Florida prevention of medical errors CME (2 hours) for physicians

Who must take it

Every Florida-licensed physician — MD (Chapter 458) and DO (Chapter 459) — must complete a 2-hour course on prevention of medical errors at every biennial renewal, including the first renewal. The requirement comes from section 456.013(7), Florida Statutes, which applies to most health professions licensed in Florida; each board sets the details in its own rule (Rule 64B8-13.005 for MDs, Rule 64B15-13.001 for DOs).

The statute says the two hours count toward the total continuing education required for the profession — for physicians, part of the 40 hours each cycle, not extra.

What the course must cover

Under section 456.013(7) the course must include:

• a study of root-cause analysis,
• error reduction and prevention, and
• patient safety.

For courses approved by the Board of Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine, the statute adds "information relating to the five most misdiagnosed conditions during the previous biennium, as determined by the board." Each Board writes its own list into its rule, and the two lists are different.

Board of Medicine (MDs) — Rule 64B8-13.005(1)(c): "While wrong site/wrong procedure surgery continues to be the most common basis for quality of care violations, the following areas have been determined as the five most mis-diagnosed conditions":

1. oncology related conditions
2. gastroenterology related conditions
3. cardiology related conditions
4. infectious disease related conditions
5. neurology related conditions

Board of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) — Rule 64B15-13.001(3)(b):

1. inappropriate prescribing of controlled substances
2. failure to diagnose reproductive-related conditions
3. wrong site/patient surgery
4. failure to diagnose spine-related conditions
5. failure to accurately diagnose cancer-related conditions

Both lists were last revised in rule amendments effective March 7, 2024, and are unchanged in the versions of both rules effective June 15, 2026. Each Board reviews its list from time to time, so a course should be checked against the rule in force when you take it. An older list on the Board of Medicine's FAQ page (which includes OB/GYN and respiratory conditions) no longer matches the rule.

The osteopathic rule also requires the course to "address medication errors, surgical errors, diagnostic inaccuracies, and system failures," and to "provide recommendations for creating safety systems in health care organizations."

Which providers' courses count

MDs. Section 456.013(7) says the course "must be approved by the board." The Board of Medicine grants that approval through its rule rather than course by course. Rule 64B8-13.005(1)(c) accepts a medical errors course that covers the required content "and which is approved by any state or federal government agency, or nationally affiliated professional association, or any provider of Category I or II American Medical Association Continuing Medical Education." So a course from an AMA PRA Category 1 provider counts only if it includes the required content, including the Board of Medicine's five areas above. A general patient-safety course without that content does not meet the requirement. Under the rule, one hour of a two-hour course that a hospital or other chapter 395 facility gives its own employees may count toward the requirement.

DOs. The Board of Osteopathic Medicine's renewal page calls for "a 2-hour board-approved CME course on the Prevention of Medical Errors." The course must cover the osteopathic content and list above, which an MD-only course does not. Rule 64B15-13.001(1)(a) allows the course "in any format, including in a distance learning format, provided that the format includes an ability to interact with the presenter of the course," and the rule caps home study at 8 hours per biennium. Check that a DO-specific course meets the format rule before you rely on online self-study.

Practical steps:

1. In CE Broker, look for a course listed as meeting your own Board's prevention of medical errors requirement (Board of Medicine for MDs, Board of Osteopathic Medicine for DOs).
2. Check that the course covers your Board's current list of five misdiagnosed conditions. The MD and DO lists are different.
3. DOs: check that an online course lets you interact with the presenter.
4. Check that the completion appears in your CE Broker record before you renew.

Deadlines

• MDs: licenses in Group 1 expire January 31 of even-numbered years, and licenses in Group 2 expire January 31 of odd-numbered years. See the Florida MD guide.
• DOs: the licensure biennium ends March 31 of even-numbered years. See the Florida DO guide.

Requirements change. This guide was checked against the primary sources below on October 6, 2026; confirm with the Board before you rely on it.