Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 249 CMR - BOARD OF REGISTRATION IN PODIATRY › Title 249 CMR 3.00 - Application and Licensure › Section 3.05 - Continuing Medical Education (CME)

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) Each licensee
			 shall present satisfactory evidence to the Board that in the previous 12 months
			 he or she attended an educational conference(s) or program(s) approved by the
			 Board for not less than 15 CME credits: provided however, that the Board may
			 exempt from this requirement licensees who submit satisfactory proof that they
			 were unable to attend an educational conference or program because of illness
			 or other good cause. Requests for a waiver of the CME requirement due to
			 special circumstances must be submitted in writing and directed to the
			 Secretary of the Board. Only CME credits which have specifically been approved
			 by the Board may be used to meet this requirement. Courses or programs approved
			 for CME credit by the APMA or the Council of Podiatric Medical Education are
			 approved by the Board.
(2)
Opioid Education and Pain Management Training
. At
			 least one credit of CME taken in the previous one year shall be in pain
			 management training, pursuant to St. 2010, c. 283. Pain management training
			 shall include, but not be limited to, training in how to identify patients at
			 high risk for substance abuse and training in how to counsel patients on the
			 side effects, addictive nature and proper storage and disposal of prescription
			 medicines.
(3) Any teaching
			 organization or institute seeking CME approval from the Board shall submit a
			 written request to the Secretary of the Board and shall provide a detailed
			 course description. Additional information may be requested at the Board's
			 discretion.
(4)
Audit
			 and Sanctions for Noncompliance
.
(a) Each licensee at the time of license
			 renewal shall sign a statement, under penalty of perjury, that he or she has or
			 has complied with the CME requirements set by the Board.
(b) A licensee who has not complied with the
			 CME requirement shall not submit a renewal application and shall not practice
			 with a lapsed/expired license. A licensee seeking a waiver of the CME
			 requirement shall not be eligible for renewal of his or her license until he or
			 she has received a written waiver of the CME requirement from the
			 Board.
(c) The Board shall audit
			 once each year a random sample of licensees who have reported compliance with
			 the CME requirement. Those licensees selected for audit shall be required to
			 document their compliance with the CME requirements of
			 249
			 CMR 3.05 on a form provided by the
			 Board.
(d) Any licensee who is
			 found to have not completed the required number of hours of approved CME may be
			 subject to disciplinary action and required to make up any deficiency during
			 the next renewal period. Such licensees shall document to the Board the
			 completion of any deficient hours identified by audit. Any licensee who fails
			 to obtain the deficient hours, in addition to the hours required for the
			 current renewal period, shall be ineligible for renewal of the license to
			 practice podiatric medicine until such time as all the required hours of CME
			 are completed and documented to the Board.