A licensed physician must complete one of the following to satisfy maintenance of licensure requirements during renewal:- Complete two hundred hours of continuing education every four years. The licensee may earn all 200 hundred credit hours in Category I CME. A maximum of 80 credit hours may be earned by attendance at continuing medical education programs that are not approved in accordance with the provisions of Category I.
- Obtain a current Physician's Recognition Award from the American Medical Association in at least two of the four years preceding the renewal due date
- Become certified by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties in the four years preceding the renewal due date
- Meet the requirements for participation in maintenance of certification of a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties at the time of renewal.
To prescribe an opioid in Washington state, a physician licensed to prescribe opioids shall complete a one-time continuing education requirement regarding best practices in the prescribing of opioids. The physician shall complete the one-time continuing education requirement by the end of the physician's first full continuing education reporting period after January 1, 2019, or during the first full continuing education reporting period after initial licensure, whichever is later. These credits may be applied to the requirement of 200 total CME.
A licensed physician, other than a resident holding a limited license, must complete a one-time training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management. The training must be at least six hours in length and may be completed in one or more sessions. The training must be completed by the end of the first full continuing education reporting period after January 1, 2016, or during the first full continuing education period after initial licensure, whichever occurs later. The training must be on the model list developed by the department of health.