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Louisiana CME Requirements (2026): Physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs & CAAs
Louisiana regulates five clinician professions through different boards, each with its own continuing-education rules — physicians (MD/DO), nurse practitioners (APRN/NP), physician assistants (PA), nurse anesthetists (CRNA), and anesthesiologist assistants (CAA, in the states that license them). Below, each profession's total hours, mandated topics, opioid/controlled-substance rule, and tracking, plus the one federal rule they share. Last reviewed 2026-08-24.
Physicians (MD / DO)
Set by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.
General CME: 20 hours per year.
Opioid / controlled substance
3 hours one-time (before first renewal) — best-practice CDS prescribing, drug diversion, addiction treatment, chronic pain (single curriculum, all four topics). Trigger: CDS-license holders.
⚠ Louisiana gates its opioid/controlled-substance CME: a generic national course may NOT satisfy it. BOARD PRE-APPROVAL REQUIRED — LSBME designates the approved course; generic AMA Category 1 is not sufficient on its own. Hard gate (Act 76 / §4005).
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled substances / drug diversion / addiction / pain | 3 | one-time (before 1st renewal on/after 1/1/2019) | CDS/controlled-substance license holders |
| Board orientation | 2 | one-time (initial renewal) | all new licensees |
| Nutrition & metabolic health | 1 | every 4 years (effective 1/1/2026) | most clinical specialties |
| Sickle cell disease | 1 + 1 refresher | initial then every 3 years (effective 1/1/2026) | emergency medicine physicians |
Citation: La. Administrative Code tit. 46 §XLV.435
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: RN-level relicensure (which APRNs must also satisfy): a minimum of 30 board-approved contact hours of CE OR 900 practice hours (employer-verified) per 2-year cycle. APRNs who hold active national board certification satisfy the RN renewal CE requirement by maintaining that certification. Cite LAC 46:XLVII.3333/3335.
Opioid / controlled substance
3 hours, one time, for holders of controlled-substance prescriptive authority. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority) | 12 | per cycle | prescribers |
| Controlled dangerous substance (CDS) prescribing — 3 credits hours (drug diversion, best-practice prescribing, addiction treatment, chronic pain) | 3 | One-time; prerequisite to renewal for CDS-license holders. Exemption via attestation if no CDS prescribing during reporting period. | All practitioners with prescriptive authority holding a CDS license — profession-agnostic; includes APRNs with prescriptive authority (veterinarians excluded) |
Tracking: LSBN credentialing portal / self-report with audit. LSBN does NOT use CE Broker (that is the LSBME/physician-side system).
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (LSBME) — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: 100 hours CME per 2-year accrual cycle; maintain active NCCPA certification (100 hours per 2 years including 50 Category 1). LSBME license renewal is annual (birth month); first renewal requires a PA Laws & Rules course.
Opioid / controlled substance
3 hours, one time, for holders of controlled-substance prescriptive authority. A board-approved / state-specific course is required — generic accredited credit may not count. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority) | None | per cycle | prescribers |
| Controlled dangerous substance (CDS) prescribing — 3 hours Board PRE-APPROVED (best practices, drug diversion, addiction treatment, chronic pain) | 3 | One-time; before first renewal after obtaining CDS license (effective 1/1/2025). Exemption via attestation if no CDS prescribing prior year. | All LSBME licensees with a CDS license — includes PAs with prescriptive authority |
| Nutrition & metabolic health | 1 | Every 4 years (effective 1/1/2026) | PAs in 18 specified clinical specialties |
| Sickle cell disease | 1 + 1 refresher | Initial then at least every 3 years (effective 1/1/2026) | Emergency medicine PAs |
Tracking: CE Broker (mandatory for all LSBME licensees including PAs). License cannot renew unless CE Broker shows required credits.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: LAC 46:XLVII.4515.A: 'APRNs maintain advanced practice recertification in accordance with the nationally recognized certifying body's criteria as approved by the board; or' (if certification unavailable/grandfathered) meet renewal requirements in §4507.E.2. Board may perform on-site review. RN-level renewal per NP dataset (30 hrs / 900 hrs / national certification).
NBCRNA recertification is accepted in place of state CE. Maintaining NBCRNA CPC recertification is the APRN continued-competence requirement itself (§4515.A.1) and, per the NP dataset/LSBN CE FAQ, active national certification also satisfies the RN CE requirement. Only a CRNA who separately holds LSBN prescriptive authority owes additional hours (see pharmacology). National layer: NBCRNA continued certification (4-year cycle: 60 Class A + 40 Class B credits, MAC Check).
Opioid / controlled substance [VERIFY]
3 hours, one time, for holders of controlled-substance prescriptive authority. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled dangerous substances (drug diversion, best-practice prescribing, addiction treatment) | 3 | one-time (prerequisite to first renewal after obtaining CDS privileges) | Only if you hold prescriptive authority and a CDS license - NOT the typical CRNA; waivable by attestation of no CS prescribing/administering/dispensing |
Tracking: LSBN online portal self-report/attestation; national certification verified; random audit. LSBN does not use CE Broker (CE Broker is LSBME/physician side).
Some figures flagged [VERIFY] — verify with the board.
Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA)
Not authorized to practice in Louisiana.
Certified anesthesiologist assistants cannot practice in Louisiana — there is no CAA license, certification or physician-delegation pathway, so there are no state CE requirements to track here. No pending licensure bill was found as of August 2026. NCCAA certification requirements (50 CME hours every 2 years + the CDQ exam) still apply nationally.
Federal — DEA MATE Act (all professions)
One rule is the same for everyone below. Every DEA-registered prescriber — physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and any CRNA or CAA who holds a DEA registration — must complete a one-time 8-hour training on treating patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, as a condition of DEA registration/renewal (since June 27, 2023). It is federal, applies in every state, and does not replace Louisiana's recurring opioid/controlled-substance CME. A MATE-qualifying accredited course will usually still count toward your state general CME/CE total. How the MATE Act differs from state rules →
Authority: MATE Act §1263, Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023 (21 U.S.C. §823).
Notes (physician data)
- Verified 2026-07-16 vs Act 463 (2025) / R.S. 37:1270: nutrition & metabolic health = 1 hour every 4 years, effective 1/1/2026 (FSMB's 2-year / mid-2025 was WRONG). Statutorily mandatory ('shall require'); LSBME course-content rules may still follow but do not gate the mandate.
Pick your profession and all your states in the free planner and get one 5-year schedule that batches your opioid/controlled-substance CME so a single course covers as many licenses as possible.
Build my multi-state CME plan →This page summarizes Louisiana board rules and statutes as of 2026-08-24 for five separately-regulated professions: physicians (MD/DO), nurse practitioners (APRNs), physician assistants (PAs), nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), and anesthesiologist assistants (CAAs). Each is governed by its own board and its hour totals and mandated topics differ — never assume one profession's figures apply to another. Physician data is compiled from FSMB and state medical-board sources; APRN/PA data was validated against nursing- and PA/medical-board rules on 2026-07-20, with the opioid/controlled-substance timing structured on 2026-07-23; CRNA and CAA data was researched against nursing-board, medical-board and practice-act primary sources on 2026-08-24 (items the research could not pin to a primary source are flagged [VERIFY]). This is educational information, not legal advice — always verify current requirements with your own board before relying on them.