The Fields of Medicine and Science Never Stop Moving Forward – and Neither Should Physicians

Physicians spend four years in medical school and three to five years in residency training. For the rest of your career, you rely on CME as one of the support systems that helps you drive improvements in practice and optimize the care, health, and wellness of patients. Whether you work in clinical care, research, healthcare administration, executive leadership, or other areas of medicine, CME is designed to be relevant to your needs, practice-based, and effective.

Participation in accredited CME helps you meet requirements for maintenance of licensure, maintenance of certification, credentialing, membership in professional societies, and other professional privileges. The NMA is dedicated to meeting your educational needs.

Please contact our CME Director Meghan Johnson at meghanj@nebmed.org with any questions you may have.

CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE CME

Since 2020, all physicians who prescribe controlled substances are required to have completed opioid prescribing CME for licensure due to LB731 (full bill located here). 3.0 of the 50.0 CME hours required for licensure are to specifically include opioid education (please note: 0.5 hours of the 3.0 hours must be on the PDMP (Prescription Drug Monitoring Program). View the NE DHHS Controlled Substance Continuing Competency Requirement document here.

Below are links to videos and CME assessments to fulfill the opioid education requirement for licensure.

PDMP – 0.5 CME hours (Released 2022 – Expires 04/2025)
Video     CME Assessment

Acute Pain – 0.5 CME hours (Released 2018 – Recertification Expires 12/2027)
Video     CME Assessment

The Art of Difficult Conversations – 0.5 CME hours (Released 2018 – Recertification Expires 12/2027)
Video     CME Assessment

Naloxone – 0.5 CME hours (Released 2018 – Recertification expires 12/2027)
Video     CME Assessment

Opioid Use in Older Adults – 0.5 CME hours (Released 2024)
Video     CME Assessment

Pain Management Guidance – 1.0 CME hours (Released 2018 – Recertification Expires 12/2027)
Video     CME Assessment

Tapering Opioids/Benzodiazepines – 0.5 CME hours (Released 2018 – Recertification Expires 12/2027)
Video     CME Assessment

Given the emergency declaration, do I still have to complete this CME for my October 1 license renewal? 
Governor Ricketts signed 20-27 which allows licensees to defer renewal which was originally set for October 1, 2020.  Once the declared emergency ends, DHHS Licensure will have 30 days to send out renewal notices to those that deferred in which licensees will then have 90 days from that point to complete the renewal of their license.  ALSO, licensees who renew their licenses will have the opportunity to waive their continuing competency requirements due to circumstances beyond their control.  To do this, licensees will be asked if they completed their required CME during the renewal application process.  If hours were not met licensees can ask for a waiver and then specifically state why they were not able to obtain those hours and also provide how many hours you were able to obtain.

It is not guaranteed that these hours will be waived by DHHS given that the resources to complete the 3.0 CME hours have been available long before the pandemic.

I’m obtaining my initial license, does this requirement apply to me?  
No. If you have or are applying for your initial license, the statue does not apply to you until re-licensure.

I don’t prescribe controlled substances, does this requirement apply to me?  
No. The CME requirement only applies to physicians that prescribe controlled substances.

Is there a local, free resource available to meet the 3.0 CME hours as outlined by LB 731?  
Yes. DHHS in partnership with the NMA developed enduring videos that can be accessed and watched at any time to meets the criteria in statute.  Once you complete each video you can then complete an attestation that then provides you with a certificate of completion.

Can I apply the education provided by Informed toward this requirement?
Yes. Please note that their education may not cover the 0.5 hours on the PDMP as required by LB 731.

Do I need to provide a copy of my CME completion certificate to licensure?  
No. The certificate is for your personal recordkeeping and isn’t provided to DHHS Licensure at renewal.  Licensure may audit to ensure that licensees have completed the proper training so we strongly encourage you to save your CME certificates.

How do I obtain a copy of my completion certificate?  
If you completed the education provided by DHHS located on the NMA website, please contact Meghan Johnson at meghanj@nebmed.org.

Why doesn’t the certificate have my name or the date I completed listed on it? 
It is okay that your certificates do not have your name and date of completion on them. Please note that the certificates are for your personal recordkeeping and will not be submitted to DHHS Licensure.

Why does the certificate have a valid date that spans three years?
The CME education is valid for three years but the state of Nebraska now requires that you obtain 3 CME hours each renewal period which is every two years.

How do I notify DHHS Licensure that I have completed this requirement?  
When you complete your license renewal application you will be asked if you prescribe controlled substances and attest that the CME requirements have been completed.

Whom can I talk to about my license renewal?  
Please reach out to the Dept. of Health & Human Services Licensure Unit on their website http://dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Pages/License-Renewals.aspx, via email DHHS.LicensureUnit@nebraska.gov, or by phone 402-471-2115.