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Pennsylvania CME requirements for psychiatrists
Pennsylvania sets one CME total for physicians in every specialty: 100 hours every 2 years (20 Category 1), with 4 mandated topics. As a psychiatrist you also keep up ABPN Continuing Certification. 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 psychiatrists
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Who it applies to | For psychiatrists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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: ABPN Continuing Certification
Board figures as tracked in the Ledger, last checked August 1, 2026. Confirm in your board portal.
The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) runs Continuing Certification in 3-year blocks inside a 10-year certificate: 90 Category 1 CME credits per block, 16 of them self-assessment CME, plus one Performance-in-Practice unit.
If you complete the article-based ABCC exams in the block, ABPN counts all 16 self-assessment credits as done. A subspecialty certificate adds no CME: ABPN counts one set for every certificate you hold.
DOs certified by the AOBNP 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. ABPN's 90 credits are Category 1, and self-assessment CME that also carries Category 1 credit counts toward both the 16 and the 90. The same certificate can count toward Pennsylvania's hours when it awards credit Pennsylvania accepts. 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 psychiatrists in Pennsylvania
- Pace: Pennsylvania asks for 100 hours every 2 years, about 50 a year. ABPN asks for 90 credits per 3-year block, about 30 a year. Certificates that carry credit both accept count toward each, so plan to the larger of the two.
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 psychiatrists?
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 ABPN Continuing Certification CME count toward Pennsylvania's CME hours?
ABPN's 90 credits are Category 1, and self-assessment CME that also carries Category 1 credit counts toward both the 16 and the 90. The same certificate can count toward Pennsylvania's hours when it awards credit Pennsylvania accepts. 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 ABPN 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.