The Texas Medical Board (TMB) mandates specific continuing medical education (CME) regarding pain management and the prescription of opioids. While both Physicians and Physician Assistants (PAs) must fulfill this topic mandate, the exact allocation rules, practice requirements, and exemption criteria vary by profession.
This requirement applies specifically to licensees providing direct patient care. Fulfilling this mandate counts toward your formal Category 1 credit total for both Physicians and Physician Assistants.
Key Requirement Details
The criteria and hours required depend on your specific license type:
Texas Physicians:
Requirement: You must complete at least 2 hours of AMA Category 1 CME in pain management and the prescription of opioids every renewal cycle.
Application: These hours contribute directly to your overall 24-hour Formal CME requirement.
Texas Physician Assistants:
Requirement: You must complete at least 2 hours of opioid-specific CME every renewal cycle.
Application: These hours count toward your overall 40-hour requirement (and specifically toward your 18 required Category I hours).
Practice Exemptions and Special Considerations
Depending on your day-to-day medical practice, you may be excused from this specific mandate:
Physicians Not Practicing Direct Patient Care: If you do not provide direct patient care, you can report an official Attestation of Not Practicing Direct Patient Care in the Cycle. Submitting this attestation waives both the Opioid CME mandate and the Human Trafficking requirement for your current cycle.
Physician Assistant Conditional Exemptions: The Opioid CME requirement only applies to PAs who actively engage in direct patient care; prescribe, order, or administer opioids or controlled substances; or hold an active Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number. If you do not meet any of these criteria, you can report an exemption in your account to remove the requirement from your transcript.
Full Board-Approved Exemptions: For both professions, if the Board approves a written exemption for active military service, catastrophic illness, or residence outside the U.S., all CE requirements (including Opioids) are excused for that current cycle.