New Option for Completing Pain Management CME Requirement July 2, 2019 Opioids/Substance Use CME, Medical Board of California, medical licensing, pain management A new law took effect on January 1, 2019, that updated the mandatory continuing medical education (CME) requirement for pain management. This new law creates an alternative method by which physicians can satisfy California’s pain management CME requirement. If you have already taken the required 12 hours of pain management CME, no further action is needed. This new option only applies to newly licensed physicians who have not yet taken any pain CME courses. Physicians can now fulfill the pain management CME requirement by completing 12 credit hours on the treatment and management of opiate-dependent patients, including eight hours of training in buprenorphine treatment. Such a course will also qualify physicians to be "x-waivered" to provide medication-assisted treatment. Physicians can also fulfill this requirement through the original requirement of 12 hours of CME on pain management and the treatment of terminally ill and dying patients. Physicians must complete the one-time mandatory pain management CME within four years of their initial license or by their next license renewal date. ACCMA is offering the following CME pain management courses for free to ACCMA members (free CME is also included): MAT 101: Introduction to Medicated Assisted Treatment. Available online as an on-demand webinar by clicking here. Opioid Overdose Prevention: Naloxone Co-Prescribing in Primary Care. Available online as an on-demand webinar by clicking here. Managing Pain Safely Webinar: Thursday, September 12, 2019, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm. For more information and to register, click here. Managing Pain Safely Seminar: Wednesday, September 18, 2019, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. For more information and to register, click here. Medication Assisted Treatment Waiver Eligibility Training: Monday, September 30, 2019, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. For more information and to register, click here. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Mr. David Lopez, ACCMA Associate Director of Advocacy and Policy, at dlopez@accma.org or 510-654-5383.