Massachusetts Physician Assistants CE Requirements, Accreditations & Approvals

Massachusetts Physician Assistants

In support of improving patient care, NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

As a jointly accredited provider, NetCE is authorized to award Category 1 CME Credit to physician assistants certified through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Registration of Physician Assistants accepts courses from any provider who is ACCME-accredited and awards AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™.

Continuing Education Requirement

PAs are required 100 hours every two years, 40 of which must be AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™, and 4 of which must be in pharmacology or pharmacokinetics. Mandates include:

• Every renewal, licensees authorized to prescribe controlled substances must complete continuing education relative to: effective pain management, the risks of abuse and addiction associated with opioid medications, the identification of patients at risk for substance use disorders, counseling patients about the side effects, addictive nature and proper storage and disposal of prescription medications, appropriate prescription quantities with an increased risk of abuse, and opioid antagonists and overdose prevention treatments.
• Licensees authorized to operate fluoroscopic x-ray systems and to perform fluoroscopic procedures are required at least 4 hours directly related to fluoroscopic imaging every renewal.
• Licensees serving an adult population must complete training on the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cognitive impairments including, but not limited to, Alzheimer disease and dementia. All licensees must complete the required course by November 7, 2022.
• Licensees have a one-time requirement of Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence training*

Beginning with DEA initial registrations or renewals starting June 27, 2023, all DEA-registered practitioners (with the exception of DVM-only license holders) are required 8 hours on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, including the appropriate clinical use of all FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of a substance use disorder, one-time only.

Prior to issuing written certifications for the medical use of marijuana, certifying healthcare providers must complete a one-time continuing education program on the proper use of marijuana, including side effects, dosage, and contraindications, including with psychotropic drugs, as well as on substance abuse recognition, diagnosis, and treatment related to medical marijuana.

*Licensees may complete the free training available online at https://www.mass.gov/service-details/domestic-and-sexual-violence-integration-initiatives.

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For More Information

Please contact the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Registration of Physician Assistants at (800) 414-0168 or (617) 973-0806, or refer to https://www.mass.gov/about-the-board-of-registration-of-physician-assistants and https://www.mass.gov/law-library/263-cmr for additional information regarding your continuing education.