Iowa Admin. Code r. 653-11.4

Current through Register Vol. 47, No.14, January 8, 2025

Rule 653-11.4 - Continuing education and training requirements for renewal or reinstatement

A licensee shall meet the requirements in this rule to qualify for renewal of a permanent license, an administrative medicine license, or special license or to qualify for reinstatement of a permanent license or an administrative medicine license.

(1)Continuing education and training requirements.

a.Continuing education for permanent license or administrative medicine license renewal. Except as provided in these rules, a total of 40 hours of category 1 credit or board-approved equivalent shall be required for biennial renewal of a permanent license or an administrative medicine license. This may include up to 20 hours of credit carried over from the previous license period and category 1 credit acquired within the current license period.

(1) To facilitate license renewal according to birth month, a licensee's first license may be issued for less than 24 months. The number of hours of category 1 credit required of a licensee whose license has been issued for less than 24 months shall be reduced on a pro-rata basis.

(2) A licensee desiring to obtain credit for carryover hours shall report the carryover, not to exceed 20 hours of category 1 credit, on the renewal application.

b.Continuing education for special license renewal. A total of 20 hours of category 1 credit shall be required for annual renewal of a special license. No carryover hours are allowed.

c.Training for identifying and reporting child and dependent adult abuse for permanent or special license renewal. The licensee in Iowa shall complete the training for identifying and reporting child and dependent adult abuse as part of a category 1 credit or an approved training program. The licensee may utilize category 1 credit received for this training during the license period in which the training occurred to meet continuing education requirements in paragraph 11.4(1)"a."

(1) Training to identify child abuse. A licensee who regularly provides primary health care to children in Iowa must complete at least two hours of training provided by the department of human services pursuant to Iowa Code section 232.69(3)"c" in child abuse identification and reporting every three years. If a licensee completes at least one hour of additional child abuse identification and reporting training prior to the three-year expiration period, the licensee shall be deemed in compliance with the training requirements of this subparagraph for an additional three years. "A licensee who regularly provides primary health care to children" means all emergency physicians, family physicians, general practice physicians, pediatricians, and psychiatrists, and any other physician who regularly provides primary health care to children.

(2) Training to identify dependent adult abuse. A licensee who regularly provides primary health care to adults in Iowa must complete at least two hours of training provided by the department of human services pursuant to Iowa Code section 235B.16(5)"c" in dependent adult abuse identification and reporting every three years. If a licensee completes at least one hour of additional dependent adult abuse identification and reporting training prior to the three-year expiration period, the licensee shall be deemed in compliance with the training requirements of this subparagraph for an additional three years. "A licensee who regularly provides primary health care to adults" means all emergency physicians, family physicians, general practice physicians, internists, obstetricians, gynecologists, and psychiatrists, and any other physician who regularly provides primary health care to adults.

d.Training for chronic pain management for permanent or special license renewal. The licensee shall complete the training for chronic pain management as part of a category 1 credit. The licensee may utilize category 1 credit received for this training during the license period in which the training occurred to meet continuing education requirements in paragraph 11.4(1)"a."

(1) A licensee who has prescribed opioids to a patient during the previous license period must complete at least two hours of category 1 credit regarding the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain, including recommendations on limitations on dosages and the length of prescriptions, risk factors for abuse, and nonopioid and nonpharmacologic therapy options, every five years. A licensee may attest as part of the license renewal process that the licensee is not subject to the requirement to receive continuing medical education credits pursuant to this paragraph, due to the fact that the licensee did not prescribe opioids to a patient during the previous licensure cycle.

(2) A licensee who had a permanent or special license on January 1, 2019, has until January 1, 2024, to complete the chronic pain management training and shall then complete the training once every five years thereafter.

e.Training for end-of-life care for permanent or special license renewal. The licensee shall complete the training for end-of-life care as part of a category 1 credit. The licensee may utilize category 1 credit received for this training during the license period in which the training occurred to meet continuing education requirements in paragraph 11.4(1) "a."

(1) A licensee who regularly provides direct patient care to actively dying patients in Iowa must complete at least two hours of category 1 credit for end-of-life care every five years.

(2) A licensee who had a permanent or special license on January 1, 2019, has until January 1, 2024, to complete the end-of-life care training and shall then complete the training once every five years thereafter.

(2)Exemptions from renewal requirements.

a. A licensee shall be exempt from the continuing education requirements in subrule 11.4(1) when, upon license renewal, the licensee provides evidence for:

(1) Periods that the licensee served honorably on active duty in the U.S. armed forces, reserves or national guard;

(2) Periods that the licensee practiced in another state or district and did not provide medical care, including telemedicine services, to patients located in Iowa, if the other state or district had continuing education requirements for the profession and the licensee met all requirements of that state or district for practice therein;

(3) Periods that the licensee was a government employee working in the licensee's specialty and assigned to duty outside the United States; or

(4) Other periods of active practice and absence from the state approved by the board.

b. The requirements for training on chronic pain management and end-of-life care for license renewal shall be suspended for a licensee who provides evidence for:

(1) Periods described in subparagraph 11.4(2)"a"(1), (2), (3), or (4); or

(2) Periods that the licensee resided outside of Iowa and did not practice in Iowa.

(3)Extension for completion of or exemption from renewal requirements. The board may, in individual cases involving physical disability or illness, grant an extension of time for completion of, or an exemption from, the renewal requirements in subrule 11.4(1).

a. A licensee requesting an extension or exemption shall complete and submit a request form to the board that sets forth the reasons for the request and has been signed by the licensee and attending physician.

b. The board may grant an extension of time to fulfill the requirements in subrule 11.4(1).

c. The board may grant an exemption from the educational requirements for any period of time not to exceed one calendar year.

d. If the physical disability or illness for which an extension or exemption was granted continues beyond the period of waiver, the licensee must reapply for a continuance of the extension or exemption.

e. The board may, as a condition of any extension or exemption granted, require the applicant to make up a portion of the continuing education requirement by methods it prescribes.

(4)Reinstatement requirement. An applicant for license reinstatement whose license has been inactive for one year or more shall provide proof of successful completion of 40 hours of category 1 credit completed within 24 months prior to submission of the application for reinstatement or proof of successful completion of SPEX or COMVEX-USA within one year immediately prior to the submission of the application for reinstatement.

(5)Cost of continuing education and training for renewal or reinstatement. Each licensee is responsible for all costs of continuing education and training required in 653-Chapter 11.

(6)Documentation. A licensee shall maintain documentation of the continuing education and training requirements in 653-Chapter 11, including dates, subjects, duration of programs, and proof of participation, for five years after the date of the continuing education and training.

(7)Audits. The board may audit continuing education and training documentation at any time within the five- or three-year period, as applicable. If the board conducts an audit of continuing education and training, a licensee shall respond to the board and provide all materials requested, within 30 days of a request made by board staff or within the extension of time if one has been granted.

(8)Grounds for discipline. A licensee may be subject to disciplinary action for failure to comply with continuing education and training requirements in 653-Chapter 11.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 653-11.4

ARC 9601B, IAB 7/13/11, effective 8/17/11; ARC 0217C, IAB 7/25/12, effective 8/29/12; ARC 0871C, IAB 7/24/2013, effective 8/28/2013

Amended by IAB May 11, 2016/Volume XXXVIII, Number 23, effective 6/15/2016

Amended by IAB March 13, 2019/Volume XLI, Number 19, effective 4/17/2019

Amended by IAB March 11, 2020/Volume XLII, Number 19, effective 4/15/2020