high-quality patient care. For MD and DO physicians in North Carolina, understanding the state-mandated CME requirements is essential for both compliance and professional development. The focus of these requirements is not just on accruing hours but on ensuring that these hours are relevant to your practice and enhance your medical expertise.
Here is an exhaustive guide to the CME requirements for North Carolina MD and DO physicians:
- Total CME Credits: Physicians are required to complete 60 hours of Category 1 CME within every three-year cycle.
- Category 1 Credits: All CME credits must be Category 1 and pertinent to the physician’s current or intended area of specialty or practice.
- Prescribing Controlled Substances:some text
- Within the 60-hour requirement, at least 3 hours must be dedicated to CME that focuses specifically on controlled substance prescribing practices.
- This includes coursework on identifying signs of abuse or misuse of controlled substances.
- Additional emphasis is required on safe and effective controlled substance prescribing for chronic pain management.
By fulfilling these tailored CME requirements, North Carolina MD and DO physicians will not only meet the state guidelines but also enhance their capacity to provide the best possible care to their patients.
For further details on state CME requirements, please visit the official Federation of State Medical Board documentation.
Resources to Fulfill North Carolina’s CME Requirements
CME Trail offers a tailored collection of CME opportunities that adhere to North Carolina's guidelines. We provide a variety of educational resources, from a question bank, summarized guidelines, guideline based algorithms, and a price transparency tool designed to fulfill the state-mandated topics while also fitting into busy schedules. Earn up to 120 AMA PRA Category 1 credits.
To assist healthcare professionals in fulfilling their specific CME requirements on prescribing controlled substances, we've compiled a list of free resources:
Free Resources of Prescribing Controlled Substances
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Offers CME/CE activities on topics related to opioid and substance use disorders and addiction. NIDA CME/CE Activities
- Pri-Med: Provides timely opioid CME courses to help primary care clinicians learn appropriate risk mitigation strategies and prevent substance use disorder. Pri-Med Opioid CME/CE
- Wake AHEC: Offers a webinar and panel discussion series on controlled substances prescribing, with an emphasis on treating pain. Wake AHEC CME
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Provides training modules on treating substance use disorders, effective communication in treating SUDs, and care coordination in the treatment of SUDs, eligible for free continuing education credits. Access CDC Training Modules
- UAB Division of Continuing Medical Education: Provides online courses developed by UAB faculty that qualify for CME credit, focusing on identifying substance use disorders and updates in substance use and mental health. UAB CME
Free Pain Management CME
- Medscape - Frequently provides free courses in pain management, opioid prescribing and end of life, along with other relevant topics for healthcare providers. Medscape education
- AMA Ed Hub - As an ACCME-accredited CME provider, ACP offers a wide variety of recommended activities as it relates to pain management and end of life care. AMA Ed Hub
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Offers CME/CE activities on topics related to opioid prescribing. NIDA CME/CE Activities
- Pri-Med: Provides timely opioid CME courses to help primary care clinicians learn appropriate risk mitigation strategies. Pri-Med Opioid CME/CE
Wake AHEC: Offers a webinar and panel discussion series on controlled substances prescribing, with an emphasis on treating pain. Wake AHEC CME
