Physicians in Illinois will see changes to their continuing medical education (CME) requirements as a result of legislation initiated by the Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) and signed into law in 2023. The new rules, which take effect for license renewals this summer, extend the time physicians have to complete certain state-mandated CME courses.
Under the updated law, physicians now have six years instead of three to complete opioid safety training if they hold an Illinois controlled substance license. Additionally, the required hours for opioid safety training have been reduced from three to one. Training on cultural competency and recognizing symptoms of dementia—when treating adult patients—also moves from a three-year cycle to every six years.
If additional CME mandates are introduced in the future, the period for completing courses categorized under “every six-year” requirements would expand further to nine years.
According to ISMS, these changes are intended to give doctors more flexibility and allow them to focus their continuing education on topics most relevant to their specialty areas.
“Here’s the best part! ISMS offers all required CME courses FREE to members!” stated ISMS in its announcement.
Despite these adjustments, some requirements remain unchanged. Physicians must still complete implicit bias training and sexual harassment prevention training every three years. Healthcare professionals who treat children must also continue mandated child abuse reporter training every three years.
A video overview featuring ISMS President Richard C. Anderson, M.D., is available for those seeking more information about these changes. An at-a-glance summary of mandatory courses is also provided by ISMS.
Members with questions are encouraged to contact the ISMS Health Policy Research and Advocacy team by email.
