A source-verified guide to Massachusetts's CE requirements for PAs — hours, mandatory topics, audit rules, and exemptions.
Reviewed by Doug Doehrman, MD · Last reviewed April 21, 2026
For PAs, 100 hours is the total CME requirement. Massachusetts also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 100-hour total.
“at least four hours on the topic of pharmacology or pharmacokinetics.”
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.
PAs who prescribe controlled substances
“training required pursuant to M.G.L. c. 94C, § 18(e).”
Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Massachusetts 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 |
|---|---|
AAPA Category 1 PAs onlymin 40 hrs | At least 40 of the 100 biennial hours must be AMA or AAPA Category 1 credit. The remaining 60 hours may be other accredited CE.Source263 CMR 3.05(3)(b)[1] |
AMA PRA Category 1 | AMA Category 1 credit is accepted toward the 40-hour Category 1 minimum.Source263 CMR 3.05(3)(b)[1] |
AOA Category 1-A | AOA Category 1 is customarily accepted as equivalent to AMA Category 1 credit.Source263 CMR 3.05(3)[1] |
Category 2 continuing education PAs onlymax 60 hrs | Remaining 60 of 100 hours may come from other accredited CE sources (Category 2 or equivalent).Source263 CMR 3.05(3)[1] |
Physicians are responsible for retaining CME documentation and producing it on request. Requirements include course title, dates, hours, sponsoring organization, and accrediting body.
PAs who graduated from an approved PA training program within one year of license issuance are exempt from the CE requirement for their first renewal cycle.
Atlas CME tracks your hours, maps them to your state requirements, and reminds you before your a fixed calendar cycle renewal.
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.
“A licensed physician assistant must complete a minimum of 100 hours of continuing education (CE) for each license renewal period. The continuing education must include: (a) at least four hours on the topic of pharmacology or pharmacokinetics; (b) at least 40 hours in courses or programs which meet the criteria for Category I courses or programs established by the AMA or the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA); and (c) training required pursuant to M.G.L. c. 94C, § 18(e).”263 CMR 3.05(3)
“at least four hours on the topic of pharmacology or pharmacokinetics.”263 CMR 3.05(3)(a)
“Practitioners who prescribe controlled substances, except veterinarians, shall be required, as a prerequisite to obtaining or renewing their professional licenses, to complete appropriate training relative to: (i) effective pain management including, but not limited to: (A) appropriate, available non-opioid alternatives for the treatment of pain; (B) the advantages and disadvantages of the use of non-opioid treatment alternatives, considering a patient's risk of substance misuse; and (C) the options for referring or prescribing appropriate non-opioid treatment alternatives based on the practitioner's clinical judgment and following generally accepted clinical guidelines, taking into consideration the preference and consent of the patient and the educational information described in section 21; (ii) the risks of misuse and addiction associated with opioid medication; (iii) the identification of patients at risk for substance misuse; (iv) counseling patients about the side effects, risks, addictive nature and proper storage and disposal of prescription medications; (v) the appropriate prescription quantities for prescription medications that have an increased risk of misuse and addiction, including a patient's option to fill a prescription for a schedule II controlled substance in a lesser quantity than indicated on the prescription pursuant to subsection (d3/4); and (vi) opioid antagonists, overdose prevention treatments and information to advise patients on both the use of and ways to access opioid antagonists and overdose prevention treatments.”M.G.L. c. 94C § 18(e)
“training required pursuant to M.G.L. c. 94C, § 18(e).”263 CMR 3.05(3)(c); M.G.L. c. 94C § 18(e)
“At least four hours of the continuing medical education which a physician assistant is required to obtain pursuant to 263 CMR 3.05(3) as a condition for license renewal shall be in the field of pharmacology and/or pharmacokinetics.”263 CMR 5.06(6)