Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 5, February 29, 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
CreditsTM or the equivalent as defined in this rule
of continuing medical education.
(b) For the
purpose of compliance with the continuing medical education (CME) basic
requirement stated in paragraph (a) for only the 2010 calendar year, credits
earned in the 2009 calendar year which are not used to meet the 2009 calendar
year CME requirement may be carried forward and used to meet the 2010 calendar
year requirement. Carrying forward credits shall not be allowed
thereafter.
(2) For the
purposes of this chapter, AMA PRA Category 1
CreditTM continuing medical education shall mean
those programs of continuing medical education designated as AMA PRA Category 1
CreditTM 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 CreditTM 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
CreditTM, 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 CreditTM 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.
