Iowa Administrative Code
Agency 481 - Inspections and Appeals Department
Board of Physician Assistants
Chapter 782 - Continuing Education for Physician Assistants
Rule 481-782.3 - Standards

a. Constitutes an organized program of learning that contributes directly to the professional competency of the licensee;

b. Pertains to subject matters that integrally relate to the practice of the profession;

c. Is conducted by individuals who have specialized education, training and experience by reason of which said individuals should be considered qualified concerning the subject matter of the program;

d. Fulfills stated program goals, objectives, or both; and

e. Provides an individual certificate of completion or evidence of successful completion of the course provided by the course sponsor. This documentation must contain the course title, date(s), contact hours, sponsor and licensee's name.

a. The licensee will complete a minimum of 50 hours of credit designated as Category I by the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association Council on Continuing Medical Education, the American Academy of Family Physicians or other organizations accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)

b. For the remaining 50 hours of required continuing medical education (CME), Category I or Category II credit, as accepted by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), will satisfy the CME requirements. In case of audit, licensees will provide evidence of NCCPA certification during the time period being audited or an activity log for all Category II credits for which a certificate of completion is not available. The activity log will list for each activity the date and type of activity and number of hours claimed per activity.

c. Licensees who maintain certification by the NCCPA may show proof of meeting the board's CME requirements by providing proof of current certification by the NCCPA for the time period being reviewed or audited.

d. A licensee who has prescribed opioids to a patient during the renewal cycle will complete a minimum of two hours of continuing education regarding the guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain, as issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, including recommendations on limitations on dosages and the length of prescriptions, risk factors for abuse, and nonopioid and nonpharmacologic therapy options, as a condition of license renewal. These hours may count toward the 100 hours of continuing education required for license renewal. The licensee will maintain documentation of these hours, which may be subject to audit.