Provider & Staff Resources

License Renewal Toolkit

New DEA Requirement for Registered Practitioners

As of June 2023, when applying for or renewing DEA licensure practitioners are required to check a box on their online DEA registration form affirming that they have completed the new substance-use disorder (SUD) training requirement.
NOTE: our understanding is that those eight (8) required hours are over an unlimited history. Illinois Physicians have recently completed three (3) hours of CME for Illinois Physician License Renewal in 2023 and three (3) hours of CME during 2020 renewals. As of July 2023, most Physicians should have at least six (6) hours of applicable CME completed toward this requirement. Click here to learn more about DEA registration requirements.

Illinois Medical License and Controlled Substance Renewal – Due by 7/31/23

Require 150 hours of CME over the past 36 months – minimum of 60 hours of formal CME, maximum of 90 hours of informal CME.  Click here for more information from ILGA.gov.

• • Each of the programs that meet a state-mandated requirement has this verbiage next to their listing:
    
  • Safe Opioid Prescribing Training – 3 hours education required.
    • UIC Continuing Medical Education has links to training
    • ISMS (All UI Health physicians are members – sign in using your UIC email address) has training
  • Sexual Harassment Prevention Training – 1-hour education required. 
    NOTE: Title IX training through UIC/UI Health meets this requirement.  This was required in March 2023. 
    • UIC Continuing Medical Education has links to training
    • ISMS (All UI Health physicians are members) has training
  • Recognizing Dementia Training – 1-hour education required for all who interact with patients 26 years of age or older.
    • UIC Continuing Medical Education has links to training
    • ISMS (All UI Health physicians are members) has training
  • Implicit Bias Training – 1-hour education required.
    • UIC Continuing Medical Education has links to training
    • ISMS (All UI Health physicians are members) has training

Previous Tips and Tools:

Physicians in Illinois must earn 150 hours of continuing medical education (CME) credit in a three-year re-licensure period. At the end of the three-year period, physicians renew their licenses through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) by attesting to compliance with state CME requirements.

New State of Illinois Requirements for 2023 License Renewal
Illinois physicians will be required to complete CME hours in the following four topic areas:

• Safe Opioid Prescribing Training 
  The 3-hour education requirement for safe prescribing of opioids is applicable to all licensed healthcare professionals who also possess an Illinois Controlled Substance License. This includes any faculty, advanced practice providers, and current GME trainees who may be renewing their licenses.
   
• Sexual Harassment Prevention Training 
  The 1-hour sexual harassment prevention education mandate applies to ANY profession licensed by the state that requires continuing education as a condition of re-licensure.
   
• Recognizing Dementia
  This 1-hour requirement applies to every licensed healthcare professional who interacts with patients 26 years of age or older. It involves completing a 1-hour training on the diagnosis, treatment, and care of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
   
• Implicit Bias
  This 1-hour requirement on recognizing implicit bias in healthcare applies to all licensed healthcare professionals.

All four requirements noted above count toward the 150 hours CME required for renewal. Click here for complete information on license renewal requirements for the state of Illinois.
 
Please find accredited, educational opportunities linked below that can assist with meeting the state's CME/CE requirements.
Some resources may require memberships, payment, or login creations. For assistance in accessing publications or completing the listed activities, please contact the sponsoring organization.

THE ISMS EDUCATION CENTER PROVIDES members with myriad options to complete these new requirements.  All CME programs are available free to ISMS Members (all UIH Physicians are members)!

Click here to view the courses that meet the state-mandated requirements.

Each of the programs that meet a state-mandated requirement have this verbiage next to their listing:

Specific offerings are highlighted here:

Opioid Prescribing (3 hours CME required)

• Opioids: Best Practices, Overdose Risk Factors, and Naloxone Co-Prescribing
• A Guide to New Opioid Prescribing Rules: An Update from the IDFPR
• The Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program
• Treating Chronic Pain without Opioids

Sexual Harassment (1 hour CME required)

• Sexual Misconduct in the Medical Setting, Part 1: Among Colleagues
• Sexual Misconduct in the Medical Setting, Part 2: Defining Boundaries in the Clinician-Patient Relationship
• #MeToo and Medicine: Sexual Harassment Prevention Training for Illinois Docs
• Sexual Misconduct Prevention Training for Medical Professionals

Implicit Bias (1 hour CME required)

Getting to Equity: Dismantling Racism in Medicine, from Unconscious Bias to Institutional Policy

Dementia (1 hour CME required as indicated)

Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias: What Illinois Medical Professionals Need to Know

Recommended Accredited Activities by Federal, State, or Professional Society

Opioid Safe Prescribing 

Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Hours Offered: Up to 11 | Associated Cost: Free | Expires: Dates Vary
The CDC offers interactive training that assists providers in applying the CDC's guidelines on safe prescribing. Modules are worth 1 credit each, self-paced and free of charge. You must be logged into the CDC's online education platform, TCEO, to best access the modules and claim credit. Instructions can be found here.

Opioid Risk Management
Hours Offered: 20 | Associated Cost: Free | Expires: 8/9/2024
Presented by the American College of Physicians, this online activity is part of a larger series regarding improved clinical care. The module requires a login, a pre-assessment, and post-assessment.
  
Reducing Stigma Educational Tools (ReSET)
Hours Offered: 1.5 | Associated Cost: Free
The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School presents interactive online learning activities designed to reduce the stigma of patients with opioid use disorder.

Other Resources and Publications

American Medical Association - Ed Hub
Listed here are CME-accredited opportunities, specific to Illinois requirements from the American Medical Association (AMA), and includes journal-based CME activities in various specialties. 

National Institute on Drug Abuse
Provided here are CME activities (various credits and expiration dates) related to opioids, including a section focused on prescribing.

REMS: Opioid and Analgesic Education
A Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy has been put in place, as required by the FDA, for known and potential risks related to opioids and analgesics. The program includes multiple accredited, educational opportunities for providers.

Point-of-Care Naloxone Distribution in the Emergency Department: A Pilot Study
The American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy (AJHP) shares the results of a study evaluating the feasibility of point-of-care (POC) distribution of naloxone in an ED.

Sexual Harassment Prevention
Please see the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) FAQ pdf on sexual harassment prevention training.
Activity
What If a Resident or Medical Student Is Raped? Hospitals' and Academic Medical Centers' Title IX Obligations
Hours Offered: 1 | Associated Cost: Free
This activity is presented and accredited by the American Medical Association (AMA).