Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0880-02-.19 - CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION
(1) Hours Required,
Waiver, and Exemptions
(a) All licensees must
complete forty (40) hours of continuing medical education courses during the
twenty-four (24) months that precede licensure renewal.
(b) Unless exempt under T.C.A. §
63-1-402(c), all
licensees holding a current Tennessee license shall complete a minimum of two
(2) of the forty (40) required hours of continuing education related to
controlled substance prescribing, which must include instruction in the
Department's treatment guidelines on opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates,
and carisoprodol and may include topics such as medicine addiction, risk
management tools, and other topics approved by the Board.
(c) The Board approves a course for only the
number of hours contained in the course.
The approved hours of any individual course will not be counted more than once in a calendar year toward the required hourly total regardless of the number of times the course is attended or completed by any individual.
(d) Waiver -
The Board may waive the requirements of these rules in cases where illness,
disability, or other undue hardship beyond the control of the licensee prevents
a licensee from complying. Requests for waivers must be sent in writing to the
Board prior to the end of the renewal period during which the continuing
medical education is due and prior to application for renewal.
(e) Exemptions:
1. Anyone whose license is in the retired or
inactive status pursuant to Rule 088002-.10(1) and/or (2) is exempt from the
requirements of these continuing medical education rules.
2. Anyone who obtains licensure in the same
calendar year as successful completion of the USMLE Step 3 is exempt from the
provisions of these continuing medical education rules but only for the
calendar year in which licensure is issued.
(2) Proof of Compliance - All licensees must
retain independent documentation of completion of all continuing medical
education hours and compliance with the provisions of these rules.
(a) This documentation must be retained for a
period of four (4) years from the end of the calendar year in which the
continuing medical education was acquired.
(b) This documentation must be produced for
inspection and verification, if requested in writing by the Division during its
verification process.
(c)
Documentation verifying the licensee's completion of the continuing medical
education hours may consist of any one (1) or more of the following:
1. Original certificates or photocopies of
original certificates from course providers verifying the licensee's attendance
and/or completion of hours.
2.
Original letters or photocopies of original letters from course providers
verifying the licensee's attendance and/or completion of hours.
3. Documentation from the American Academy of
Family Physicians (hereafter AAFP) indicating acquired continuing medical
education hours.
(d)
Until December 31, 2024 in response to an audit the board will accept CMEs
obtained on a calendar cycle or those obtained during a renewal cycle. All
licensees whose license expires after January 1, 2025 will be required to
submit proof of CME for the past licensure renewal cycle rather than the
calendar year cycle.
(3)
Acceptable Continuing Education - To be utilized for satisfaction of the
continuing education requirements of this rule, the continuing education hours
must comply with both of the following:
(a)
Hours must be awarded by an organization accredited as a sponsor of continuing
medical education by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
(ACCME); and
(b) Hours must be
designated or certified by the awarding organization as meeting the criteria
for Category 1 continuing medical education credit of the American Medical
Association's Physician's Recognition Program; or be designated by the AAFP as
meeting the criteria of the AAFP's prescribed credits for continuing medical
education or be designated by the AOA as meeting the criteria of the AOA's
prescribed credits for continuing medical education; or
(c) If a licensee provides disciplinary case
review at the request of the Department, and submits a written report of his or
her conclusions regarding such disciplinary case review, the reviewing licensee
shall receive one (1) hour of continuing medical education credit for each hour
spent reviewing the materials and preparing the report. A maximum of ten (10)
hours credit shall be awarded for reviewing disciplinary case materials during
the twenty-four (24) months that precede licensure renewal.
(4) Violations and Disciplinary
Orders
(a) Any licensee who fails to obtain
the required continuing medical education hours or otherwise comply with the
provisions of these rules may be subject to disciplinary action.
(b) Continuing medical education hours
obtained as a result of compliance with the terms of Board Orders in any
disciplinary action or obtained pursuant to licensure or renewal
restriction/conditions mandated by the Board shall not be credited toward the
continuing medical education hours required to be obtained during any renewal
period.
Notes
Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-202, 4-5-204, 63-1-402, 63-6-101, and 63-6-233.
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