Pennsylvania Osteopathic Physician CME

How many CE hours do Pennsylvania osteopathic physicians need?

Pennsylvania regulates DOs under a separate State Board of Osteopathic Medicine from the board that licenses MDs. Osteopathic physicians need 100 hours of CME every two years, at least 20 of which must be AOA Category 1-A credit ( PA Department of State — Osteopathic Medicine Board Licensure Guide ).

Renewal falls every two years, by October 31 of each even-numbered year ( PA Department of State — Osteopathic Medicine Renewal Information ).

Which CE topics are required for Pennsylvania osteopathic physicians?

Every osteopathic physician must complete 2 hours of child abuse recognition and reporting CME each renewal, per Act 31 ( PA Department of State — Act 31 Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting ). A DO applying for an initial Pennsylvania osteopathic license must also complete a separate 3-hour Act 31 child abuse course before licensure — a one-time requirement tied to first licensure, not to any renewal cycle.

Every osteopathic physician must also complete 12 hours of patient safety and risk management CME each renewal ( PA Department of State — Osteopathic Medicine Board Licensure Guide ).

Every osteopathic physician must also complete a one-time 2-hour organ and tissue donation awareness training, within five years of licensure or of the training's May 1, 2026 effective date, whichever is later ( PA Department of State — Osteopathic Medicine Board Licensure Guide ).

A DO who holds a DEA registration must also complete 2 hours of opioid education and pain management CME each renewal, as a "prescriber or dispenser" under the ABC-MAP program; a DO who neither prescribes nor dispenses controlled substances is exempt from this specific topic, and these hours cannot be counted toward the 12-hour patient safety and risk management requirement above ( PA Department of State — Osteopathic Medicine Board Licensure Guide ). Separately, a DO applying for an initial Pennsylvania osteopathic license must also complete a one-time 4-hour opioid education course (2 hours on pain management or addiction identification, plus 2 hours on the practices of prescribing or dispensing opioids) within one year of initial licensure — a requirement tied to first licensure, not to any renewal cycle ( PA Department of State — Osteopathic Medicine Board Licensure Guide ).

Osteopathic physicians holding a DEA registration must also complete a one-time 8-hour DEA MATE Training on Opioid or Substance Use Disorder, per the federal MATE Act — not a Pennsylvania Board mandate ( DEA Diversion Control Division — MATE Act Training FAQ ).

Do newly licensed Pennsylvania osteopathic physicians need CE for their first renewal?

No. A DO is fully exempt from the standard 100-hour CME requirement at their first biennial renewal, though the separate one-time 3-hour Act 31 child abuse course must be completed before initial licensure is granted, and the one-time 4-hour opioid education course must be completed within one year of initial licensure ( PA Department of State — Osteopathic Medicine Board Licensure Guide ).

Does the Pennsylvania State Board of Osteopathic Medicine audit CE records?

Yes. Osteopathic physicians attest to compliance through the PALS licensing portal at renewal, and the Board audits a sample of licensees, requiring documentation to be retained for two years ( PA Department of State — Osteopathic Medicine Board Licensure Guide ).

Sources

Last verified: September 11, 2026

• Pennsylvania State Board of Osteopathic Medicine

• PA Department of State — Osteopathic Medicine Board Licensure Guide

• PA Department of State — Osteopathic Medicine Renewal Information

• PA Department of State — Act 31 Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting

• DEA Diversion Control Division — MATE Act Training FAQ