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Massachusetts CME Requirements (2026): Physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs & CAAs
Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine.
General CME: 100 credits every 2 years (including 40 Category 1, 10 risk-management).
Opioid / controlled substance
3 credits per 2-year cycle — opioid education and pain management (also count toward the 10 risk-management credits). Trigger: prescribes controlled substances.
⚠ Massachusetts gates its opioid/controlled-substance CME: a generic national course may NOT satisfy it. EFFECTIVELY DESIGNATION-BASED — the course must meet BORIM's opioid-education + risk-management criteria (243 CMR 2.06), as SCOPE of Pain / NEJM-MMS do. Not simple open generic Category 1.
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risk management (at least 4 hours Category 1) | 10 | per renewal | all |
| Board regulations review | 2 | per renewal | all |
| End-of-life care | 2 | one-time | all |
| Opioid education & pain management | 3 | per renewal | controlled-substance prescribers |
| Implicit bias | 2 | one-time (apps after 6/1/2022) | all |
| Alzheimer's & related dementias | 1 | one-time (initial) | serve adult pop |
| Child abuse & neglect | training (no fixed hours) | one-time | all (mandated reporters) |
| Domestic & sexual violence | training (no fixed hours) | one-time | all |
| Electronic health records proficiency | 3 | one-time | practicing physicians |
Citation: 243 CMR 2.06
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: 15 contact hours per 2-year renewal cycle for all licensed nurses including APRNs (244 CMR 5.00). RNs renew on birthday in even-numbered years, LPNs in odd years. APRNs must additionally maintain current certification through a Board-approved national certifying organization to keep APRN authorization (244 CMR 4.05/4.07). CPR recertification and employer in-services do not count. Records kept for two consecutive renewal periods (4 years).
Opioid / controlled substance
A board-required course (no set hour count), every 2 years, 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 |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | Course (no set hours) | At initial application for MA Controlled Substance Registration (MCSR) and subsequently during each APRN authorization/license renewal period | All controlled-substance prescribers except veterinarians (profession-agnostic under M.G.L. c. 94C, s.18(e)); APRNs engaging in prescriptive practice must complete this training |
| Domestic and sexual violence training | Course (no set hours) | One-time / as a condition of licensure, registration or certification and any renewal (no hour minimum specified) | All licensed nurses including APRNs |
| Alzheimer's disease and dementia care training (diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cognitive impairments) | Course (no set hours) | One-time | Licensed nurses (RN/LPN; applies to APRNs holding RN licensure) |
| Medical marijuana / cannabis certification education (proper use, side effects, dosage, contraindications, substance-abuse recognition) | Course (no set hours) | One-time, only if the APRN certifies patients for medical marijuana | APRNs who certify medical-marijuana patients |
Tracking: Self-report/attestation at online renewal via the Massachusetts ePLACE / e-License portal; no CE Broker. Board conducts random audits; licensee retains documentation for two renewal cycles (4 years). Opioid/94C 18(e) training attested on the MCSR application/renewal.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Physician Assistants — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: 100 contact hours of continuing education per 2-year renewal cycle, of which at least 40 hours must be Category I courses/programs meeting AMA or AAPA criteria (263 CMR 3.05(3)). Licenses renew biennially by March 1 of each odd-numbered year. PAs must also maintain current NCCPA certification.
Opioid / controlled substance
A board-required course (no set hour count), every 2 years, 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) | 4 | per cycle | prescribers |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | Course (no set hours) | At initial MA Controlled Substance Registration and subsequently during each license renewal period; content-based, no minimum hours in statute | All controlled-substance prescribers except veterinarians (profession-agnostic under M.G.L. c. 94C, s.18(e)); PAs with prescriptive/CS authority |
| Domestic violence / care of victims of domestic violence (expert-developed CME course) | Course (no set hours) | One-time / as required (no hour minimum specified) | All licensed PAs |
Tracking: Self-report/attestation at biennial online renewal via the Massachusetts ePLACE / e-License portal; no CE Broker. PA must submit proof of CE to the Board upon request (audit). Opioid/94C 18(e) training attested on the MCSR application/renewal.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing (Department of Public Health, Bureau of Health Professions Licensure) — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: '15 contact hours within 2 years before license renewal' for every licensed nurse, RNs renewing on their birthday in even-numbered years (244 CMR 5.00; mass.gov 'Mandatory continuing education for nurses'). CE must be in programs meeting 244 CMR 5.00 criteria (CME/AMA-credited programs and NBCRNA Class A-type CE programs qualify as CE activities; CPR recertification and employer in-services do not). APRNs must additionally 'maintain current certification through a Board-approved national certifying organization' to keep APRN authorization (244 CMR 4.05). Records retained for two consecutive renewal periods (4 years).
State CE is owed in addition to NBCRNA. Massachusetts does not accept national certification in lieu of the 15 contact hours: the Board states national certifications 'have separate CE requirements' beyond the Board's 15-hour mandate. However, CE activities completed for NBCRNA CPC (e.g., accredited anesthesia CE) count toward the 15 hours because they are qualifying CE programs. NBCRNA certification is separately REQUIRED to keep APRN authorization. National layer: NBCRNA continued certification (4-year cycle: 60 Class A + 40 Class B credits, MAC Check).
Opioid / controlled substance
A board-required course (no set hour count), every 2 years, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | Course (no set hours) | at initial MCSR application and at each subsequent APRN authorization/license renewal period (every 2 years); content-based, no statutory hour minimum | Only CRNAs who register for prescriptive practice and hold an MCSR (M.G.L. c. 94C, s. 18(e) is profession-agnostic for all controlled-substance prescribers except veterinarians). CRNAs who administer anesthesia under facility/physician orders without their own MCSR are not triggered. |
| Domestic and sexual violence training (St. 2014, c. 260, s. 9) | Course (no set hours) | one-time / as a condition of licensure and renewal; no hour minimum specified | All licensed nurses incl. CRNAs |
| Alzheimer's disease and dementia care training (diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cognitive impairments) | Course (no set hours) | one-time | Licensed nurses (carried over from NP dataset; VERIFY applicability — statutory basis per aggregator only) |
| Medical marijuana / cannabis certification education | Course (no set hours) | one-time, only if certifying patients | APRNs who certify medical-marijuana patients — practically never a CRNA |
Tracking: Self-attestation at online renewal (ePLACE); no CE Broker. Random Board audit; keep records for two consecutive renewal periods (4 years). 94C s. 18(e) training attested on the MCSR application/renewal.
Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA)
Not authorized to practice in Massachusetts.
Certified anesthesiologist assistants cannot practice in Massachusetts — there is no CAA license, certification or physician-delegation pathway, so there are no state CE requirements to track here. Pending / recent legislation: S.1499 (Sen. Cronin) 'An Act relative to anesthesiologist assistants', 194th General Court (2025-2026), filed 2025-01-17, referred to Joint Committee on Public Health 2025-02-27, hearing 2025-07-14; 2025-12-04 accompanied a study order (S.2790) – effectively dead for the session. Companion/related: H.2484 and S.1500 (tracked by MassAAA). Prior: S.1347 (2023-2024). 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 Massachusetts'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)
- Total: regulation 243 CMR 2.06(6)(a) says 100/2yr but board CME Pilot Program (Policy 17-05) enforces 50. Many one-time topics count toward the 10-hour risk-management bucket.
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 Massachusetts 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.