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Tennessee CME Requirements for Physicians (2026)
Everything the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners requires — total hours, mandated topics, the opioid/controlled-substance rule, and how it's tracked. Last reviewed 2026-07-10.
Board: Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners. General CME: 40 hrs every 2 yrs.
Opioid / controlled-substance CME in Tennessee
2 hrs per 2-yr cycle — controlled-substance prescribing. MUST include the TN Dept. of Health treatment guidelines on opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and carisoprodol. Trigger: all licensees.
⚠ Tennessee gates its opioid/controlled-substance CME: a generic national course may NOT satisfy it. MANDATED CURRICULUM (no pre-approval list) — a generic national ACCME Cat 1 opioid course does NOT satisfy TN unless it specifically covers the TN DOH guidelines on the four named drug classes.
All mandated CME topics in Tennessee
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled substance prescribing (opioid/benzo/barbiturate/carisoprodol guidelines; addiction; risk mgmt) | 2 hrs | biennial | DEA prescribers (exempt: pain clinics, pain/anesth/PM&R/neuro/rheum board-certified) |
| Intractable pain / specialized pain education | no fixed hrs hrs | ongoing | intractable-pain-focused practices |
Notes
- Controlled substances is TN's ONLY recurring special topic. No HIV/DV/human trafficking CME.
Pick 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 Tenn. Comp. R. 0880-02-.19 and related board policy as of 2026-07-10 for physicians (MD/DO). It is educational information, not legal advice — always verify current requirements with the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners before relying on them.