Opioid, Child-Abuse and Other Mandatory Courses by State

A podiatrist can finish 50 hours of excellent CE and still fail a renewal because one required course is missing. States add mandatory topics to the general requirement, and they rarely match. The ones below come from statutes, rules and board pages.

Which courses apply to every DEA-registered podiatrist?

A federal one. Qualified practitioners must meet the training requirement in 21 U.S.C. 823(m), starting with the first DEA registration or renewal on or after June 27, 2023, and need to complete it only once (21 CFR 1301.11(c)). The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation describes it for podiatrists as a "one-time 8-hour requirement of CME related to the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders" before renewing a DEA registration, under the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act. Keep the certificate: it travels with you, unlike most state courses.

Which states require controlled-substance prescribing hours?

• Florida: at least 2 hours on the safe and effective prescribing of controlled substances within the biennial CE, for licensees registered with DEA (Fla. Stat. 461.007(3)).
• North Carolina: 1 hour on controlled substances prescribing practices within the 25 hours required every year (21 NCAC 52 .0208).
• South Carolina: for podiatrists authorized to prescribe controlled substances, 2 of the 24 biennial hours must cover prescribing and monitoring Schedule II to IV drugs (S.C. Code 40-51-140).
• Wyoming: 3 hours on the responsible prescribing of controlled substances every two years (W.S. 33-9-107).
• Georgia: the board says every prescriber with an active DEA certificate who prescribes controlled substances, except residency permit holders, must complete at least 3 hours of AMA/AOA PRA Category 1 CME on controlled substance prescribing. Georgia also requires DEA-registered podiatrists practicing there to register with its prescription drug monitoring program.
• New York: prescribers licensed in New York with a DEA registration must complete at least three hours of course work in pain management, palliative care and addiction once every three years and attest to it with the Department of Health.
• Pennsylvania: the board's licensure snapshot cites section 9.1(a) of the state's prescription monitoring law (ABC-MAP), which requires prescribers applying for licensure to complete at least 4 hours of board-approved education in pain management or opioid prescribing.

Which states require child abuse training?

• Pennsylvania: 3 hours of board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting for initial licensure, and 2 of the 50 hours at each biennial renewal (49 Pa. Code 29.61; board snapshot).
• New York: coursework in identifying and reporting child abuse under Education Law 6507(3)(a) is a licensure requirement (NYSED).

What other mandatory topics appear?

• Infection control, New York: approved coursework in infection control and barrier precautions to prevent HIV and hepatitis B transmission (NYSED).
• Human trafficking, Texas: human trafficking prevention training is required for renewal, and TDLR accepts it for up to 2 hours of the ethics CME.
• Health equity, Washington: 2 hours every four years under WAC 246-922-310, which WAC 246-922-300 keeps in place even for podiatrists who satisfy CE through board certification.
• Substance use screening, Nevada: at least 2 hours in the screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment approach within 2 years after initial licensure, counted within the CE requirement (NRS 635.115).
• CPR, Nevada: current CPR certification at renewal (NRS 635.110, 635.115).
• Cultural competency, District of Columbia: DC Health reminds license holders of 2 hours of LGBTQ cultural competency and public health priority topics in each cycle.

Do these courses count toward general CE?

Usually, if the course meets the state's general approval rules. Florida's, North Carolina's, South Carolina's and Pennsylvania's are carved out of the total, not added on top. Nevada's screening course counts within the CE requirement. Texas's human trafficking training counts toward ethics. New York's Department of Health prescriber course is a separate attestation from NYSED's CE. Read each rule for whether hours count, and keep the certificates sorted by license.

How often do they repeat?

That is where tracking matters. The federal training is once. New York's prescriber course is every three years. Washington's health equity hours are every four years. North Carolina's prescribing hour is every year. Pennsylvania's child abuse hours are every two years. Nevada's screening course is once, within two years of initial licensure. Put each on the calendar of the license it belongs to; see keeping several renewals on one calendar and the hour totals in CE requirements by state.

Where do DEA and state registrations fit in?

Prescribing courses are tied to prescribing credentials. Each state where you prescribe needs its own DEA registration, and some issue state controlled-substance licenses; see a new DEA registration for each practice state.

How can we help?

Annual Renewal & CE Tracking is $199 per license per year (pricing). We list every mandatory course for each of your licenses with its frequency and deadline, match your certificates to them, and flag gaps before renewal. You take the courses and attest to them yourself.