Pennsylvania CME Requirements for Physician Assistants

Mandatory topics

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

Abuse Reporting[1]

2 hrs

Biennial

Course must come from a Board-approved provider, and verification must be submitted electronically and directly from the provider to the Board. Counts within the 100-hour NCCPA total.

View sourceVerbatim from source

“To be eligible for renewal of a physician assistant license, the physician assistant shall complete continuing medical education as required by the NCCPA, including at least 2 hours of approved training in child abuse recognition and reporting in accordance with § 16.108(b).”

49 Pa. Code § 18.145(c)See source [1] in Primary Sources

Opioid / controlled substances[2]

2 hrs

Biennial

Must be from a Board-approved provider. ABC-MAP defines PAs with prescriptive authority as prescribers; treated as a default-applies requirement per the PA fact sheet presentation. Counts within the 100-hour NCCPA total.

View sourceVerbatim from source

“all prescribers or dispensers complete at least two hours of continuing education in pain management, the identification of addiction or in the practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids as a portion of the total continuing education required.”

ABC-MAP § 9.1(a)(2) (Act 191 of 2014)See source [2] in Primary Sources

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

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[3]

4 hrs

One-time

Medical physician assistants with prescriptive authority approval, at initial licensure (one-time obligation, documented within one year of obtaining initial licensure)

View sourceVerbatim from source

“all prescribers or dispensers, as defined in Section 3 of ABC-MAP, applying for licensure/certification complete at least 4 hours of Board-approved education consisting of 2 hours in pain management or the identification of addiction and 2 hours in the practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids.”

ABC-MAP § 9.1(a) (Act 124 of 2016)See source [3] in Primary Sources

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
AAPA Category 1 PAs only	CME must be 'as required by the NCCPA.' AAPA Category 1 CME is the canonical NCCPA Category I credit. The fact sheet notes: 'CME hours earned towards maintaining NCCPA certification count toward the biennial renewal requirements.'Source`49 Pa. Code § 18.145(c)`[1]
AMA PRA Category 1	AMA PRA Category 1 Credit is acceptable under NCCPA's Category I framework and therefore qualifies under Pennsylvania's NCCPA-derived requirement.Source`49 Pa. Code § 18.145(c)`[1]
Board-approved credit PAs only	Act 31 child abuse and ABC-MAP opioid mandates must come from Board-approved providers. NCCPA certification itself is the primary framework; any course NCCPA accepts for Category I or II maintenance qualifies for the state CE count.Source`49 Pa. Code § 18.145(c)`[1]

Documentation & audit

Licensees must retain CME compliance records for a period of five years following the biennial registration for which the CME was required.[2]

Waivers & exemptions

First-time Pennsylvania PA licensees are exempt from the continuing medical education requirement for the biennial renewal period in which initial licensure is acquired.

A physician assistant holding a temporary license within the renewal cycle is exempt from the continuing medical education requirement.

A physician assistant on inactive status is exempt from the CME requirement; reinstatement requires proof of compliance with the CE requirement for the preceding renewal period.

The board may grant a hardship waiver of all or part of the CME requirement for serious illness, military service, or other good cause. Waiver must be requested in writing at least 90 days before the end of the biennial renewal period.

FAQ

How many CE hours do Pennsylvania PAs need?

Pennsylvania PAs must complete CME 'as required by the NCCPA' — currently 100 CME credits per 2-year cycle, with at least 50 being Category 1.[1] The biennial period runs from January 1 of the odd year through December 31 of the following even year.[2] Within those 100 hours, PAs must include 2 hours of child abuse recognition and reporting (Act 31) and 2 hours of opioid/pain management (ABC-MAP).

Are there mandatory CE topics for PAs in Pennsylvania?

Yes. Pennsylvania PAs must complete 2 hours of child abuse recognition and reporting CE each biennium under Act 31.[1] The course must come from a Board-approved provider, and verification must be submitted electronically directly from the provider to the Board.[2] PAs must also complete 2 hours of opioid/pain management CE each biennium under the ABC-MAP Act.[2] Both count within the 100-hour NCCPA total.

Where can I check my Pennsylvania PA license renewal date?

Pennsylvania PA license renewal information is available through the Department of State website at pa.gov. The renewal date is consistent for all PAs licensed under the State Board of Medicine: December 31 of even-numbered years. The biennial period runs January 1 of the odd year through December 31 of the following even year.[2]

Does NCCPA certification automatically satisfy Pennsylvania CE?

Yes, in substance. Pennsylvania requires current NCCPA certification and compliance with NCCPA's CME requirements as conditions of PA license renewal.[1] PAs who maintain active NCCPA certification are satisfying Pennsylvania's CE framework by default. However, PAs must still complete the two state-specific mandatory topics (2 hours child abuse and 2 hours opioid/pain management) through Board-approved providers. These mandatory topic hours count within the NCCPA 100-hour total.

Is there a one-time opioid requirement for new Pennsylvania PAs?

Yes, for PAs with prescriptive authority approval. Newly licensed medical PAs with prescriptive authority must complete a one-time 4 hours of Board-approved education — 2 hours in pain management or identification of addiction plus 2 hours in practices of prescribing or dispensing opioids — within one year of obtaining initial licensure.[3] The Board states: 'The four (4) hours of Board-approved education needs to be completed only once.' For PAs, this education must be acceptable for NCCPA credit. A recurring 2-hour opioid CE requirement then applies each biennium under ABC-MAP § 9.1(a)(2).[2]

100 hours via NCCPA. Every two years. Calendar-year cycle ending December 31.

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Sources & Citations