Arizona CME Requirements for Osteopathic Physicians (DO)

Mandatory topics

Arizona has no state-mandated topic requirements beyond the 40-hour total.

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Conditional requirements

These rules apply only when the trigger described under each card is met (for example, holding a state-issued controlled substance registration or treating a specific patient population). Each cites the underlying statute or rule directly.

ConditionalOpioid / controlled substances[1]

3 hrs

Biennial

DOs authorized to prescribe Schedule II controlled substances who hold a valid DEA registration, or who are authorized to dispense controlled substances

View sourceVerbatim from source

“A health professional who is authorized under this title to prescribe schedule II controlled substances and who has a valid United States drug enforcement administration registration number or who is authorized under chapter 18 of this title to dispense controlled substances shall complete a minimum of three hours of opioid-related, substance use disorder-related or addiction-related continuing education each license renewal cycle.”

ARS 32-3248.02See source [1] in Primary Sources

Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Arizona Medical Association, or AAFP. ACGME residency or fellowship time accrues toward the requirement. Teaching or presenting accredited CME can satisfy a portion of required hours.

Credit system	Notes
AOA Category 1-A DOs onlymin 24 hrs	At least 24 of the 40 biennial hours must be AOA Category 1A. This floor is non-negotiable — it cannot be substituted with AMA Category 1 credit.Source`R4-22-207(A)(1)`[2]
AMA PRA Category 1 DOs onlymax 16 hrs	AMA Category 1 credit is capped at 16 of the 40 biennial hours. The remaining 24 must come from AOA Category 1A.Source`R4-22-207(A)(2)`[2]

Documentation & audit

Physicians are responsible for retaining CME documentation and producing it on request. Requirements include course title, dates, hours, sponsoring organization, and accrediting body.

Waivers & exemptions

No formal waivers or exemptions are published for Arizona.

FAQ

How many CME hours do Arizona DOs need?

Arizona DOs must complete 40 hours of CME each biennium.[3][2] Of those, at least 24 hours must be AOA Category 1A and no more than 16 may be AMA Category 1.[2] Participation in an approved postgraduate training program or preceptorship during the cycle fulfills the full 40-hour requirement.[2] The biennial period ends on or before January 1 of the renewal year.[3]

How is the Arizona DO rule different from the MD rule?

Both boards require 40 hours of CME per biennial cycle and both apply the 3-hour opioid, substance-use-disorder, or addiction CME mandate to controlled-substance prescribers.[1] The core difference is category structure. The osteopathic rule requires DOs to source at least 24 hours from AOA Category 1A and caps AMA Category 1 at 16 hours.[2] The Arizona Medical Board rule imposes no AMA category minimum on MDs and accepts a broad set of activities — residency, research, self-instruction — without an AOA floor. The Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners and the Arizona Medical Board operate as entirely separate agencies.

Why does Arizona require 24 hours of AOA Category 1A CME?

The Arizona osteopathic rule sets the 24-hour AOA Category 1A floor as an express condition of DO renewal.[2] Category 1A is the AOA's designation for live, formal CME programs. AZBOE Policy Statement SPS 19-02 clarifies that AOA 1A, 1B, AMA 1A, and AMA 1B content can all count toward the opioid subset within the 16-hour AMA Category 1 cap,[4] but the 24-hour Category 1A floor itself is not interchangeable with other categories.

40 hours biennially. 24-hour AOA Category 1A floor. 16-hour AMA Category 1 cap.

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Sources & Citations