for Pennsylvania Respiratory Therapists
Welcome to the PSRC Legal Credentialing webpage that focuses specifically on the continuing education requirement for Respiratory Therapists in Pennsylvania! The following information has been taken directly from the PA State Board of Medicine's website. CLICK HERE to view our "Frequently Asked Questions" about the continuing education requirement.
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PA STATE BOARD OF MEDICINE & BOARD OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE
CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
FOR RESPIRATORY CARE PRACTITIONERS
(Published September, 2006 and October, 2007, respectively)
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1. In order to renew a license, completion of 20 credit hours of continuing education in the
preceding biennial period, which runs from January 1 of the odd year through December 31
of the next even year is required for respiratory care practitioners. The current biennial
period began January 1, 2007 and ends December 31, 2008.
2. At least 10 hours (of the total 20 required hours) must be obtained through classroom
lecture, clinical presentation, real-time web-cast or other live sessions where a presenter is
involved.
3. No more than 10 continuing education hours may be obtained through Internet
presentations, journal review programs, prerecorded video presentations or similar means
of nontraditional education.
4. Beginning with the biennial renewal period that will end December 31, 2008, one (1)
continuing education hour shall be completed in medical ethics, and one (1) continuing
education hour shall be completed in patient safety.
5. The Boards will not accept courses of study, which do not relate to the clinical aspects of
respiratory care, such as studies in office management and financial procedures.
6. The Boards accept respiratory care continuing education programs designated for
professional development credits by AARC, AMA, AOA and CSRT. The courses, locations
and instructors provided by these organizations for continuing education in respiratory care
are deemed approved by the Boards. Qualifying AMA continuing education programs shall
be in AMA PRA Category I and qualifying AOA continuing education programs shall be in
Category 1A and 1B.
7. To qualify, the provider shall make available documented verification of completion of the
course or program.
8. The following exemptions apply for certain respiratory care practitioners:
> A respiratory care practitioner applying for certification in this Commonwealth for the first
time, shall be exempt from the continuing education requirement for the biennial renewal
period in which initial certification is acquired.
9. Waiver of the CME requirements may be permitted as follows:
> The Boards may grant a hardship waiver of all or a part of the continuing medical
education requirement in cases of serious illness, military service or other good cause
provided that the public’s safety and welfare will not be jeopardized by the granting of the
waiver.
A request for waiver must be made in writing, with appropriate documentation, and include a
detailed description of circumstances sufficient to show why compliance is impossible.
Waiver requests will be evaluated by the board on a case-by-case basis. The Board will
send written notification of its approval or denial of a waiver request.
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CLICK HERE to visit our "Frequently Asked Questions" about continuing education requirements for RTs.