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Pennsylvania CME requirements for anesthesiologists
Pennsylvania sets one CME total for physicians in every specialty: 100 hours every 2 years (20 Category 1), with 4 mandated topics. As an anesthesiologist you also keep up ABA MOCA 2.0. Below: both, and where one certificate counts for each.
Pennsylvania: the state rule
Checked against the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine's rules on October 13, 2026. Citation: 49 Pa. Code §16.19 / §25.271.
General CME: 100 hours every 2 years.
Opioid / controlled substance
2 hours per biennium, pain management, addiction ID, or opioid prescribing/dispensing (initial: 2+2 within 12 months). Trigger: CS prescribers/dispensers.
No board pre-approval needed: any Category 1 activity from an ACCME-accredited organization counts. No designated course or list.
Mandated topics, and whether each reaches anesthesiologists
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Who it applies to | For anesthesiologists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child abuse recognition & reporting (Act 31) | 2 (+3 one-time at initial) | per renewal | all (mandated reporters) | Applies to all physicians. |
| Opioid prescribing, pain management and addiction identification (single combined requirement) | 2 | per renewal | prescribers/dispensers | Applies if you prescribe controlled substances. Check whether this applies to your practice. |
| Patient safety / risk management | 12 | per renewal | all | Applies to all physicians. |
| Organ and tissue donation and recovery (Board-approved curriculum) | 2 | one-time, within 5 years of licensure or renewal (effective 5/1/2026; counts toward the 100) | medical doctors (49 Pa. Code §16.19(c)) | Applies to MDs. Check whether this applies to your license. |
Notes from the Pennsylvania page
- Opioids and pain management are one combined 2-hour requirement, not two (some summaries list two). DOs follow the same rule via Ch. 25.
Full detail, including the rules for NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs: Pennsylvania CME requirements.
Your board: ABA MOCA 2.0
Board figures as tracked in the Ledger, last checked August 1, 2026. Confirm in your board portal.
The American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) runs MOCA 2.0. If you were certified in 2024 or later you are on a 5-year cycle: 125 AMA PRA Category 1 credits, at least 10 of them in patient safety. If you were certified earlier you stay on a 10-year cycle of 250 credits (at least 20 patient safety) until it expires.
Everyone also answers MOCA Minute questions, 120 a year (30 a quarter), and completes QI activities. The ABA counts AMA PRA Category 1, AOA Category 1-A and RCPSC/AFMC accredited CPD only; Category 2 does not count.
DOs certified by the AOBA follow the AOA's Osteopathic Continuous Certification instead, with different credit rules.
What usually overlaps
- Opioid course. An accredited opioid course that covers Pennsylvania's required content can count toward the opioid requirement and toward the general 100-hour total at the same time, when the activity awards the credit Pennsylvania accepts.
- Board CME. ABA credit is Category 1 only. A Category 1 certificate can count toward your MOCA total and toward Pennsylvania's hours at the same time; a Category 2 activity can only help on the state side, where the state accepts it. Check what credit each certificate awards.
- Federal MATE Act. If you hold a DEA registration, the one-time 8-hour training is federal and does not replace Pennsylvania's own rules. A MATE-qualifying accredited course will usually still count toward Pennsylvania's general total.
For anesthesiologists in Pennsylvania
- Pace: Pennsylvania asks for 100 hours every 2 years, about 50 a year. ABA asks for 125 credits over 5 years (250 over 10 on the older track), about 25 a year. Certificates that carry credit both accept count toward each, so plan to the larger of the two.
- Pennsylvania's total: 100 hours (20 Category 1). The ABA counts Category 1 only, so the Category 1 hours are the ones that also move your MOCA total.
One record for your licenses and your board
The Ledger counts one certificate toward every state and board requirement it satisfies, at full hours each, and reminds you before anything is due. 30 days free with a card on file.
Common questions
How many CME hours does Pennsylvania require for anesthesiologists?
Pennsylvania's total is the same for physicians in every specialty: 100 hours every 2 years (20 Category 1), plus 4 mandated topics, some limited to certain practices. Checked against the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine's rules on October 13, 2026.
Does ABA MOCA CME count toward Pennsylvania's CME hours?
ABA credit is Category 1 only. A Category 1 certificate can count toward your MOCA total and toward Pennsylvania's hours at the same time; a Category 2 activity can only help on the state side, where the state accepts it. Check what credit each certificate awards.
Related
- Pennsylvania CME requirements, all professions
- CME requirements for all 51 jurisdictions
- CME by state and specialty
- Opioid and controlled-substance CME by state
A summary of the Pennsylvania physician rules as checked on October 13, 2026 and of ABA rules as last checked August 1, 2026. Informational, not legal advice. Rules change mid-cycle: verify with the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine and your board before relying on any entry.