Massachusetts Physicians CE Requirements, Accreditations & Approvals

Massachusetts Physicians

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.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine accepts courses from any provider who is ACCME-accredited and awards AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Continuing Education Requirement

Attention Massachusetts Physicians:
The governor of Massachusetts has issued an order that the expiration date for occupational and professional licenses will be extended to 90 days following the termination of the state of emergency. For more information, please visit https://www.mass.gov/doc/march-18-2020-professional-licensure-order/download.

For the duration of the state of emergency and until December 31, 2020, the continuing medical education (CME) requirement for physicians is suspended.  Any physician with a CME requirement whose license is due for renewal from April 2, 2020 through December 31, 2020, will not be required to complete any CME requirement. This interim order supersedes any existing Board policy or regulation to the contrary for the duration of the state of emergency, and until December 31, 2020, in Massachusetts. For more information, please visit https://www.mass.gov/lists/physician-regulations-policies-and-guidelines.

MDs and DOs are required 50 hours of either Category 1 or Category 2 every two years.
Requirements for renewal include:

• 10 hours in risk management*
• 3 hours in pain management for physicians who prescribe controlled substances.
• 2 hours in Board regulations (reviewing 243 CMR 1.00 through 3.00). Licensees may read the following Board publication to meet the requirement: 243 CMR 3.00.

One-time requirements include:

• 2 hours in end-of-life care, one-time requirement.*
• 3 hours in electronic health records, one-time requirement.*
• NEW Physicians are required to participate in domestic violence and sexual violence training.**
• NEW Physicians are required to complete training in recognizing and reporting suspected child abuse and neglect.
• NEW Licensees serving an adult population must complete training on the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cognitive impairments including, but not limited to, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Applicants and licensees applying for licensure from January 1, 2020 through January 1, 2021, are granted an administrative waiver of the requirement for this licensing cycle. All licensees must complete the required course by November 6, 2022.

Prior to issuing written certifications for the medical use of marijuana, certifying healthcare providers have a one-time requirement of at least 2 Category 1 hours on the proper use of marijuana, including side effects, dosage, and contraindications, including with psychotropic drugs, as well as on substance abuse recognition, diagnosis, and treatment related to medical marijuana.

* End-of-life care and electronic health records may be used to satisfy the risk management requirement.

**Licensees may complete the free training available online at https://www.mass.gov/service-details/domestic-and-sexual-violence-integration-initiatives.

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License Renewal Instructions

For More Information

Please contact the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine at (781) 876-8200 or https://www.mass.gov/lists/physician-regulations-policies-and-guidelines for additional information regarding your continuing education.