Continuing Education FAQs


Continuing Education FAQS

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Why is continuing education being verified at renewal?

Continuing Education is a requirement to renew a professional license. Section 456.025(7), F.S. requires the Department to implement an electronic continuing education tracking system for each biennial renewal cycle and to integrate such system into the licensure and renewal system. The two systems are now integrated.

Can I create an account in the tracking system prior to being licensed?

No, you will not be able to create an account until you receive a license number from the Department of Health. Students need to be aware of this change in our license renewal process and begin reporting continuing education into the tracking system once they are licensed.

What will happen if I do not have the required continuing education for renewal?

If the practitioner’s continuing education records are not complete, they will be prompted to enter their remaining continuing education hours before proceeding with their license renewal.

The project will be implemented in two phases. The first phase (optional phase) will prompt practitioners to input required continuing education hours, but will not prevent licensure renewal. The second phase (mandatory) will require reporting of all required continuing education hours in order to proceed with license renewal.

Below is a chart identifying the optional phase and first mandatory phase for each profession.

PROFESSIONOPTIONAL REPORTING CYCLEFIRST MANDATORY REPORTING CYCLE
Medical Doctors
Expiring 1/31 even year
2/1/12 – 1/31/142/1/14 – 1/31/16
Physician Assistants2/1/12 – 1/31/142/1/14 – 1/31/16
Medical Doctors
Expiring 1/31 odd year
2/1/13 – 1/31/152/1/15 – 1/31/17
Anesthesiologist Assistant2/1/13 – 1/31/152/1/15 – 1/31/17

During the mandatory phase you will not be able to renew a license without having your continuing education hours reported into the continuing education tracking system. If you do not have the hours to report, your license will move to a delinquent status at expiration. In order to renew a delinquent license you will be required to complete the continuing education requirements. Additional fees may apply.

 

Do I have to wait until license renewal to report my continuing education credits to the electronic tracking system?

No, you can report your hours free of charge anytime during the biennium by registering for the Free Basic Account. The Department encourages you to report early to avoid a delay in the license renewal process. For more information please visit www.CEatRenewal.com. Please note, if you take a course from a Florida Board approved Provider they are required to report on your behalf. If you take a course from a National organization it is your responsibility to report completion. There may be other ways for you to obtain credit towards continuing education required for license renewal. For specific approved methods of obtaining continuing education for your profession please review the Board rules by visiting www.flhealthsource.gov

Do I have to subscribe to the electronic tracking system?

No, subscriptions remain optional. There are a number of services you can receive by subscribing, however, it is optional.

You do however need to report your hours. You can always search for courses, report your hours, and view your course history free of charge by creating a Free Basic Account

Is the 7 day free trial advertised on CEBroker’s homepage the same as the Free Basic Account?

No, the 7 day free trial is a trial period for the paid subscription service to determine if you would like to subscribe. The Free Basic Account is a free account and does not require you to give credit card information. This account allows you to view your course history and report CE hours free of charge during the two year biennium. To create a Free Basic Account you can login to your MQA Services account at www.flhealthsource.gov OR you can visit www.CEatRenewal.com and choose option 2.

How will I know what has been reported?

You are able to view your course history in the tracking system free of charge. Your course history will show all the courses that have been reported, the completion date and the total number of hours. You can create your basic account or professional account at www.CEatRenewal.com 

If I create a free basic account and enter all of my hours, will the system tell me if I have met the continuing education requirements for my Profession?

If you are using the Basic Free Account it will be your responsibility to know the continuing education requirements for your Profession and calculate your compliance using the data listed on your course history.

If you enter your hours prior to renewal in a basic account the system will not generate a compliance status, however, the system will check compliance during your renewal period using the basic account. You will receive a complete or incomplete message at the time of renewal. Profession specific information and copies of the Board rules can be found at www.flhealthsource.gov.

What is the difference between viewing my course history using the basic free account or subscribing to the continuing education tracking system?

With a free Basic Account you can view your basic course history, which will list the course name, educational provider name, date of completion and hours reported. It would then be up to you to determine whether all of the courses that have been reported will complete all of your specific continuing education requirements. You can also self-report any continuing education that may be missing.

A Professional Account (paid subscription) provides you with all of the tracking tools that CE Broker offers. Your transcript will display what your specific CE requirements are and will calculate what requirements have been met and what may still be outstanding. A Professional Account is a subscription service and is not a requirement but it can be a useful tool in managing your Florida continuing education requirements should you chose to subscribe.

Do I have to report my continuing education completion into the tracking system or will the Provider report on my behalf?

If you take a course from a Florida approved continuing education provider, the provider is responsible for reporting your course completion. If you take your course from a National organization you will be required to self-report into the tracking system.

How long does a Florida approved Provider have to report my continuing education completion into the tracking system?

Pursuant to Rule 64B – 5.002, F.A.C Providers are allowed up to 30 days to report. However, during the renewal period this process is modified to allow licensees to self report courses taken from a Florida approved Provider to avoid a delay in license renewal.

Where do I go to report my hours?

You can report your hours by logging into MQA Services using your user id and password at www.flhealthsource.gov OR you can visit www.CEatRenewal.com Both sites will direct you to the tracking system to create a free basic account.

When will I be required to complete the Domestic Violence training?

Your due date to take Domestic Violence for the first time is based on the date you were initially licensed.

The chart below will assist you in determining when you will be required to complete this training.

This chart is for licensees that were initially licensed PRIOR to 8/1/06
 BoardLaw went into effect
(optional)
OptionalOptionalMust be complete by the biennium below if not taken since biennium in column 1
Medicine Group 1

Expires Even Years

02/01/06-01/31/0802/01/08-01/31/1002/01/10-01/31/1202/01/12-01/31/14
Medicine Group 2

Expires Odd Years

02/01/05-01/31/0702/01/07-01/31/0902/01/09-01/31/1102/01/11-1/31/13

If you were initially licensed prior to 8/1/06 you would follow the chart above because you were licensed prior to the implementation of the statute that requires domestic violence. Once you have taken the course for the first time, you have 6 years to complete it again.

If you were initially licensed after 8/1/06 you have 3 bienniums (6 years) to complete the course.

Example: A Physician expiring 1/31/13 initially licensed 5/31/08 would not have to complete Domestic Violence until the 13/15 biennium and would not follow the chart above.

Whenever you chose to take Domestic Violence within the timeframe above, you have 6 years from that date to complete it again.

 

What are the CME requirements for prescribing Physician Assistants?

Prescribing physician assistants must complete 10 hours of CME in each specialty area of the supervising physician. These hours are included in the 98 general CME. Effective January 1, 2017, three of the ten specialty hours must consist of a course on the safe and effective prescribing of controlled substance medications given by a statewide professional association of physicians in this state accredited to provide educational activities designated for the American Medical Association Physician’s Recognition Award Category I credit or designated by the American Academy of Physician Assistants as a Category I credit.