A continuing education requirement of two hours for licensees of five different prescribing boards was passed by the 2019 Minnesota Legislature.  Continuing Education (CE) related to specific Opioid issues must be obtained between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022.  The five licensing boards; Medical, Nursing, Podiatric Medicine, Dentistry and Optometry are reviewing common approaches including whom this law applies.  The  Board acknowledges the limited scope of practice related to Opioid medications and must meet the intent of the law.  It will continue to hold discussion at each board meeting.  

Current Procedure:

Effective January 1, 2020, all health care licensees who have authority to prescribe controlled substances must obtain two (2) hours of continuing education credits before January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022. (MS §214.12 subd. 6) The continuing education credits must include content on:

1. best practices in prescribing opioids and controlled substances; and
2. non-pharmacological and implantable device alternatives for treatment of pain and ongoing pain.

You are exempt from completing this requirement if you: 

1. do not hold DEA registration, or 
2. participate in the Department of Human Services Opioid Prescribing Improvement Program (OPIP). You are considered a participant if you have prescribed opioids for outpatient pain management to a Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) member in the current or the last calendar year AND received an opioid prescriber report from DHS in the last calendar year. An MHCP member is someone with Minnesota Medicaid or MinnesotaCare insurance. 

If you prescribed an opioid for pain to an MHCP member and you did not receive a report or for questions about the report, contact DHS at dhs.opioid@state.mn.us.

• You must complete the continuing education at least once by January 1, 2023, and
• Verify compliance with the required education by responding to questions when renewing your license located within your Minnesota Board of Optometry online account and validated in your OE Tracker account.
• The Board will encourage local education providers to provide the two-hour course. Optometrists may also complete the two-hour course using AMA approved courses.  
• Coursework reported prior to January 1, 2020 will not be accepted.
• Both MOA and MAOO will be hosting a two hour Opioid CE session in the future.  Please monitor their websites. 
• AMA Category 1 CE or any other state's  CE education that meets the minimums as found in the statute below with can be submitted directly to your OE Tracker account.   

You may access the statute at https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/214.12. Minnesota Statute 214.12 Subdivision 6 will expire on January 1, 2023.