Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 11, August 30, 2024
(1) Every
physician licensed to practice medicine in Alabama who resides or practices in
the state must earn in each calendar year, on or before December 31, not less
than twenty five (25) AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsT or the equivalent as
defined in this rule of continuing medical education.
(a) Effective January 1, 2025, each new
applicant issued a license to practice medicine or osteopathy shall complete a
Board-designated course in the area of professional boundaries within twelve
(12) months of the license issue date. The sole exemption from this requirement
is for physicians licensed pursuant to Ala. Code §
34-24-75 ("limited
licensee") who are enrolled in a residency training program or a clinical
fellowship.
(b) Effective January
1, 2025, all actively licensed physicians shall complete a Board-designated
course in the area of professional boundaries by December 31, 2025. The sole
exemption from this requirement is for physicians licensed pursuant to Ala.
Code §
34-24-75 ("limited licensee") who are enrolled in a residency
training program or a clinical fellowship.
(2) For the purposes of this chapter, AMA PRA
Category 1 CreditT continuing medical education shall mean those
programs of continuing medical education designated as AMA PRA Category 1
CreditT which are sponsored or conducted by those organizations or
entities accredited by the Council on Medical Education of the Medical
Association of the State of Alabama or by the Accreditation Council for
Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to sponsor or conduct Category 1
continuing medical education programs.
(3) The following continuing medical
education courses shall be deemed, for the purposes of this Chapter, to be the
equivalent of AMA PRA Category 1 CreditT continuing medical education:
(a) Programs of continuing medical education
designated as Category 1-A which are sponsored or conducted by organizations or
entities accredited by the American Osteopathic Association to sponsor or
conduct Category 1-A continuing medical education for osteopathic
physicians.
(b) Programs of
continuing medical education designated to confer "Prescribed credits" which
are sponsored or conducted by organizations or entities accredited by the
American Academy of Family Physicians to sponsor or conduct "Prescribed credit"
continuing medical education activities.
(c) Programs of continuing medical education
designated to confer "ACOG Cognate Credits" which are sponsored or conducted by
organizations or entities which are accredited by the American College of
Obstetrics and Gynecology to sponsor or conduct approved ACOG Cognate Credit
activities on obstetrical and gynecologic related subjects.
(d) Programs of continuing medical education
designated as such by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners.
(e) Effective January 1, 2014, nationally
recognized advanced life support/resuscitation certification courses, not
otherwise accredited for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditT, for a maximum of
two (2) Category 1 credits for each course. Basic life support courses are
excluded and are not deemed to be the equivalent of Category 1 continuing
medical education.
(4)
Effective January 1, 2003, the Board may require all physicians and osteopaths
to successfully complete a prescribed course of continuing medical education on
a subject or subjects designated by the Board. The Board may prescribe by
regulation a fixed period of time or deadline for completion of the prescribed
continuing medical education course or courses. The Board may make provision
for a physician or osteopath to be excused from this requirement for reasons
satisfactory to the Board. The Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama may,
subject to notice and hearing, within its discretion, indefinitely suspend the
license to practice medicine of a physician or osteopath who fails to
successfully complete the course or courses of continuing medical education
required by this subsection or impose administrative fines or other penalties
as authorized by Section 34-24-381.
(a)
Prescribed programs of continuing medical education required by the Board under
the provisions of this paragraph shall count toward the basic requirement for
continuing medical education as set forth in paragraph (1) above in the
calendar year in which the program or course of continuing medical education
was completed. Programs of continuing medical education developed by the Board
under the provisions of this section and made available to physicians and
osteopaths shall be deemed to be the equivalent of AMA PRA Category 1
CreditT continuing medical education for the purposes of this rule. The
Board may fix a reasonable charge to the licensee for any program of continuing
medical education developed by the Board.
(b) Physicians holding an active license to
practice medicine in this state will be notified by the Board of Medical
Examiners of any prescribed course of continuing medical education by written
notice which may accompany the licensee's annual license renewal application.
The notice will designate the subject matter, course content and credit hours
of the prescribed continuing medical education course and will provide
licensees with information concerning the source or sources of such programs of
continuing medical education. The notice will contain a deadline by which time
the licensee must have completed the prescribed course of continuing medical
education, provided, however, that the deadline will not be less than 12 months
following the date that the notice was mailed to the licensees.
(c) The Board may excuse a licensee from the
requirement to complete a prescribed course of continuing medical education and
may grant extensions for the completion deadline of prescribed courses of
continuing medical education for reasons related to ill health, disability,
financial hardship or other reasons deemed sufficient by the Board.
Applications for excusal or extension of deadline should be addressed to
Executive Director, State Board of Medical Examiners, Post Office Box 946,
Montgomery, Alabama 36101-0946.
Author: Alabama Board of Medical
Examiners
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
1975, §
34-24-53; Act
89-244.
