Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 360-15-.01 - Requirements for Physicians
(1) Physicians
licensed to practice medicine pursuant to O.C.G.A.
43-34-26shall complete Board
approved continuing education of not less than 40 hours biennially, with the
following exceptions:
(a) Physicians enrolled
in full time graduate medical education programs (residencies and fellowships)
which are accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education
or the American Osteopathic Association.
(b) Physicians who are initially licensed by
the Board and who have not renewed their licenses for the first time.
(c) Physicians whose licenses are not active,
such as those who are Inactive or Revoked. Physicians who are suspended or in
some other way disciplined by the Board must meet the requirements unless
otherwise stipulated by Board Order.
(d) Physicians who are retired, who have an
active license, and who provide uncompensated health care services pursuant to
Code Section
43-34-41; shall be required to
complete 10 hours of Board approved continuing education biennially.
(e) Physicians specifically exempted from
this requirement due to cases of hardship, disability, illness, service in the
United States Congress, service in the Georgia General Assembly or military
service, if supported by adequate documentation acceptable to the Board.
1. Physicians seeking such an exemption must
submit a written request and documentation to support their eligibility for
such an exemption.
2. Said request
for an exemption should be submitted to the Board in a sufficient time period
prior to the expiration of the license to receive a determination from the
Board as to whether an exemption would be granted.
(2) The Board accepts the
following as meeting its requirement for Board approval:
(a) A.M.A. (American Medical Association)
Category 1 credit;
(b) A.O.A.
(American Osteopathic Association) Category 1 credit;
(c) A.A.F.P. (American Academy of Family
Physicians) Prescribed credit;
(d)
A.C.O.G. (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Cognates,
Category 1;
(e) A.C.E.P. (American
College of Emergency Physicians) Category 1.
1. It is the responsibility of the licensee
to verify approval with the source of the program, not with the Board, and the
licensee should verify approval before taking the course.
(3) Physicians who do not hold a
certification in pain management or palliative medicine, and whose opioid pain
management patients comprise 50% or more of the patient population must
demonstrate competence by biennially obtaining 20 (twenty) hours of continuing
medical education ("CME") pertaining to pain management or palliative medicine.
1. Such CME must be an AMA/AOA PRA Category 1
CME, a board approved CME program, or any federally approved CME. The CME
obtained pursuant to this rule may count towards the CME required for license
renewal.
(4) Effective
January 1, 2018, every physician not subject to Rule
360-15-.01(3) who
maintains an active DEA certificate and prescribes controlled substances,
except those holding a residency training permit, shall complete at least one
time three or more hours of AMA/AOAPRA Category 1 CME that is designed
specifically to address controlled substance prescribing practices. The
controlled substance prescribing CME shall include instruction on controlled
substance prescribing guidelines, recognizing signs of the abuse or misuse of
controlled substances, and controlled substance prescribing for chronic pain
management. The certification of such completion must occur at the first
renewal following January 1, 2018 or the first renewal following licensure.
Completion of this requirement may count as three hours toward the CME
requirement for license renewal.
(5) On and after January 1, 2022, all
physicians shall be required to receive one-time education training, for a
minimum of two hours, regarding professional boundaries and physician sexual
misconduct. Such education training shall include subject matter relating to
how to proceed with basic as well as sensitive or intimate examinations and the
communication with patients that is required as a component of such
examinations. The certification of such completion must occur at the first
renewal following January 1, 2022 or the first renewal following licensure.
Completion of this requirement may count as two hours toward the CME
requirement for license renewal.
(6) In meeting the continuing education
requirements, the Board will waive one hour CME requirement for physicians for
each four hours of documented work by the physician in uncompensated health
care services such as free clinics up to a maximum of ten CME hours per
biennium. In order to receive the waiver, the physician shall submit to the
Board documentation of such work at the time of renewal.
(7) In meeting the continuing education
requirements, the Board will waive up to eight CME hours per biennium for peer
reviews of Board investigative cases for the Board. Specifically, a physician
may obtain waiver of two (2) CME hours for each investigative case peer review
conducted at the request of the Board.
(8) Physicians who must meet the requirements
of this Chapter must document the completion of Board approved continuing
education of not less than 40 hours during the two year term of the license.
The license will expire on the last day of the month in which the applicant's
birthday falls. License must be renewed biennially by the last day of the month
in which the applicant's birthday falls and the licensee must satisfy the Board
approved continuing education requirements during the biennial renewal cycle to
be eligible for renewal.
(9) Each
licensed physician who must meet these requirements must maintain records of
attendance and supporting documents for continuing education for a period of 5
years from the date of attendance. At a minimum, the following must be kept:
(a) Name of provider;
(b) Name of program;
(c) Hours/continuing education Units
completed;
(d) Date of
Completion;
(e) Evidence of A.M.A.
Category 1 credit or A.O.A. Category 1 credit.
Notes
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