A source-verified guide to Ohio's CME requirements for PAs — hours, mandatory topics, audit rules, and exemptions.
Reviewed by Doug Doehrman, MD · Last reviewed April 21, 2026
Ohio has no state-mandated topic requirements beyond the 100-hour total.
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 holding a valid prescriber number (physician-delegated prescriptive authority)
“The applicant shall complete every two years at least twelve hours of continuing education in pharmacology obtained through a program or course approved by the state medical board or a person the board has authorized to approve continuing pharmacology education programs and courses.”
PAs who prescribe opioid analgesics or benzodiazepines
“in the case of an applicant who prescribes opioid analgesics or benzodiazepines, as defined in section 3719.01 of the Revised Code, the applicant shall certify to the board whether the applicant has been granted access to the drug database established and maintained by the state board of pharmacy pursuant to section 4729.75 of the Revised Code.”
Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Ohio 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 only | Completion of the CME requirement may be satisfied by courses acceptable for the individual to maintain NCCPA certification. AAPA Category 1 CME is the canonical NCCPA Category I credit.SourceOAC 4730-1-06(G)(6)[2] |
AMA PRA Category 1 | AMA PRA Category 1 Credit is acceptable for NCCPA certification maintenance, therefore acceptable under OAC 4730-1-06(G)(6).SourceOAC 4730-1-06(G)(6)[2] |
Board-approved credit PAs onlymax 33 hrs | Volunteer health care services to indigent and uninsured persons in Ohio — 1 hour of CME per 60 minutes, capped at 33 hours per period. Documented log required.SourceOAC 4730-1-06(G)(3)[2] |
Physicians are responsible for retaining CME documentation and producing it on request. Requirements include course title, dates, hours, sponsoring organization, and accrediting body.
Newly licensed PAs receive prorated totals in their first registration period: 50 hours if licensed before year 2, 25 hours if licensed between year 2 and month 18, and 0 hours if licensed after month 18.
PAs disabled due to illness or accident or absent from the country receive pro rata reductions in the pharmacology CE requirement.
Atlas CME tracks your hours, maps them to your state requirements, and reminds you before your your license anniversary 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.
“The applicant shall complete every two years at least twelve hours of continuing education in pharmacology obtained through a program or course approved by the state medical board or a person the board has authorized to approve continuing pharmacology education programs and courses. … The continuing education required by this section is in addition to the continuing education required under section 4730.14 of the Revised Code.”ORC 4730.49 · Effective 2019-10-17
“The applicant shall complete every two years at least twelve hours of continuing education in pharmacology obtained through a program or course approved by the state medical board or a person the board has authorized to approve continuing pharmacology education programs and courses.”ORC 4730.49(A)(1)
“in the case of an applicant who prescribes opioid analgesics or benzodiazepines, as defined in section 3719.01 of the Revised Code, the applicant shall certify to the board whether the applicant has been granted access to the drug database established and maintained by the state board of pharmacy pursuant to section 4729.75 of the Revised Code.”ORC 4730.49(A)(2)(a)
“Except as provided in paragraph (H)(4) of this rule, a physician assistant shall have completed one hundred hours of CME during the licensure registration period. … the board shall permit a physician assistant to earn one hour of CME for each sixty minutes spent providing health care services in Ohio, as a volunteer, to indigent and uninsured persons, up to a maximum of thirty-three hours per CME period. … Completion of the CME requirement may be satisfied by courses acceptable for the individual to maintain NCCPA certification.”OAC 4730-1-06(G)(2) · Effective 2025-10-31
“A license to practice as a physician assistant shall be valid for a two-year period unless revoked or suspended as prescribed in sections 4730.25 and 4730.26 of the Revised Code. A license shall expire two years after issuance and may be renewed for subsequent two-year periods. … To be eligible for renewal of a license to practice as a physician assistant, an applicant shall: (1) Maintain certification by the national commission on certification of physician assistants or a successor organization recognized by the state medical board, including passing any recertification examination the commission or successor organization requires; (2) Comply with the continuing medical education requirements necessary to hold current certification from the commission or its successor organization recognized by the state medical board.”ORC 4730.14 · Effective 2023-10-03