's required continuing education, and is provided by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

* All hours may be AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

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For More Information

Please contact the Illinois Division of Professional Regulation Board of Medical Examiners at (800) 560-6420, or refer to https://idfpr.illinois.gov/profs/physicianassistant.html for additional information regarding your continuing education.

Licensees may complete the DCFS mandated reporter training online at https://www.dcfstraining.org/vtc/home/home.action.