Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery · OSTEOPATHIC

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

A source-verified guide to Arizona's CME requirements for osteopathic physicians — hours, mandatory topics, audit rules, and exemptions.

Updated April 2026Sourced from ABOEMS~2 min read
Licensed as an MD instead? Arizona regulates MDs through a separate board. See Arizona MD CME requirements →

Compiled by Atlas CME from official board sources · Last updated April 18, 2026

Mandatory topics

For osteopathic physicians, 40 hours is the total CME requirement. Arizona also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 40-hour total.

Opioid/Substance Use[1]
3 hrs
Biennial
Opioid/substance-use-disorder/addiction CME — UNIVERSAL for all Arizona DOs per the board's enforcement position. The AZBOE renewal/CME FAQ answers the question directly: the 3 hours are required 'even if you don't prescribe opioids or do not have a DEA.' The rule layer agrees on placement: R4-22-207(A)(5) sits in the universal renewal-requirements list and borrows only the hour count from A.R.S. § 32-3248.02, not its prescriber condition. The statute on its face reaches only Schedule-II prescribers with a DEA registration — see conflictingInfo; owner decision 2026-07-02 models the board-enforced (universal) reading. Hours count within the 40-hour total; per Policy Statement 19-02 the content may be AOA 1A, AOA 1B, AMA 1A, or AMA 1B. Previously modeled as a prescribing-gated conditionalRequirement (moved 2026-07-02).
View sourceVerbatim from source
“Yes, you are required to complete 3 hours of Opioid Related CME even if you don't prescribe opioids or do not have a DEA.”
AZBOE DO Renewal & CME FAQSee source [1] in Primary Sources
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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 systemNotes
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.SourceR4-22-207(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.SourceR4-22-207(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

A DO may obtain a waiver of the CME requirements from the Board for military service, absence from the United States, disability, or circumstances beyond the licensee's control, by submitting a written request with supporting documentation.

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 under A.R.S. § 32-3248.02 — but the osteopathic board enforces those 3 hours against every DO, even non-prescribers without a DEA registration, per its renewal FAQ.[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.

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Other roles in Arizona

Osteopathic Physicians (DO) CME requirements in other states

Sources & Citations

Every mandatory topic and conditional requirement above cites the underlying statute or rule. Numbered references below correspond to the bracketed citations next to each requirement.

  1. AZBOE — DO Renewal Application & CME FAQ
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-07-01
    Show verbatim text
    “Yes, you are required to complete 3 hours of Opioid Related CME even if you don't prescribe opioids or do not have a DEA.”AZBOE DO Renewal & CME FAQ
  2. A.A.C. R4-22-207 — Continuing Medical Education; Waiver; Extension of Time to Complete
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-18
    Show verbatim text
    “Under A.R.S. § 32-1825(B), a licensee is required to obtain 40 hours of Board-approved CME in the two years before license renewal. … At least 24 hours are obtained by completing CME classified by the AOA as Category 1A, No more than 16 hours are obtained by completing CME classified as American Medical Association Category 1 approved by an ACCME-accredited CME provider”R4-22-207(A)
  3. A.R.S. § 32-1825 — Renewal of Licenses; Continuing Medical Education (DO)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-18
    Show verbatim text
    “Except as provided in section 32-4301, each licensee shall renew the license every other year on or before January 1 on an application form approved by the board.”ARS 32-1825(A)
  4. AZBOE — Policy Statement 19-02 (Opioid CME Scope)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-18
    Show verbatim text
    “The Board has determined that both Category 1A and 1B courses as designated by the American Osteopathic Association or the American Medical Association are deemed acceptable to meet the requirements of A.R.S.§32-3248.02 and A.A.C. R4-22-207(A)(3).”
  5. A.R.S. § 32-3248.02 — Health Professionals; Substance Use or Addiction CE
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-18
    Show verbatim text
    “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 32-3248.02

This page is provided for general educational purposes and reflects the best available information as of the last reviewed date above. CME requirements change. Atlas CME is not affiliated with the Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery, or any other state medical board, licensing authority, or professional organization. Physicians are solely responsible for verifying their own current CME requirements directly with their state medical board before relying on any information presented here.

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