Washington Physician Assistants CE Requirements, Accreditations & Approvals

Washington 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 Washington State Department of Public Health: Medical Quality Assurance Commission accepts courses from any provider who is ACCME-accredited and awards AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™.

Continuing Education Requirement

PAs are required 100 hours every two years, 40 of which must be Category 1, or must show evidence of certification through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

There is a one-time requirement of 4 hours in HIV/AIDS at initial licensure, and a one-time requirement of 6 hours in suicide assessment, treatment, and management training.

Beginning January 1, 2019, licensees authorized to prescribe opioids have a one-time requirement of 1 hour on the topic of opioid prescribing. All prescribers of long-acting opioids or methadone have a one-time requirement of 4 hours on this topic.

OPAs are required 50 hours each year, 30 of which must be Category 1*, or must show evidence of certification through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

There is a one-time requirement of 4 hours in HIV/AIDS at initial licensure, and a one-time requirement of 6 hours in suicide assessment, treatment, and management training.

Beginning January 1, 2019, licensees authorized to prescribe opioids have a one-time requirement of 1 hour on the topic of opioid prescribing. All prescribers of long-acting opioids or methadone have a one-time requirement of 4 hours on this topic.

*Category 1 refers to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™ or AOA Category 1-A. NetCE awards AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™.

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All Accreditations and Approvals
PA License Renewal Instructions
OPA License Renewal Instructions

For More Information

Please contact the Washington State Department of Public Health: Medical Quality Assurance Commission at (360) 236-2750 for PAs or (360) 236-4700 for OPAs. For additional information regarding general continuing education https://wmc.wa.gov/education/continuing-medical-education-cme - PAs, or https://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/ProfessionsNewReneworUpdate/OsteopathicPhysician/LicenseRequirements - OPAs.
HIV/AIDS training - http://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/IllnessandDisease/HIVAIDS/Prevention/Training, and
Suicide Assessment training - https://www.doh.wa.gov/ForPublicHealthandHealthcareProviders/HealthcareProfessionsandFacilities/SuicidePrevention/TrainingPrograms/ModelList.

For additional information regarding NCCPA's continuing education requirement please access their website at http://www.nccpa.net/continuingmedicaleducation.