SUBCHAPTER 32R – CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME) REQUIREMENTS

SECTION .0100 – CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME) REQUIREMENTS

21 NCAC 32R .0101         CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME) REQUIRED

(a)  Continuing Medical Education (CME) is defined as education, training, and activities to increase knowledge and skills generally recognized and accepted by the profession as within the basic medical sciences, the discipline of clinical medicine, and the provision of healthcare to the public. The purpose of CME is to maintain, develop, or improve the physician's knowledge, skills, professional performance, and relationships a physician uses to provide services for his or her patients and practice, the public, or profession.

(b)  A physician licensed to practice medicine in the State of North Carolina, except those physicians holding a residency training license, shall complete at least 60 hours of Category 1 CME relevant to the physician's current or intended specialty or area of practice every 3 years. Every physician who prescribes controlled substances, except those physicians holding a residency training license, shall complete at least 3 hours of CME from the required 60 hours of Category 1 CME designed specifically to address controlled substance prescribing practices. The controlled substance prescribing CME shall include instruction on controlled substance prescribing practices and controlled substance prescribing for chronic pain management. CME that includes recognizing signs of the abuse or misuse of controlled substances, or non-opioid treatment options shall qualify for the purposes of this Rule. Physicians who complete the federally required training under the Medication Access and Training Expansion Act (MATE), 21 U.S.C. 823(l), shall be deemed in compliance with the controlled substance prescribing requirements of this Rule for the three-year CME period in which the MATE training was completed.

(c)  The three-year period described in Paragraph (b) of this Rule begins on the physician's birthday following the issuance of his or her license.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 90-5.1(a)(3); 90-5.1(a)(10); 90-14(a)(15); S.L. 2015-241, s. 12F.16(b) and 12F.16(c);

Eff. January 1, 2000;

Amended Eff. August 1, 2012; January 1, 2001;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. March 1, 2016;

Amended Eff. July 1, 2024; April 1, 2020; September 1, 2016.