Pennsylvania CME Requirements for Osteopathic Physicians (DO)

Mandatory topics

For osteopathic physicians, 100 hours is the total CME requirement. Pennsylvania also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 100-hour total.

Legal / risk[1]

12 hrs

Biennial

Approved topics include improving medical records, reducing medical errors, professional conduct and ethics, improving communications, preventative medicine, and healthcare quality improvements. Act 31 (child abuse) and ABC-MAP (opioid) hours cannot be counted toward this 12-hour mandate. Counts within the 100-hour total.

View sourceVerbatim from source

“At least 12 credit hours in the areas of patient safety or risk management. These credit hours may be in either Category 1 or Category 2.”

49 Pa. Code § 25.271(b)(2)See source [1] in Primary Sources

Abuse Reporting[1]

2 hrs

Biennial

Must come from a Board-approved provider. Verification must be submitted electronically and directly from the course provider — this can take up to 7 days. Cannot count toward the 12-hour patient safety mandate. Even physicians otherwise exempt from the general 100-hour CME requirement (e.g., family-only-care providers) must still complete this requirement. Counts within the 100-hour total.

View sourceVerbatim from source

“At least 2 credit hours in child abuse recognition and reporting in accordance with § 25.281 (relating to child abuse recognition and reporting—mandatory training).”

49 Pa. Code § 25.271(b)(3)See source [1] in Primary Sources

Opioid / controlled substances[1]

2 hrs

Biennial

Content must cover pain management, identification of addiction, or practices of prescribing or dispensing opioids. Must be from a Board-approved provider. Cannot count toward the 12-hour patient safety mandate. Counts within the 100-hour total.

View sourceVerbatim from source

“At least 2 credit hours in pain management, identification of addiction or the practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids.”

49 Pa. Code § 25.271(b)(4)See source [1] in Primary Sources

Atlas CME tracks each of these mandatory topics against your Pennsylvania cycle automatically. Start tracking free →

Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Pennsylvania 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 20 hrs	AOA Category 1-A credits come from formal, face-to-face educational programs sponsored by an AOA-accredited Category 1-A CME sponsor. This is the key structural difference from the PA State Board of Medicine (MDs), which requires 20 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 instead.Source`49 Pa. Code § 25.271(b)(1)`[1]
Category 2 continuing education DOs onlymax 80 hrs	The remaining 80 hours may be any combination of AOA Category 1-A, 1-B, Category 2, AMA Category 1, or AMA Category 2.Source`49 Pa. Code § 25.271(c)`[1]

Documentation & audit

RECORDS RETENTION: Licensees must retain records of CME compliance for a period of five years following the biennial registration for which the CME was required.

Waivers & exemptions

Physicians whose active/retired license provides care only to immediate family members are exempt from the general 100-hour CME requirement, except for the 2-hour Act 31 (child abuse) and 2-hour ABC-MAP (opioid) requirements, which continue to apply.

First-time licensees are exempt from the CME requirement for the biennial renewal period in which initial licensure is acquired.[1]

DOs holding a temporary training license within the renewal cycle are exempt from the CME requirement.

DOs on inactive license status are exempt from the CME requirement.

Board may grant a hardship waiver of all or part of the CME requirement for serious illness, military service, or other good cause, upon written request with documentation submitted 90 days prior to the end of the biennial period.

FAQ

How many CME hours do Pennsylvania DOs need?

Pennsylvania DOs must complete 100 hours of CME per biennium.[1] At least 20 credit hours must be AOA Category 1-A approved.[1] An additional 12 hours must address patient safety or risk management (AOA Category 1 or 2).[1] Every biennium also requires 2 hours of Board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting training (Act 31 of 2014)[1] and 2 hours of pain management, addiction identification, or opioid prescribing or dispensing under Section 9.1(a)(2) of ABC-MAP (Act 191 of 2014).[1] Act 31 and ABC-MAP hours cannot count toward the 12-hour patient-safety mandate.

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

The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine and the State Board of Medicine are separate agencies within the Pennsylvania Department of State. Both require 100 hours per biennium and apply the same 12-hour patient-safety, 2-hour Act 31 child abuse, and 2-hour ABC-MAP opioid mandates. Two differences are documented in primary-source Board guidance. The DO rule requires 20 hours in AOA Category 1-A,[1] while the MD 20-hour floor is AMA PRA Category 1. The DO biennial cycle runs November 1 of an even year through October 31 of the next even year, offset from the MD cycle.[2]

What is the Pennsylvania DO biennial cycle?

The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine's biennial period runs from November 1 of an even-numbered year through October 31 of the next even-numbered year.[2][3] This anchor is distinct from the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine cycle, which can cause confusion for DOs who also hold MD licenses or who transfer between boards. Licensees retain CME compliance records for five years following the biennial registration for which the CME was required.

100 hours biennially. 20-hour AOA Category 1-A floor. 12-hour patient-safety mandate.

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Sources & Citations