64B15-13.001. Continuing Education for Biennial Renewal

Every person licensed pursuant to Chapter 459, F.S., except those licensed as physician assistants pursuant to Section 459.022, F.S., shall be required to complete forty (40) hours of continuing medical education courses approved by the Board in the twenty-four (24) months preceding each biennial renewal period as established by the Department. Continuing medical education (CME) requirements for biennial renewal of licensure are set forth in this rule. The CME required by this rule may be obtained by completion of courses offered in any format, including in a distance learning format, with the proviso in paragraph (1)(a).

(1)(a) For each biennial renewal, a licensee shall complete a one (1) hour continuing medical education course in Florida Laws and Rules/Professional and Medical Ethics, and a two (2) hour course in Prevention of Medical Errors. For purposes of this rule, Florida Laws and Rules means Chapters 456 and 459, F.S., and rule Title 64B15, F.A.C. These CME courses may be obtained in any format, including in a distance learning format, provided that the format includes an ability to interact with the presenter of the course.

(b) A licensee shall not be required to complete continuing medical education if the initial license is issued subsequent to July 1 of the second year of the biennium, except such licensee is required to complete the CME in paragraph 64B15-13.001(1)(a), (d), and if applicable (e), F.A.C.

(c) A licensee shall complete a two (2) hour Domestic Violence Course as part of every third biennial renewal of licensure.

(d) A licensee shall complete a one (1) hour HIV/AIDS course no later than upon first biennial renewal of licensure.

(e) A licensee who is registered with the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and is authorized to prescribe controlled substances is required to complete a 2-hour course on prescribing controlled substances at each biennial renewal of licensure as required by Section 456.0301, F.S. The Board approves the controlled substance prescribing courses offered by the Florida Medical Association, the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association, the Florida Academy of Family Physicians, the Florida College of Emergency Physicians, Baptist Health South Florida/Quality Network, InforMed, Florida Psychiatric Society, NetCE, The Doctors Company, TeamHealth Institute, CE Group, and AchieveCE for the purpose of meeting this continuing education requirement.

(2) At least twenty (20) of the forty (40) hours of the continuing medical education required under this rule shall be American Osteopathic Association approved Category I-A continuing education related to the practice of osteopathic medicine or under osteopathic auspices.

(3)(a) Three (3) hours of general CME may be obtained by attending at least three (3) hours of disciplinary matters at a regular meeting of the Board of Osteopathic Medicine in compliance with the following:

1. The licensee must sign in with the Executive Director of the Board, or designee, before the meeting day begins.

2. The licensee must remain in continuous attendance.

3. The licensee must sign out with the Executive Director of the Board, or designee, at the end of the meeting day or at such other earlier time as affirmatively authorized by the Board. The licensee may receive CME credit for attending the disciplinary portion of a Board meeting only if the licensee is attending on that day solely for that purpose; the licensee may not receive such credit if appearing at the Board meeting for another purpose. Members of the Board of Osteopathic Medicine may receive CME credit for such attendance at one full day of disciplinary hearings at a regular meeting of the Board.

4. A licensee may use no more than six (6) hours of continuing education obtained by attending a Board of Osteopathic Medicine meeting for the purpose of completing the continuing education requirements for each biennial renewal.

(b) For purposes of this rule, a two hour Prevention of Medical Errors course shall include a study of root cause analysis, error reduction and prevention, and patient safety. The course shall address medication errors, surgical errors, diagnostic inaccuracies, and system failures, and shall provide recommendations for creating safety systems in health care organizations. The course must include information relating to the five most mis-diagnosed conditions during the previous biennium, as determined by the Board. The following areas have been determined as the five most mis-diagnosed conditions:

1. Inappropriate prescribing of controlled substances;

2. Failure to diagnose reproductive-related conditions;

3. Wrong site/patient surgery;

4. Failure to diagnose spine-related conditions; and

5. Failure to accurately diagnose cancer-related conditions.

(4) The following courses are approved by the Board:

(a) Organized courses of post graduate study offered by or approved by the American Osteopathic Association or the American Medical Association or any of their divisional societies;

(b) Organized courses of post graduate study sponsored by a medical school recognized and approved by the American Osteopathic Association or the American Medical Association;

(c) Organized courses of post graduate study sponsored by a specialty college of the American Osteopathic Association or the American Medical Association;

(d) Organized courses of post graduate study sponsored by the Public Health Service, state or territorial health services, or a branch of the United States Armed Services;

(e) Fellowships, residency, or internship programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME); each fellow, intern, or resident shall be responsible for obtaining the continuing medical education required under this rule. For fellows, residents, or interns in accredited ACGME educational training programs, ten (10) continuing medical education credit hours shall be awarded for successful completion of each 6-month training program period;

(f) Teacher hours, lecture hours or scientific papers read and published which are approved for credit by the American Osteopathic Association;

(g) Annual convention and mid-year seminars sponsored by the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association;

(h) Routine hospital programs, including clinical and pathological conferences, mortality review, medical audit committees, tumor board, peer review or utilization review; that are approved by the American Osteopathic Association, (AOA), the American Medical Association, (AMA), or by the Board.

(5) Home study hours up to a maximum of eight (8) hours per biennium may be utilized toward continuing education requirements for renewal. In order to be acceptable, said home study hours must be approved by the AOA, the AMA, the Board, or approved for credit as a college or university extension course with approved grading and evaluation standards.

(6) In addition to the continuing medical education credits authorized above, a volunteer expert witness who is providing expert witness opinions for cases being reviewed pursuant to Chapter 459, F.S., shall receive five (5) hours of credit for each case reviewed. A volunteer expert may not accrue in excess of 15 hours of credit per biennium pursuant to this paragraph. Former Board members serving on the Probable Cause Panel shall be allowed a maximum of 15 hours of credit per biennium pursuant to Section 456.013, F.S.

(7) A licensee who is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States on active duty and for a period of six (6) months after discharge from active duty may obtain all forty (40) hours of continuing medical education in a distance learning format or home study, including the courses required by paragraph 64B15-13.001(1)(a), and is exempt from the requirements of subsection 64B15-13.001(2), F.A.C.

(8) A licensee who is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States can claim exemption from this rule provided the licensee meets the requirements set forth in Section 456.024(1), F.S.

Rulemaking Authority 456.013, 456.0301, 456.031, 459.005, 459.008(4) FS. Law Implemented 456.013, 456.0301, 456.031, 459.008 FS. History–New 10-23-79, Amended 1-29-86, Formerly 21R-13.01, Amended 12-5-89, 4-8-91, 2-16-92, Formerly 21R-13.001, Amended 1-10-94, Formerly 61F9-13.001, Amended 10-25-95, Formerly 59W-13.001, Amended 1-19-98, 6-3-98, 4-14-99, 5-26-02, 5-10-04, 7-27-04, 2-9-05, 2-14-06, 1-29-07, 5-10-09, 4-5-10, 11-6-12, 8-14-14, 8-21-16, 5-17-18, 8-9-18, 11-15-18, 8-12-19, 8-13-20, 9-8-20, 3-2-22, 10-15-23, 3-7-24, 9-25-24.