Section 4730.49. Continuing education required for renewal of certificate

(A) To be eligible for renewal of a license to practice as a physician assistant, an applicant who has been granted physician-delegated prescriptive authority is subject to both of the following:

(1) The applicant shall complete every two years at least twelve hours of continuing education in pharmacology from an accredited institution recognized by the state medical board. Except as provided in division (B) of this section and in section 5903.12 of the Revised Code, the continuing education shall be completed not later than the thirty-first day of January of each even-numbered year.

(2)

(a) Except as provided in division (A)(2)(b) of this section, in the case of an applicant who prescribes opioid analgesics or benzodiazepines, as defined in section 3719.01 of the Revised

Code, the applicant shall certify to the board whether the applicant has been granted access to the drug database established and maintained by the state board of pharmacy pursuant to section 4729.75 of the Revised Code.

(b) The requirement in division (A)(2)(a) of this section does not apply if any of the following is the case:

(i) The state board of pharmacy notifies the state medical board pursuant to section 4729.861 of the Revised Code that the applicant has been restricted from obtaining further information from the drug database.

(ii) The state board of pharmacy no longer maintains the drug database.

(iii) The applicant does not practice as a physician assistant in this state.

(c) If an applicant certifies to the state medical board that the applicant has been granted access to the drug database and the board finds through an audit or other means that the applicant has not been granted access, the board may take action under section 4730.25 of the Revised Code.

(B) The state medical board shall provide for pro rata reductions by month of the number of hours of continuing education in pharmacology that is required to be completed for physician assistants who are in their first licensure period after completing the period of supervision required under section 4730.44 of the Revised Code, who have been disabled due to illness or accident, or who have been absent from the country. The board shall adopt rules, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, as necessary to implement this division.

(C) The continuing education required by this section is in addition to the continuing education required under section 4730.14 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, SB 110, §1, eff. 10/15/2015.

Effective Date: 05-17-2006