California Medical Association (03/16/23)

The California Medical Association (CMA) is calling on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to confirm that completing state physician continuing medical education (CME) requirements meet federal Medication Access Training Expansion (MATE) Act training mandates. The MATE Act stipulates that all prescribers of schedule II-V controlled substances fulfill a one-time eight-hour training requirement on identifying, treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders. "California law already requires physicians to complete 12 hours of one-time [CME] in pain management and the treatment of terminally ill and dying patients," CMA noted in a release. "All courses must include the risk of addiction associated with the use of Schedule II drugs. Alternatively, California physicians may complete 12 hours of one-time CME on the treatment and management of opioid-dependent patients to meet the state requirements." In addition to DEA and SAMHSA confirmation of state CME legitimacy, CMA wants written notice of this verification to all California DEA-registered doctors.

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