Rhode Island physician (MD and DO) CME requirements for license renewal

This guide covers physicians licensed by the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline, part of the Rhode Island Department of Health. The Board licenses both MDs and DOs under the same statute (R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-37) and the same rule, 216-RICR-40-05-1. The rule was last amended effective August 26, 2026; that change did not touch CME.

The short version

Requirement	Hours	How often	Who
Total CME (AMA PRA Category 1 or AOA Category 1a)	40	Every two years, by June 1 of even years	Every MD and DO
Opioid prescribing best practices	8 (Category 1)	Once	Prescribers of Schedule II opioids
Cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer's disease	1	Once (a 2026 bill may change this)	Every MD and DO

How many hours, and what kind

216-RICR-40-05-1 section 1.5.5(A): every physician licensed to practice allopathic or osteopathic medicine "shall on or before the first (1st) day of June of every even-numbered year, on a biennial basis, earn a minimum of forty (40) hours of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™/AOA Category 1a continuing medical education credits."

MDs and DOs follow the same rule, and either AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ or AOA Category 1-A credit counts for both.
Maintenance of certification counts. Participation in an ABMS member board's Maintenance of Certification program, or in the AOA's Osteopathic Continuous Certification program, "will be considered equivalent to meeting CME requirement."
AOA Category 1-B and Category 2 credit are not named, so they do not appear to count toward the 40.
AAFP Prescribed credit is not named. The AMA accepts AAFP Prescribed credit as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, so it should count, but confirm with the Board if most of your hours are AAFP Prescribed.
Board members can count time at Board and investigating committee meetings, hour for hour.

Hours do not carry over.

When your license expires

Every Rhode Island physician registration runs on the same two-year cycle. Under R.I. Gen. Laws 5-37-10, you register by June 1 of even-numbered years; the registration starts July 1 and expires two years later on June 30. The next CME and renewal deadline is June 1, 2028.

A registration not renewed with its fee by July 1 lapses automatically. The Board may reinstate it on payment of the registration fee plus an additional fee. The Board may extend the CME deadline once, for six months, if hardship kept you from meeting it (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-37-2.1).

The mandatory topics

Opioid prescribing — 8 hours, once (Schedule II opioid prescribers)

216-RICR-20-20-4 section 4.4(P): "Any practitioner who prescribes a Schedule II opioid is required to successfully complete eight (8) hours of Category 1 Continuing Medical Education" in any or all of these topics: appropriate prescribing of opioids for pain, pharmacology, adverse events, potential for dependence, tolerance, substance use disorder, and alternatives to opioids for pain management.

It is required only once, and must be done before the renewal of your controlled substance registration or within two years, whichever is longer. No specific course is required. The rule exempts physicians who completed DATA 2000 waiver training and hold an "X" DEA number; the federal X-waiver ended in 2023, so newer prescribers should plan on taking the 8 hours. The 8 hours are Category 1, so they also count toward your 40.

Cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer's disease — 1 hour, once

R.I. Gen. Laws 23-1.7-5(a): all physicians "shall, no later than October 1, 2023, complete a one-time course of training consisting of a minimum of one hour of instruction on the diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with cognitive impairments including, but not limited to, Alzheimer's disease and related disorders." The statute does not say when physicians licensed after that date must complete it, so newer licensees should take it before their first renewal and confirm with the Board.

Possible change in 2026. A 2026 bill, H 8545, would replace the one-time hour with a recurring one: every renewal period as introduced, every other renewal cycle as amended, with possible exemptions for physicians practicing only pediatrics, radiology or pathology. We could not confirm whether it was enacted; the statute online still shows the one-time version. Check before your 2028 renewal.

Federal requirement

The federal DEA requires a one-time 8-hour training on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders (the MATE Act) when you first register or renew a DEA registration. It is a federal requirement, separate from Rhode Island's rules. A course that meets the DEA training may also cover the Rhode Island opioid topics; check the content against both.

Your first renewal

Neither the statute nor the rule waives or prorates CME for a physician first licensed partway through a two-year period. Plan on the full 40 hours and confirm with the Board what it expects at your first renewal.

Reporting and records

The rule says the renewal application includes evidence of your CME: you submit a summary list of your activities, not the certificates themselves (section 1.5.5(D)). It is your responsibility to get documentation from each sponsor showing your participation and the dated credits earned. Keep those documents for three years for review by the Board. Renewal is denied if you cannot show satisfactory evidence of CME (section 1.5.5(E)).

Checklist before you renew

Your registration expires June 30 of even years; the CME and renewal deadline is June 1 (next: June 1, 2028).
Count 40 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 or AOA Category 1-A credit from the past two years, or document participation in ABMS MOC or AOA OCC.
If you prescribe Schedule II opioids, make sure the one-time 8 hours are done.
Make sure you have completed the one-hour cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's training, and check whether the 2026 bill changed it.
Keep certificates for three years.

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